By Melissa Wahlstrom, CA USAAfter two IVF's and 1 son later I became pg with twin girls. I was so so happy I really thought my family would be complete. I had little bits of spotting here and there through out my pregnancy, got put on moderate bed rest for my first trimester and thought I would be fine. I spotted in the begining with my son as well so I was a little worried about it but not to much because my son came out healthy so I thought maybe this is just how my body responds to pregnancy's. Well I had many u/s's done and each one always showed my girls just fine. I did however have one of my placentas low but they said it would most likely move up.
PROM at 18 weeks + 5 days. Delivery at 21 weeks + 6 days.
Story added: 2006-05-08
Anyway it was November 4th midnight(18wk5dys) I was sound asleep and wammm my water broke. At first I thought oh my gosh I am peeing and I can't stop it!!!!then it was getting to be so so much and I just knew my water broke. My husband was just getting home from work and I told him we need to go to the hospital.
We couldn't believe it our dreams were coming to an end. We got to the hospital and they did confirm that my waters had ruptured, they didn't say which one or if it was both , nothing they sent me home to misscarry my pregnancy. I was so so scared, what was I going to do if I just misscarried, what do I do with my babies!!!!! They gave me the whole spill about how normally when one twin goes the next one will come right after, and that hardly ever is there a good outcome.
Next day I went to a different hospital because I wanted to know exactly what was going on!!! I had an U/S done and it showed my girls still alive!! My Daughter Madilyn was the one who ruptured and my daughter Caitlin was still in her sac and completly fine. both still had super strong heart beats. Trust me i was nervous to see the U/S I didn't know if I would not see them alive or not. Well I got sent home and got a phone call from a perinotoligst, he said I should terminate my pregnancy because I could end up with a severe infection and lose my uterus and would not be bale to concieve any more, he said also that the babys would most likely make it and other things. I wasn't sure what to do. OMG not be able to not have anymore kids possibly, that freaked me out.
I then talked to my pastor and asked him what should I do, he basiclly said to me , "you know how some poeple would say I would die for my children or the person you loved so much but when it came down to it would you really, he said sometimes you need to make the sacrifices even if it ment losing my uterus. That really put things in perspective for me and at that moment I put it all in God's hands. I decided I would do whatever it took to try and save my girls lives. I stayed on bedrest for 3 weeks at home and was so proud, I drank up to 120 ounces of water, used antibacterial wipes every time I went to the restroom, drank lots of cranberry juice and ate lots of yogurt(3x a day)everything these boards recomended I did. I did bleed here and there alot and leaked water all the time. Each day was scary because you never knew even what the next 5 mins would bring.
Well Friday night(November 25) I went to the hospital because I was bleeding alot more then I had been, they monitured me even said I was having a little bit of contractions but they subsided everything was staring to get better , my bleeding had slowed down so they sent me home the next day on Saturday. Well turns ouot that Saturday night I started bleeding again but I just layed low. Well Sunday morning (November 27) I woke up to feeling wiggling in my cervix, I just knew it was my daughters foot. We went to the hospital and indeed it was. Madiyln Angelia was born that day at 1:30 pm on November 27th,2005 i was only 21wks6/7 , she passed away in our arms a few hours later. She was so beautiful and so fragil. We will always love her so so much.
Well my contractions ended up stopping and I stayed in the hospital for another couple weeks. I was in bed and to the bathroom and that was it. I was destined to hold on to my other daughter. So many people could not believe it but to tell you the truth God helped me so so much!!!! Well I ended up getting a fever December 13th(which normally happens when you get an infection) It ended up going away but the peri wanted to do an amnio to make sure my sac was not infected or I could really lose my life possibly so he would not risk that. I ended up leaking a little while later and told them so they put me in labor and delivery, all of a sudden i kept getting these awful contractions and they would not stop. They hurt so bad, at this poitn I was now 24 weeks 2/7 ( oh forgot to add I got steroid 2 steroid shots the day before and the day of) I ended up delivering my other daughter Caitlin Gean she was 1lb 4 oz but so fisty and full of life. She is now a very beutiful almost 5 mos old girl full of life. She spent 92 days in the NICU , one PDA ligation, ROP laser surgery and had chronci lung disease, high blood pressure,and some other typical preemie problems. She was on ventlater,CPAP, and nasal canula. She came home 3 weeks before her due date with no monitors and only on her vitains. She weight 3 lbs 15 oz when she came home. She is now 7 lbs. She is so pretty and such a good girl and is doing alot of things right on target with her corrected age. I really know that God is the one to thank for this miricle, we didn't have to end up like this but we did and doing so well. I am not sure what the road looks like for us but I just have faith in the lord that he will carry us through and continue to bless our daughter with miricles .
The advice I have for who ever is in this situation is do everything you can to follow the tips on how to stay infection free, like eating yogurt, using antibacterial wipes, all that stuff. Stay rested in bed and pray. God is good , I know this is my testiment and you have to have faith. Pray, Pray Pray.
Its so hard , I rememember coming on this website and reading all the stories good and bad just so I could prepare myself. I also learned alot about preemies while on bedrest so I would not be to overwhelmed when I had come to that part.
Don't let the Dr's scare you or make you make a decison about terminating. You or the Dr's are not God and only The big guy upstairs will make that choice.
Here is my full story and updates.
My God Bless you.
http://360.yahoo.com/meliciousca
Melissa
Dillon 3 yrs
Caitlin 5 mos (24 weeker)
^Madilyn^
PPROM 18wks5dys