By Jayna Sattler, Oklahoma USA
PROM at 28 weeks + 5 days. Delivery at 29 weeks.
Story added: 1998-01-11

This was my second premature infant. I had complications due to preterm labor with the first child but did not expirence PROM (altho I did have oligohydramnios) Preterm labor started with Brayden at 19 weeks gestation. I was put on Terbutaline and restricted activities (full bedrest was impossible since I had 15 month old toddler at home) I came down with pnuemonia three weeks prior to Braydens birth and was on very strong antibiotics. I had a lot of break thru bleeding, dilation and lost my mucus plug at that time. At 28.5 weeks I expirenced PROM. I was hospitalized and put in the Trendelenburg (bascially upside down)postion and started on Magnesium Sulfate. Within hours I was transported via ambulance to another city with a great neonatal intensive care unit. I was given one dose of Betamethasone, which is a corticosteroid to enhance fetal lung development. Brayden was born approx.34 hours after the rupture, just into the 29th week. I proceded into a very rapid labor (diagnosed as precipitus <3 hours) that lasted only one hour and 16 minutes. He went into distress with decels down to 60 during contractions because I had no water left and my uterus was crushing him. He was born weighing 1350 grams (2 lbs 15 oz) and was 35.6 cm (14 inches) He was intubated in the delivery room and rushed to the NICU in critical condition. His NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) stay was very emotional. He was in the NICU for 59 days and PICU (pediatric intensive care unit) 6 days. He is now 4 months old and home. He still has many medical problems and it is unknown if he will have permanent damage from his prematurity (he is just too young to tell) Please feel free to e-mail me if you would like to talk about your preemie.