By Debbie, Madisonville, LA USA
PROM at 27 weeksDelivery at 28 weeks + 3 days.
Story added: 2008-02-22

My previous pregnancy was high-risk for cervical incompetence. I went through the whole bed rest, cerclage, home monitoring, hospitalizations, and terb pump. I had my daughter at 36 weeks. When I found out I was pregnant again, I knew that some of the precautions I had taken earlier were not needed. My cervix never dialated because of scar tissue, and I had to have a c-section with my daughter. My husband and I decided that I would not have a preventative cerclage, only one if needed. When I had my ultrasound at 18 weeks there were signs of funneling, so I had a cerclage. The next week my OB switched offices, and I was having a hard time getting an appt, so I went to a new OB for a month. During this time they said that one of my test showed that I had staph in my vagina, and gave me antibiotics. I was not having a lot of contractions like my last pregnancy, and things were going fine. Then at 27 weeks my water broke. I was rushed from one hospital to another by ambulance. It was very scary. The doctors all came in and said that at 27 weeks everything would be fine. That 95% of babies born at this stage don't have any lasting problems. I was top stay in bed and at the hospital. I stayed for 10 days when i went into labor. I had to have another section because I wouldn't dialate. While I was on the table I asked would my son cry. I was told yes. He had gotten all of the steroid injections and might not even need a ventilator. He didn't cry. I knew there was something not right. When I got to go see my son he was two different colors purple, and white. The doctors said that something was wrong, but they didn't know what. I had him baptised. When he was a day old he had several brain bleeds and had to be recesetated for 20 min. From that point on he was in a coma. He always surpassed what they said. For instance, his acid level needed to go down and it would etc. On the fourth day my son who is 9 came to meet him. As soon as I went back up to the NICU they said that it was time to hold him. I held him for 6 hours, and then decided to stop the heart medication. His body was swollen and badly injured from all of the wires and such. He still lived another hour, so I had them turn the oxygen concentration down to 21% instead of 100%. He passed away an hour later. I got to dress and bathe him. I also got to bring him back to my hospital room and be with him for several hours. The day after the funeral I had to go back to the hospital for a severe c-section staph infection. I have been going to wound care for almost a month now. I have never felt so much pain in my whole life. I miss my son more than words could ever say.