By Amanda, Red Lion, PA United States
PROM at 30 weeks + 5 days. Delivery at 33 weeks + 3 days.
Story added: 2007-05-03

My husband and I tried for 5 years to get pregnant. We went to several different doctors and then finally to a fertility clinic. They tried several drugs and nothing ever worked. Finally, after so many years, we decided to stop. Then, 3 months later, I was pregnant! I was so happy! I thought, finally, it is all over. Little did I know that it was far from over. I thought the battle was getting pregnant, I never thought I would then have to fight to stay pregnant. At first all was great, despite some terrible morning sickness. (I was put on zofran to stop the vomitting.) I LOVED being pregnant. I never felt better! Then at 27 weeks, I went in for an ultrasound because of low weight gain. I was just excited to see our baby again. But, thank God, during the ultrasound, they found I was already dilated 1 cm. I was put on strict bedrest for the duration of my pregnancy, and was to see my doctor weekly. I was terrified. Then, on April 23, 2006, I woke up in a puddle of water. I couldn't believe that it was happening. I called the doctor and rushed to the hospital. I was under the impression that if your water broke, you delivered right then. Not the case. I was admitted to the hospital to be monitored. I had blood drawn daily for signs of infection, and waited. The doctor came in every morning, and every day I asked him the same question, knowing that he didn't know. I just wanted to know what was going to happen! Then one morning he came in and said what I feared most, my white cell count was going up and the risk was too high for infection. I just cried. Seven weeks was too early. The next morning they induced around 8:30. My daughter was born at 4:10 pm that same day. She was 4 lbs and 13.8 ounces and breathing on her own!! She was even crying. I was terrified that I would not be able to hold her when she was born, but after they checked her out and made sure everything was okay, they let my husband and I have some time with her! She spent 12 days in NICU, and the hardest thing I have every had to do was leave her there when I was discharged. But the NICU staff was amazing, and I spent several nights there at the hospital with her. Isabella Maxine will be 1 on May 11, 2006. She is healthy, happy, and right on schedule. You would never know by looking at her now that she was a preemie. Now, we want to have another baby, and I am terrified. But the PAP stories have given me some confidence.