By Frederique, Montreal, Qc Canada
PROM at 20 weeks + 5 days. Delivery at 36 weeks + 4 days.
Story added: 2008-10-04

My rupture occured at 20 weeks on a Friday. It was the worst day of my life as we thought for sure I was miscarrying.

We rushed to the hospital where we found out the baby was still alive. An ultrasound later confirmed that I had very little amniotic fluid left... approximately 4cm. I was kindly advised to terminate as I would for sure go into labour any day. The doctors were also very nervous for infection.

I resisted termination and asked to stay at the hospital and to let nature take its course. After all, if I were to lose the baby any day now, it wouldn't survive. I just did not see any reason to take action myself.

The doctors told me several times over the weekend that I should terminate. The more they told me that, the more I held on to my decision to wait. What was the rush? I just couldn't comprehend the extent of the risk of the infection. I still don't. It is still unbelievable to me.

When my OBGYN showed up on the Monday and I shared with him that we wanted to wait it out, he supported our decision and told me that there would be nothing to do except lie in bed and not move and continue a course of antibiotics. It was not promising but it gave us a little hope and something for me to "do (lie and wait)".

So I lay there for 1 week, which became 2, then 3, 4... the fluid increased and stabilized...

But I laid there with constant fear... I bled like crazy for weeks. Had episodes of heavy bleeding... ended up with a hematoma... which showed that there was a separation of the placenta.

4 weeks became 8... then 10... then 12... and when I reached 32 weeks I let out a sigh of relief as my doctor gave me permission to get up to use the bathroom.

Laying in bed for 3 months... I was not even able to walk. I had to relearn all over again. But I did it. I built my strength to walk for 4 weeks and when I reached 36 weeks and some, an ultrasound confirmed that the fluid had dropped again so I was induced.

I was actually scheduled to be induced a week later (37 weeks) since my condition had stabiliized but considering the new risk, they offered to induce me earlier, which I took.

She was born vaginally at 6 lbs 3 oz. She was never admitted to the NICU. Her only imperfection was what looked like a club foot and a hyperextended knee. I am happy to report that her legs fixed themselves on their own.

We are very blessed to have such a healthy baby. I was reminded again and again during my 16 week hospital stay that my outcome is really really rare.

My heart... I could not, would not give up... we had just found out a week before the PROM that it was a girl. Our first baby... we had not even been trying to conceive, but she was special! As corny and cheesy as this may sound: Hope is all we had to keep us going and several fuzzy ultrasound pictures of our tiny little baby.

It was a rough journey but I would do it all over again because the reward is priceless and worth a million times more than 4 months of my life.

I look at my daughter every night when I cuddle her to sleep and can't imagine life without her and thank God that I listened to my instincts and said no to termination.