By Erin, Stephens City, VA USA
PROM at 20 weeks + 6 days. Delivery at 27 weeks + 2 days.
Story added: 2005-09-03

On April 16, 2005, I was outside watching my husband work on the yard when I felt a small gush. I thought it was urine, and I was actually upset that at 20 weeks, I already couldn't control my bladder. After another episode about an hour later, I started to wonder if that was really what it was. I went to the hospital where they told me that it wasn't amniotic fluid and that I had an infection. She gave me antibiotics and sent me home. The next day it was still happening more than made any sense for just an infection. I went back to the hospital and was admitted because my water had broken.

I spent 4 days there where my water seemed to stop leaking. My water was never below an 8 while I was there, and they sent me home on bed rest since there was nothing they could do for the baby. I was home for a week when I had a huge gush. I went back to the hospital only to find that I had lost basically all of my fluid. After consulting with the doctors that would become my perinatologists, they decided to put me back in the hospital in my little town for 4 days. The goal was to get to 23 weeks without infection so that I could be transferred to a bigger hospital with the resources to help a very premature baby. We made it to the following Monday and the transfer.

It was a relief to be in a better hospital where I suddenly felt like people knew what they were doing- that it wasn't the first time they had seen something like this. But it was still very scary to think that my baby could be born so early. (I only wish I had found this site during that time...)

I was there for 4 weeks before I developed an infection. Over that time, I never accumulated any fluid that could even be meausured on a sonogram. I was still told that since I was leaking, the baby was still making fluid meaning that he should be getting at least some fluid to his lungs.

Well, on May 30th, 2005, I started to show signs of infection, and so at 12:03am on May 31 weighing in at 2 lbs 6 oz and 14 inches long, Ethan Matthew was born via c-section. Given that we had made it all the way to 27 weeks, I was finally starting to feel a bit optimistic about his chances for survival even though it would be a rough road in the NICU.

It wasn't to be though. He fought for 21 hours, but the infection and small lungs were too much for his little body to handle. He died in my arms at 9:25pm. I am so thankful that I got to hold him and tell him how much we love him.

We had a funeral with family and friends that had been praying since my water had broken. I know that he is in heaven in a much better place than this earth, but it still hurts that he isn't here with me.