By Elizabeth Watson, Algona, Iowa United States
PROM at 16 weeks + 2 days. Delivery at 28 weeks + 4 days.
Story added: 2009-02-17

My husband and I always had trouble conceiving, so we were thrilled when we got pregnant so quickly the third time. I started having trouble immediately, though. I started bleeding at 4 weeks, and continued to bleed until 12 weeks. I had an early ultrasound, and my OB attributed the bleeding to placental implantation, something you read about in pregnancy books, but kind of ignore.
After bleeding stopped, I was enjoying pregnancy, getting excited about starting to show and wondering what this baby would be, a boy or girl...then at 16 weeks 2 days I had one of those days where I just felt sooo tired and like something was just not right. I struggled through the day, hoping maybe it was nothing. That evening I went to the bathroom and then decided to make a snack. While I was in the kitchen, I felt something wet begin to run down my leg. I was shocked, because I had just emptied my bladder, and I felt no sensation of emptying, but there was definitely something coming out. I called my husband to the kitchen, and he was just as shocked as I was. He told me to go sit on the toilet and see what happened. I continued to leak for another 30 minutes and it would get worse if I stood up. I finally decided to call the doctor on call, and he told me there was nothing they could do. He advised me to go to my local ER if I started to contract or bleed, otherwise call in the AM and make an appointment with my OB. I went to bed, scared that I would lose the baby, but hopeful that it was nothing.
The next morning I called my OB and made an appointment. When I explained what happened, they didn't seem all that worried, so I started to relax a little. My doctor did a range of motion test to see if I was still leaking, and decided based on what he saw that I probably just had a bladder infection and had wet myself without realizing it. He scheduled an ultrasound for the next week, and told me to drink lots of water.
I went to the ultrasound at 17 weeks 2 days, fully expecting everything would be normal, maybe we would even see what we were having. Instead, the technician had us wait afterwards. She explained that things didn't look quite right, and sent us over to my OB's office. As soon as I went into the office, the nurse ran into the waiting room and started telling me that we needed to go to Des Moines immediately, that I was leaking amniotic fluid.
My husband and I went immediately to Des Moines and I had another ultrasound and then were sent into a room to wait. The doctor came in and explained to us that we had a 17 week baby, fully formed and gestationally size appropriate, but no fluid. He told us there was a less that 1% chance that I would carry the baby much longer, and even less chance that it would survive after delivery. He told me the fluid was necessary for lung development, and since there was no fluid, the baby would not be able to breathe.
We went home, and called everyone we knew to pray. I went on bedrest, drinking a gallon of water a day in hopes that somehow I could replenish the baby's water supply. I had 2 more ultrasounds over the next 6 weeks that still showed no fluid, but I continued bed rest and prayer.
At 22 weeks 6 days I was put into the hospital in the antepartum unit. There I received steroids at 23 and 24 weeks, and was watched like a hawk. They continued to tell me that the baby would more that likely not survive after birth, but they were hopeful since I had made it to viability. Then chaos broke out, I had 2 partial abruptions, one at 25 weeks and another at 27 weeks 3 days. I was told that if I had another, they would take the baby, but for now they would just monitor his behavior and well-being. At this point I was receiving daily ultrasounds and hooked up to a monitor continuously.
The day before my baby was born, I was exhausted. I slept a majority of the day, and just felt worn out. I just didn't feel like myself. That night, I got up to use the restroom, but once I got back to bed, I still felt the urge to to again. So I did, but had not relief. I tried again, but then the urge started to become more irritable, so I called the nurse. She hooked me back up to the monitor, and noticed the baby was not tolerating whatever was going on. Things immediately sprung into action and the doctor that told my my baby would more than likely die, delivered a screaming 2 lb 8 oz little boy by emergency c- section. He was only on a ventilator for 2 days, and then taken off because it was causing more trouble than helping. He still requires oxygen support, but holds his own temp and has started to take feedings from a bottle. I have since read up on our ordeal together, and we are so blessed that BOTH of us are alive and well.
This site was much encouragement to me during those 12 weeks, I pray that this story helps someone else in their time of need. Please feel free to e- mail me, I know how scary it can be, and I long to encourage anyone who has been discouraged, especially after the miracle that has taken place in my son's life.