By Valorie, Toledo, OH USA
PROM at 25 weeksDelivery at 27 weeks + 2 days.
Story added: 2004-07-21

My daughter was due July 9 2004. On May 26, 2004, I took a shower, went downstairs and as I was getting dressed, I felt fluid run down the inside of my thighs. I thought maybe I had leaked urine. I was to see my doctor the following morning, and figured I better let her know, I could be developing a urine infection. I wasnt experiencing any other symptoms. I finished getting dressed. Went back upstairs, felt more fluid. I sat on the toilet and kept filling it up with clear fluid. At this point I was getting pretty nervous. My husband came home from work and I told him if it keeps leaking this much I will go to the hospital. I have a 7 year old and with him my water was broken for me, I hadnt felt this before. I laid on the couch filling paper towels. It started to slow down, but I felt too nervous. I went to the hospital. The nurses took 2 tests, one litmus and one slide. Both came back amniotic fluid. They get the doctor (obviously waking him up) and he checks me. He doesnt see anything, a rupture, he's a little edgy and asks the nurse if she sees anything. He then calls my o.b. and she tells him to advise to go home and see her (which would have been 5 hours). After the Dr. gives me my Dr.'s instructions, the nurse comes back to the room. She advised me to not go home as the Dr. ordered, but to go another hospital with a NICU. Stating 2 test show it's amniotic fluid and I could tell my stomach had gotten smaller. We do go to another hospital. I get sent thru admissions and a young man is wheeling me upstairs, he stops to answer a personal phone call on his cell phone! My husband says (after a few minutes), Look this is an emergency, we've been to another hospital and they said we should come here, she's probably going into labor early. The boy says, "oh they just let you drive over here, huh?" Basically saying if it was an emergency I would have been brought here in an ambulance. Finally I get upstairs. The nurses see me, take the same 2 tests as the (as I call it) band-aid hospital and the Dr. comes in. She takes an ultrasound and could see I was very low on fluid. They are keeping me. At 7 am, another Dr. comes in and tells me that they are going to see if I go into labor. If I do, being at 25 weeks and my baby being under 2 lbs, there is a 60% chance the baby lives and of those 60%, 50% of those children live normal lives. I was given a shot of steroids then and one later. Thankfully, I do not go into labor. I stay in the hospital 2 1/2 weeks. Morning of April 11, the day after Easter, I am put on the monitor, I am having contractions. I can feel them lightly, a Dr. checks my cervix, I am dialated 1 and I am sent to labor and delivery. The day progresses, contractions become stronger, and I am dialated 1.5. I have to go C-Section (my first was natural). My daughter is delivered at 2:16 am April 12, I hear her cry. I see the doctor walk over to the nurses while the resident continues my "repairs" and ask how she's doing. The nurses say she's doing great! Relief. They wheel her past me and they stop and tell her to say hi to Mommy. No lie!, she lifted up her little skinny arm waved it and put it down. I know it was her feeling unsteady but I loved it and so did they. She weighs 1 lb. 15 oz. and 13 in.long. After being in recovery they wheel me into the NICU and let me hold her for the first time. I was still feeling woozy from the surgery and could only hold her for a second. Of course tears, but I was so afraid of her. Afraid to drop her, afraid she was going to die, afraid to get attached. I told them they had to take her, I was afraid. I went to my room, tried to sleep. Even with the pain pills, morphine, I couldnt stay asleep. Late morning they bring me pics and a hand print and asked me if I wanted to go see her. I think they were wondering why I hadnt asked sooner but I didnt think I was allowed to go back yet. Seeing her "sober" for the first time. So much fear came over me. Is she going to live? Is she going to lead a close to normal life? Those were tough questions to answer at that point of course. But to the nurses surprise she did not stay on a ventilator, when I saw her she had a canula only. I didnt think anything of it, but the nurses immediately let me know that this was a wonderful sign, and this does not happen very often. She becomes this NICU's miracle baby. The nurses fall in love with her. Everyone's telling us how fortunate we are, we knew, but these nurses have seen a lot, and hearing their praise of her progress helped us so much. None of them can believe how well she's doing. We kept hearing "She thinks she's a big girl," "you dont understand, this doesnt happen very often." We take her home June 14 2004. She has been home ever since, no lapses. She took an apnea test and passed but was still sent home on a monitor just for precaution. She is now 7 lb. 5 1/2 oz ! She's beautiful. Looking back on my fear, I realize how much I stopped myself from getting close to her for the 1st week. I felt shamed of this as a mother. I actually confessed this to one of the nurses (we got to know them well) and to my comfort found out that it is very normal and common. We spent those 2 months at the hospital in the morning before work while our son was at school and at night while our son was sleeping and family members listened for him so not to disrupt our time with him, but also spend the quality time she needed to grow. My advice, Kangaroo! Do it as soon as you can and as often as your baby is able! She knew she was loved. You could see it in her little face as soon as we were able to hold her. She knew it, she felt it and to this day her smile when she peaks out to see if we looking at her while she's "sleeping" you can see that she knows she is loved! Her brother has been wonderful. He begged God for a brother or sister. He got her! She wasnt going anywhere! I havent even had jealousy problems with him. Our family has been so blessed. We know it. It's hurting me even to tell this story seeing all names here to the left that are not in green. My heart aches for you all! I know what it's like to be at that edge, but I cannot imagine the loss you have felt. Im sorry for your loss. Thanks for this release! I cant believe how much I typed and I cant believe how relieving this has been. God Bless!