By Jody, Macomb, Michigan United States
PROM at 13 weeksDelivery at 33 weeks + 5 days.
Story added: 2005-11-09

On Dec 31, 2004 after dinner with my family, I went to the restroom and passed a small blood clot. I spoke with my OB and she said that this was nothing to be concerned about unless it continued. She told me to come into the office on Monday for an exam. The exam on Monday was normal and we again heard a heartbeat. On Jan 5th, 2005, at 11 weeks pregnant, we found out we were not only expecting one baby but two. This was quite a shock as twins do not run in our family and we were not taking any fertility drugs. We truly felt blessed, scared, and excited. With a 22 month old already, we were nervous about being the parents of 2 let alone 3 children. Our excitement left us very quickly when on Jan 11, just before midnight I was woke up with a gush of fluid. I immediately called my OB and she had me come to the hospital for an evaluation. We spent most of the night there where they were unable to confirm a rupture until the next morning. After a long night and day of doctor appointments and ultrasounds, it was confirmed that I had ruptured with Twin B. I was immediately hospitalized. The MFM doctors at the hospital I was in told me all the statistics and basically recommended we terminate. The doctors said that since it was so early in the pregnancy that resealing was possible and another possibility was that the one twin would pass inside of me. The decision was easy for my husband and I. We let God decide what should happen for our family and us. I stayed in the hospital for 1 week and was discharged on bed rest. I could shower every other day and was to lift nothing and not stand for long time. I also went to the doctor weekly for blood tests, bi-weekly ultrasounds, and kept a temperature log. I resealed and reaccumulated fluid around Twin B till 18 weeks. The AFI for Twin B never got above 5 during this time. On Feb 14th, I was lying on the couch with my daughter and again had a big gush of fluid. We went to the hospital again and I was hospitalized for five days for monitoring. They thought maybe I would go into labor since I was a little further along. Just in time for my daughters 2nd birthday party, I was released and again back on bed rest at home. From this point on, I leaked daily and never had an AFI above 1.5 for Twin B. Twin B also became Twin A after the second rupture. Around 21 weeks, I started having some pinkish fluid and this continued on and off till delivery. I was hospitalized at 22 weeks and administered steroids at 22.5 and 22.6. My hospital stay was relatively uneventful. I did pass a few blood clots and have bleeding here and there, but the doctors said it was blood vessels in my cervix. At 27 weeks, about 10 days after my last ultrasound, I had a large gush of fluid. I thought for sure that Twin A had ruptured. But in fact, an impromptu ultrasound showed that Twin A was fine. My doctors assume that the babies just moved and some fluid escaped. At 28 weeks, I started having contractions on a regular basis. This is very normal for a twin pregnancy. My doctors were not going to stop my labor for anything. The plan was to get me to 34 weeks or June 8th. On June 6th, my morning monitoring showed an abnormal heart rate for the ruptured twin and my contractions were getting strong. Around noon, my doctor put me on the monitor to see the heartbeats and watch my contractions. At 12:30, they decided my babies were going to be born today. At this point, I became an emotional disaster. My husband, mom and in-laws were on their way to the hospital. My contractions got really strong quickly and each time I contracted, the ruptured twin's heart rate dropped. The doctors decided they could not wait for my husband and wheeled me into the OR without him being there. Luckily, he arrived just as I was leaving the prep room. Kyle (ruptured twin) was brought into this world at 2:28 pm. Connor arrived at 2:29 pm. Kyle was 4 lbs 4 oz and let out a little cry. Connor was 4 lbs 13 oz. and let out a big scream. Kyle was intubated in the delivery room and both were rushed off to the NICU. The first 24 hours were great. Kyle was on the vent, but was holding his own. The next evening, Kyle took a turn for the worst. The doctors advised us to have him baptized as they were at their last method of treatment for him. Thank God, Kyle responded to the treatment and came off the vent at 10 days old. He spent the next 9 weeks in the NICU. The stay was relatively uneventful. Connor came home after 11 days in the NICU. Kyle came home on oxygen and has been doing great. Other then the underdeveloped lungs, he has no other pPROM issues. We truly have been blessed with two miracles.

My advice to you out that reading this story is to have faith and follow your instincts. Miracles do happen and God will ultimately make the tough decisions for you. God Bless!!