By Laura, Vermont USAPROM #1: Becca
PROM at 38 weeks + 2 days. Delivery at 38 weeks + 3 days.
Story added: 1998-02-24
I was due to have my first baby January 23, 1989. I had a very normal pregnancy, nothing unusual at all. On January 11, at my OB appointment, they did an internal exam, discovering that I was already dilated 3 cm! I was told that the baby could come at any time. Well, on January 23rd, my due date, I had a little leaking of fluid every time I moved. A little later that day, there was no doubt my membranes had ruptured, there was a "pop" and a big gush of fluid. They called it PROM, because my membranes ruptured and I didn't go into labor. At 1PM, I was in the hospital, and they were starting Pitocin. I was told that they like to deliver the babies within the first 24 hours after PROM.
Well, I absolutely hated Pitocin. My LLL leader told me months later that it makes you have stronger-than-normal contractions. Besides, I had been through the childbirth classes, and was NOT prepared to be strapped to a monitor and told I could not get out of bed. After a few hours of nightmarish contractions, they gave me the epidural. Well, believe it or not, that was even worse! I had a "window", a part of the uterus not affected by the epidural, and it seemed to me that all of the pain from those stronger-than- normal contrations was concentrated into that one spot! I vomited on every single contraction! I vomited up ice chips, and stomach antacid, and anything else I took by mouth. So, they gave me more and more epidural medicine, and finally the window was gone, but so was all sense of feeling. Well, they told me that it was time to push (I couldn't tell, I was too numb), and I pushed for 3 hours. Finally, they decided to do a c- section, and Becca was born. She was a NICU baby, the biggest there at 7 lbs 13 ozs, even though she was full term. She needed surgery on her esophagus, which was done 40 hours after birth. She went home at about 3 weeks old.
PROM #2: Paige >>
PROM #3: Mark & Michelle >>