By Stephanie Bronowicki, Plainfield, Il. USA
PROM at 21 weeks + 5 days. Delivery at 27 weeks + 2 days.
Story added: 2008-11-04

At about 6 pregs I started to spot ever so slightly. I was on vacation in Nashville. I didn't think anything of it cause everything I have read said this is nothing to worry about. I came home from vacation and at about week 11 I woke up at 1am in a pool of blood. I thought for sure I was loosing the baby. I went to the ER. They said everything looked fine and that I should just go home and take it easy. I did. The bleeding tapered off. About 15 weeks I had another episode of HEAVY bleeding, again I thought I was loosing the baby. ER assured me everything was fine. Bleeding slowed to just spotting now for the next several weeks. July 9 I bought my first maternity bathing suit. Things looked well and like there would be no more problems. I planned on taking my cousin to a water park on July 10th. The early morning hours of July 10th around 3:30 am I woke up all wet, figuring it was blood again and everything was going to be fine I didn't panic. I went into the bathroom and NO blood just wet. I thought I peed the bed, so I cleaned up and went back to sleep, but 5 minutes after laying down, I was soaked again, so I knew something was wrong. I got my husband and off to the ER again! They did the test with the paper that changes color if it's amniotic fluid and it was. I was only 21 weeks and 5 days. My doc told me this wasn't good news and I would probably deliver in about 48 hours if that long. I went home stayed in bed half out of hoping it would help half out of depression of loosing my baby. 48 hours came and went, I got my fluid checked and there was .05. The doctor tried to talk me into inducing and I said not yet. A week went by, I stayed on the couch only using the bathroom when needed. Had my fluid checked here and there for the next week or two. July 30 I started bleeding harder than ever before and I actually thought I was going to die. Back to the ER. Again the doc said it's time to induce, yet the baby's heart was strong and I had no infection. They wouldn't send me to a hospital with a level 3 nicu cause I wasn't 24 weeks yet. They kept me in the hospital the next few days to watch me, and then the morning of August 2 I was transported to Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. There I was on bed rest only getting up to use the restroom, for the next 28 days. August 24th I started getting contraction, they watched me and monitored, and by 3:15am August 25 her cord was starting to come out, they rush me to the operating room and had me knocked out and her our by 3:21am. That was a Monday, the next day on Tuesday the doctor was telling me to call the grandparents and let them and my 2 year old son meet her cause she wasn't going to make it through the night, one lung was totally collapsed and the other only half functioning. She was infected from head to toe, all 2lbs7oz and 14.5 inches of her. We prayed with the chaplain and my mom visited her crib side every 2 hours talking to her and telling her how much we all love her. I couldn't go cause I was also infected and running a high fever. By Wednesday morning she was a new baby, both lungs functioning, antibiotics taking effect. And 8 days later she was off the ventilator and another week she was on cpap and shortly after that just a little oxygen flow and as of this past Sunday November 2 she is breathing room air and doing WONDERFUL. We are hoping to have her home with us by Thanksgiving. That is our little miracle story. Anyone going through this DON'T GIVE UP, FOLLOW YOUR HEART. MIRACLES HAPPEN. JUST PRAY AND LOVE AND HAVE FAITH THAT'S ALL WE CAN DO.