By Dayna Leavens, Twin Bridges, MT USA
PROM at 18 weeks + 5 days. Delivery at 19 weeks + 2 days.
Story added: 2007-11-24

HI My name is Dayna Leavens this is my pPROM story. I am a very active, healthy person who had an uneventful pregnancy with a vibrant baby girl delivered vaginally 11/09/2005. My second pregnancy ended in miscarriage at 10 weeks August of 2006, this was hard, but not as devastating as my recent experience with the loss of my 19 week baby boy Raymond Thergesen Leavens. I was happily hiking my way through my pregnancy, packing my toddler even to high elevations nursing her at the top of high peaks and feeling great, in good shape. I had trained for a marathon, it never had crossed my mind, or my health care provider's that there was any reason to restrict my activity, other than those that could result in falls such as horseback riding. Then at 16 weeks I was seeing a patient in my office for a well child check, and I felt this ominous wetness in my underwear. I went to the bathroom and there was blood. I was rushed to the ER next to the clinic I work in as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. I had great care, the ultrasound looked fine. NO one could tell me why I was bleeding, my baby was active, there was no placenta previa and no leaking amniotic fluid, my cervix was thick and closed. The weekend before I had started to feel the baby move and I was so relieved, they sent my home on bed rest and a follow up with my OB in 4 days. I went home on bedrest, the bleeding stayed constant but it was old brownish blood, spotting in nature so I thought it was not anything to worry about. I went in for my follow up and next ultrasound and everything looked fine, I was set up for my 20 week ultrasound and sent on my merry way back to work and taking care of my toddler. 3 weeks later I was in my office on a Sunday and felt more ominous wetness, I thought I was leaking urine. The thought scanned through my mind "What if it is amniotic fluid" Nah.....good old denial crept in and I went home to cook dinner. I was watching the world series and fell asleep in the recliner. I got up and felt a small gush, I went to the bathroom and thought I must be leaking more urine. I went to bed, got up and discoverd my underwear was damp and pink tinged. I called my OB: she was deeply worried and had me come in to Labor and delivery immediately. I live 100 miles from the hospital so it was a couple of hours before I got there, no more leaking happened. The did the fern test, inconclusive, they did my ultrasound: fluid level 11cm (good), closed cervix, happy active baby. I ordered take out and sent my husband to pick it up, we were almost giddy with relief, my OB included. Then brownish water gushed all over the bed, I cried, I felt jipped by my friend denial. The OB came in and nitrizined the pooling in my vagina: yes I had a grossly ruptured. I had bedpan priveleges, I was in a fog, and my husband was in shock. We called the perinatologist: he advised induction, I talked to the OB that had taken care of a miracle pPROM that had ruptured at 17 weeks and delivered at 38 weeks fine after resealing right at the hospital I was in, I talked to my OB, another OB, no one could give me my answer, just information. I poured over ACOG Guidelines on pPROM, words like Potter's facies, Hypoplastic lungs, 4 week latency periods swam in front of my tearful eyes. I decided to wait 24 hours, I leaked through 2 chucks pads (the big blue ones), and on my next ultrasound 24 hours later there was a yawning baby, and 6cm of fluid: a miracle in itself after all the leaking, and I had stopped leaking. I sent my husband home to take care of our 2 year old, and decided to watch and wait another 24 hours. The next day was Halloween, I was a basket case. I called the chaplain and had him pray to God not to save my baby, I felt it was too specific of a request: instead I asked God to take the decision out of my hands, I was not able to decide to induce or to keep waiting. I would relinquish it all to a higher power if he would please take it on I would accept the answer. An hour later I had my next ultrasound: no fluid, not even a pocket, and then the cord prolapsed, my baby was still beautiful and perfect on the ultrasound, and my prayer had been answered. I accepted it, and my labor was augmented with cytotec. I had 24 hours of labor and delivered my little boy still on November 1st, 2007 he weighed 13.8 oz and was 8 in long. A big baby for his age, and he looked perfect and peaceful with his sisters little face and still closed eyes. I hugged him and held him and wept at our loss of him. My 2 year old came in as we were saying goodbye after his christening: she showed the nurse as she toddled in: "mommy's baby" and held him. We said goodbye and we went home to grieve. That is our story, I hope that it helps someone out there who is dealing with the tragedy of this situation, I recommend reaching out to your faith and following your heart. My prayers are with you, and one of the angels in heaven watching over you is named Raymond.