By Susana, DC USAWhile I was on bedrest I read these stories over and over hoping that one day I would be able to post my happy story. I am delighted to say (after some rough spots) I can!
PROM at 17 weeksDelivery at 28 weeks.
Story added: 2004-07-27
At 17 weeks I woke up from napping on the couch with my underpants wet. At first I thought I "wet" my pants, but I kept leaking some clear fluid that didn't seem like urine. I called my OB and had them page the Dr. on call. It wasn't my normal Dr. and she very abruptly told me to go to the hospital, straight to the maternity floor, she would tell them I was coming. She basically said if it is amniotic fluid, that is a very bad sign.
At the hospital they did an ultrasound and the litmus test. Both came out fine, so they sent me home. I went on bedrest and only got up to go to the Dr., the bathroom, and showers every other day. It was so hard and I was so worried about the baby. I saw a maternal fetal specialist and my regular OB. They both told me that the chances weren't very good and I could terminate the pregancy or they could induce. It was a heartwrenching decision. My husband and I decided that if there was any chance that this baby would be okay we just had to give this baby that chance.
My AFI ranged from 2.5 all the way up to 12. I would stop leaking for a few days, and then start all over again. Finally, at 26 weeks after 2 months on the couch my AFI dropped back down to 4 and I was admitted to the hospital. I received steroids and antibiotics(i never showed signs of an infection). I was consistently monitored and occasionally given shots of terbutaline for contractions that I never felt. The baby always looked great and had a very strong heartrate.
At 28 weeks I went into labor and was given an epideral (which I highly recommend!) It was a girl weighting 2lbs 9oz and we named her Camilla Catherine. She was soo tiny and wasn't breathing on her own. She had to be resuscitated and put on the Jet Vent. It turned out that I had a very unusual problem called placenta increta where the placenta is embedded in the wall of your uterus. None of the doctors in the entire hospital had actually seen it before. They don't think it caused my PROM, but I think they must some how be related. They never diagnosed the cause of my PROM.
Camilla was in the NICU for 10 weeks, but for the most part she gradually got better and better with only a few setbacks. It was such a stressful time, but Camilla is doing wonderful now. Developmentally, she is more in line with her adjusted age (the day she was supposed to born) and she has physical therapy 2x a month to monitor her development, but she isn't on any medication. Even the NICU doctors say they can't tell she is a preemie. We don't know if issues may arise later, but either way we feel amazingly lucky to have her in our lives. Last week we celebrated her 1st birthday!