By Jeanne Herrington, Cornwall Uk
PROM at 19 weeks + 2 days. Delivery at 33 weeks + 2 days.
Story added: 2011-12-03

Archie heres his story, on my 19th week plus 2days of pregnancy i thought i kept wetting myself, i phoned my midwife who said it could be but it also could be my waters i could have ruptured my membranes i could be P.p.r.o.m, i phoned the hospital who said the same and nothing could be done i would probably have pains or bleeding in the next 24hour and when it happened i should go in, I had to wait 5days till my already booked scan at a small local hospital who took one look at my scan and said they hadnt seen it before there was no fluid around my baby but all the drs had gone home so i was sent home with no advice or idea what was happening i got home put my computer on and typed in the word prom, it was then my life changed i was given advice and support and most of all hope, i took advice of ladys who had been through this and had there babys, im so glad i did because 4days later i had another scan and was then told my baby had very little chance of surviving there was also a big chance my baby or i could get an infection risking my own life and if i did give birth my baby wouldnt live once born because of underdeveloped lungs also it would be very deformed and twisted because of lack of fluid, i was then offered an abortion, which i declined, i questioned the dr about the website i had found about the babies making it through prom, i was told to turn the computer of it was giving me false hope also i had prom so incredibly early it was very unlikly my baby would make it, that was the first and last time i mentioned the support group, i put myself on bedrest against all my drs advice, i drank 3ltrs a day, i had a pot of live yogurt a day , avoided eggs, drank cranberry juice, used wet wipes after i emptied my bowels, changed my pad every time i used the toilet , i used incontinence pads also because normal ones would make me sore plus the ones i used where designed to hold fluid, i also avoided to much caffine, and took daily showers , i lost fluid the whole time i was prom but sometimes i would go up to five days with out any loss , but then get a big gush wetting through my clothes down my leg and forming a puddle on the floor and i would wait thinking i was about to loes my baby,I went through Pprom with very little to no fluid on my scans, i was informed i had placenta previa at a latter scan and also told i couldnt give birth naturally i would need cesaerean unless things changed, i also around 28wks developed Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (or SPD) it got so painful i needed a walking frame and was in constant pain, at 33wks and 2days i woke with back pain and strong braxton hicks which devoloped into contractions i was taken to hospital and waited in delivery for a scanning machine to see if i could give birth or not, nobody would examine me because i was prom, having contractions one on top of eachother they finally deciced to examine me, i was mins away from giving birth they called the drs and the scan machine to come asap , the drs arrived minus the scan machine i was told to push if i wanted and pushed once and out he came, iv never been so scarred in my life because i didnt know if he would get stuck or not, or if he would live outside of me or be deformed, but he screamed and i cried my eyes out , iv never been so happy to hear a baby cry, i say he but i was told i was carrying a girl so it was a shock but i just burst out laughing i was so happy , he was on CPAP for just two days and home within four weeks miracles do happen ladies my little man is living prof, where there is life there is hope,