By Hilary,
PROM at 27 weeksDelivery at 29 weeks.
Story added: 1999-10-08

My Name is Hilary.
My first baby was a FT, 8 pound boy. Needless to say, I was quite shocked when 27 weeks into my second pregnancy, I experienced PROM while rising from bed in the morning. I had no warnings or risk factors. My husband and two-year old rushed me to the hospital where I was admitted in labor and delivery for observation and tests.

It was determined my water had ruptured, but that I was DEFINITELY NOT in labor. I was not dilated, nor effaced. An ultrasound of the baby revealed some water, but not much. After 24 hours in labor and delivery, I was transferred to the maternity wing where I remained on strict bed rest until labor would begin. I could not leave the bed for ANY REASON. I was placed on IV antibiotics as a precautionary measure and had every culture known to man to determine if there was a cause for the PROM. There was none and I am one of those "unknown causes".

On my thirteenth day of bed rest, I went into labor and was fully dilated and ready to push in four short hours. After two pushes, the heart rate of the baby could not be found on the monitor and I was rushed to surgery for an emergency c-section. Luckily, I had an epidural in place. It seemed like no time before the surgical team had Owen out of me and over to the neonatal team. After working with him for what seemed like FOREVER, he was wheeled over to me in his incubator. A little face peering out of several blankets will be what I always remember about Owen's birth. He was 29 wks, 2 1/2 pounds and 16 inches long. After a week or so on the ventilator, he was extubated and stayed on CPAP, for many more weeks. By 35 weeks, he was in an open crib, bottle feeding my breast milk, and on no breathing assistance. Low heart rate alarms kept us from going home - but right at his due date, after a hernia repair, Owen left the hospital and came home weighing 6 lbs 14
oz. and 18 1/2 inches long.

To follow up, our first year was difficult with reflux and cold and flu season. However, Owen has never been readmitted to the hospital *luckily*! He was 18 lbs at 1 year and 23 lbs at 2 years. He was "caught up" in all areas at his two year exam, except in weight. He walks, talks, climbs, runs and throws just like any other two-year old boy! He rides his tricycle, eats hot dogs and has great fun teasing his older brother. After the horror of PROM, his early delivery, long NICU stay and that scary first year, I can truly say he is a delight now and an absolute "miracle"!

Hilary