By Jessica, Fremont, CA USA
PROM at 20 weeks + 4 days. Delivery at 20 weeks + 6 days.
Story added: 2004-03-04

This is a very difficult time for me as I still feel that I'm dreaming. I was pregnant with my second baby when PROM happened. I was 20 weeks along in my pregnancy and my ob/gyn had given me a clean bill of health just a week before this happened. I had a comprehensive ultrasound done at 17 weeks of pregnancy and that was normal. I had "passed" all of my blood tests and just had been beginning to feel so energetic after the morning sickness in the first trimester. I was entering my 5th month and thought everything was going fine.... I woke up one morning with a gushing feeling and thought it was unusual but didn't think much of it as it didn't happen like that again until the next morning. I thought it was urine because it was watery. I decided to call the DR. as I found my underwear getting wet. When the DR. examined me, did 3 tests and he determined that only 2 cm of amniotic fluid was left and that they could do nothing to save the baby. He was very nice but I just couldn't believe that this was it. End of story! How could one day be fine and then the next day I have to terminate this pregnancy just like that! Well, I decided to get a second and third opinion and unfortunately, I got the same answer from all the 5 MD's. I only had 0.8 cm of amniotic fluid left. I was and am still devastated... I was told that if I wait than there is a good chance that I would get a bad infection and at 20 weeks the baby isn't viable. We decided to end the pregnancy 2 days later.... They induced the labor and it is just sheer anguish to tell you how hurtful it is when you deliever a baby that you can't save.... Our little angel was with us for a very short time but has made a deep impact in my life. I just want to understand PROM, learn more about it and heal myself. Please email me because I would love to hear from you. I want to know what can cause it. I feel that I didn't have the knowledge or choices and just want to know how I can better watch out for it next time and what questions to ask my doctor.