By Jo, Edinburgh UK
PROM at 20 weeksDelivery at 28 weeks + 5 days.
Story added: 2013-05-07

I found this website to be a huge source of support and information when my waters broke unexpectedly and am now wanting to share my story with you - hoping it may help someone. My waters broke before new year with no warning whatsoever. We never found out why they broke. I went for a scan to find that my afi level was 6cm. I was advised by the fetal medicine specialists that my baby had no hope and that as I was prone to infection I was advised to "consider my options"...this was devastating. I spent the following days afterwards very depressed and frightened to move off the sofa. At my scan 3 days later the afi level was 7cm. I was told the level could fluctuate and not to get too obsessed by the numbers as the outcome was not likely to be positive. We decided to let nature decide what was to happen. Twice a week I went for a scan and each time the fluid around our baby increased. We had been told originally this would not happen! I couldn't take bed rest as I have 2 children already and whilst I took it easy, I still carried out all the usual duties around the house! By the time I reached around 22 / 23 weeks the fluid around the baby reached normal levels...at 24 weeks my obstetrician was starting to think the sac may have sealed over - which was something I was told would absolutely not happen! Everything was looking very positive after this...until I reached 27 weeks pregnant and my waters ruptured again (in the middle of the night). I was alone with my 2 boys as my husband had undergone an emergency appendectomy the previous evening...I got my brother in law to come by and watch the children whilst I went to hospital, terrified. The difference this time was that my waters were pink. Cutting a long story short, I was given steroid injections the following day and 48 hours later. I started to lose blood over the coming days and at one point I was 10 minutes away from delivering my baby due to my blood loss. I managed to hold on until 28 + 5 days...I was still losing blood and was given magnesium sulphate for 24 hours...it was decided that it was too dangerous for myself and my baby and I was given an emergency C-section. Under 2 hours after consenting to this, my baby girl was born weighing 2lbs 7oz. She was taken to the neonatal unit. The weeks that followed afterwards were like torture at times however I knew we were lucky to have our baby girl. Roll on just over 8 weeks later and our baby girl came home at 37+3. There is hope, the medics cannot predict all outcomes...if you are in the position I was in, I wish you a good outcome.