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Lauren's PROM Story

By Lauren, Saint Johns, FL USA
PROM at 22 weeks + 4 days. Delivery at 28 weeks + 1 days.
Story added: 2008-08-12
The baby implanted very low, but we found out later it was basically a cervical pregnancy with very little of the placenta in the uterus. Upon implantation, a subchorionic hematoma formed, which caused me to have massive bleeding throughout the pregnancy. By 22 weeks, the last huge gush I had, broke my waters. There was no way to tell except that my AFI level was a 7. My OB said he didn't think it "was time to evacuate the uterus". I was admitted to the hospital. A week later my AFI was 0. I was always given the option to terminate, but only because my health was in jeopardy (I had 2 blood transfusions while in the hospital).
When the baby came out crying, I thought we were in the clear and all would be fine. He breathed room air for the first 12 days, then had a set- back and needed to be on oxygen. He then needed a CPAP for a few days, but we were able to get him back down to 1/4 liter of O2 and put him on the discharge list. A few days later, at 2 1/2 months old, he got pnemonia and sepsis. He was put on the ventilator and we were told he wouldn't make it - but he did! He weaned off the vent and CPAP back on high flow. All this time, though, his lungs were a mess - badly scarred and he had severe BPD. He crashed again, but this time was unable to recover and he passed away 7/29/08, 20 weeks after he was born.
It's so sad and so horrible - even though we were warned this could happen. I just (naively) thought that once he came out breathing, he would be fine. Even the hospital staff and my OB were/are shocked that he didn't make it.
But, if given the chance to do it all over, knowing what I know now, I would do the same thing. I wouldn't have terminated because there was always that chance. Unfortunately, my son's lungs were too sick but there were/are tons of babies in the NICU whose parents had PPROM and they are basically doing well.