By Andria, Mt Home, Ar. USA
PROM at 22 weeks + 2 days. Delivery at 23 weeks.
Story added: 2008-01-02

This was my 6th pregnancy, but 3 of those were miscarriages, 2 were babies. My 1st son was born at 34 weeks, after PROM. My daughter was born at 30 weeks after PROM. I got pregnant again in July 2007, after trying for 2 years. I was very excited, but nervous because of my past problems with my pregnancies. At 6 weeks I started spotting very lightly, it lasted a couple weeks. I had an ultrasound done and there was a baby with a heartbeat in there. I felt this pregnancy might go full term, because I didn't bleed as much as I did with the others. My doctor wanted me to see a high risk specialist in Little Rock once a month. They wanted to do an ultrasound every 2 weeks to check the cervical length. The first check it was 3 cm. The next check it was 2.5 cm. I was only 21 weeks at this time, and a normal cervix would be around 4 cm. I was worried!. I started taking it easy, staying off my feet as much as I could. It was hard though because I had a 3 year old and a 6 year old, and two step-sons and a husband to take care of. Anyway, when I went back to Little Rock for my next appointment, they sent me over to the hospital to have a vaginal ultrasound, because their machines were down. Well, what they found devastated me. They said that the amniotic sac was bulging through my cervix. I was only 22 weeks, this could not be happening. They wanted to admit me and do a rescue cerclage the next day. Well, they couldn't do the procedure until thursday, two days later. When they finally got me in, they gave me a spinal block and looked inside me. The resident doctor said to call the attending physician down immediately. 30 minutes later (they didn't bother covering me up or anything with 20 or so students in there)the Dr. comes and checks me, and says there isn't anything they could do without breaking my water. So they sent me back up to my room in a decline position, head down, feet up, until my water breaks. I was so distraught. My husband came, and stayed me, then had to leave cuz the kids were home (it's a 3 hour drive). Anyway, my water broke the next night. I started getting an infection, with a fever on saturday, then came the contractions. I was in painful labor for 6 or so hours. They finally decided for my health reasons to induce me to get the baby out. Elijah Everett was born at 12:26 am sunday morning. He weighed 470 gram, and was so tiny. He lived for 1 1/2 hours in our arms with out taking a single breath. That was the hardest thing I have ever had to go through in my life. This was 3 weeks ago, and my heart still aches for my son. If anyone has gone through this, and needs to talk, cuz I do, please email me, andrianhainey@yahoo.com thanks.