By Lori, Plattsburgh, NY U.S.
PROM at 28 weeks + 3 days. Delivery at 28 weeks + 5 days.
Story added: 2007-08-13

My first pregnancy was going smoothly up until week 28. At 28 wks 3 days my water broke. It was a slow leak and I was hoping it was typical fluid loss. 12 hours after I felt leakage I went to L&D to discover that my amniotic sac did break and that I was contracting. A quick cervical check revealed I was not dilated. I received my first steroid shot and was placed in an ambulance and transported to a hospital with a NICU. 24 hrs after my first steroid shot I received my second shot. Not long after, I began to cramp. Another cervical check revealed I was 3 cm dilated and the OB said "I feel a foot!" The baby was a footling breach already making his way down the birth canal. I was rushed into the ER and given general anesthesia. When I woke up I discovered that I had a son who weighed in at 2 pounds 11 ounces and was 13.5 inches long. I saw Owen in the NICU on the vent 8 hours after he was born. The doctors chalked the PPROM up to "unknown reasons" as they never found an infection or other reason for it to happen. Owen was in NICU for 2 months. Today he is 3.5 years old and doing well. He does see an OT and PT and has had respiratory problems but is as smart as they come! I am now 13 weeks pregnant for the second time. My new OB diagnosed me with an arcuate uterus but he says that he can't say for sure if that caused Owen's early birth.