By Christie Wickline, Brownsburg, IN USA
PROM at 21 weeks + 3 days. Delivery at 33 weeks.
Story added: 2007-03-07

After stuggling with infertility and going through many tests and procedures, we got pregnant with our second IVF cycle. We did have a vanishing twin which is the reason they think my water broke early after months of periodic bleeding following losing the twin. My water broke at 21 weeks, 3 days and like many we were told to prepare for labor within 24 hours to a week. After several ultrasounds without a trace of fluid, they gave us the option to induce and it sounded like the only option. We were told my neonatalogists that even if the pregnancy did continue our baby's lungs would not develop beyond the day my water broke. They were wrong! Once a high risk OB got involved and encouraged us to let the pregnancy continue, because there was more hope than we were originally given. There were many prayers for a miracle and this ray of light among the darkness was the first sign of our miracle story and baby. THERE IS HOPE! My heart still breaks that we even considered induction, especially when I look at our precious and healthy boy. We allowed God to work and the pregnancy to continue, I abided to the letter on bedrest doing anything I had to do to avoid contractions, and we made it to 33 weeks before labor started. Our son was born and we heard a little cry - just what we had prayed for. He did need immediate attention and was on a ventilator for a couple days, then a nasal cannula for a few weeks. The neonatalogist admitted that he was doing much better than expected and had much better lung development than expected. He was and still is a fighter. He came home from the NICU with no aids, medication, or any expectation of delays beyond catching up on his 7 weeks prematuraty within a couple years. He is now 10.5 months old and already crawling, pulling up, etc. He is truly our gift from God. I know that babies that survive PPROM are in the minority, but they longer your pregnancy has to progress - they have a good chance of surviving. Prematurity is a bigger risk than lung development for PPROM babies. I looked for stories while laying in bed and was heartbroken by women being encouraged to induce. I hope this can give hope. Let me know if I can be a support. The power of prayer is amazing!