By Melissa Johnson, Cedartown, GA USA
PROM at 16 weeksDelivery at 29 weeks.
Story added: 2002-04-12

At 16 weeks of pregnancy my water broke. I was told that my baby had less than a 1% chance at survival at this point. I would probably go into labor soon and miscarry. At 16 weeks the baby had no chance of survival. The doctor offered to terminate the pregnancy (which they did not consider a viable pregnancy at only 16 weeks) or let me wait it out and miscarry on my own. With lots of thought and prayers we decided to let God make that decision and we would accept whatever He decided was best for us. I kept leaking fluid for the next 13 weeks. I was told bedrest may help but then again maybe not. I tried bedrest for a few days but then I just couldn't handle that mentally. So I still went to work (office work) just to try to distract my thoughts. At 26 weeks I went into the hospital to hopefully wait it out as long as I could delay a very premature labor. At 29 weeks I did go into labor and had a beautiful baby girl (Grace) weighing 2lbs. 15 oz. She only stayed on the ventilator for approx. 12 hours and then was on her own. She did not have any of the scary set-backs we were warned may happen (like brain bleeds, intestinal infections). After 6 weeks in the hospital she came home on a monitor. Today she is 15 months old and just a perfectly normal little girl. Looking back I don't know how we survived such a diffucult time in our lives; prayers and faith are all we can come up with. I didn't know of this website at the time of my pregnancy. What I would have given to have heard some positive stories. If we never get another miracle again, we cashed in on a big one with Grace!