By Rose, Auckland New ZealandI developed a leak of amniotic fluid at 18 1/2 weeks which started off very slow and intermittent, and over the next 8 1/2 weeks very gradually worsened until I went into labour at 26 weeks and 6 days, and gave birth naturally at 27 weeks 0 days. My daughter weighed two pounds exactly. I was 30 and it was my third pregnancy, my other two children being born on their due date exactly, but I had also had two miscarriages.
PROM at 18 weeks + 4 days. Delivery at 27 weeks.
Story added: 2004-12-17
Giving birth to a severely premature baby was the most traumatic thing that had happened to me in my life. I felt like the doctors were just torturing her by keeping her alive, and that they couldn't see that she was stillborn and not meant to be here. She seemed to be in so much pain, with so many needles, not to mention the ventilator.
She is now 9 months old (6 months corrected) and I feel 95% sure that she is a completely normal child who has suffered no ill effects from her difficult start in life. She smiled, rolled over, sat, reached for things, grasped things, turned towards a sound, all ahead of her corrected age. I love her very much, but I still do not believe that it is right for doctors to decide to save babies who are meant to die. She was put through such pain and our family was under unbearable stress. I believe that mothers have the absolute right to decide what is best for the family as a whole in this very difficult situation. It's not just a case of whether you can love a disabled child - of course you can, but one day you are going to die and leave that child behind on this earth, and you need to think about what fate awaits them then. I am not saying what is right, just that I believe it should be parents' choice, not doctors, and don't ever let yourself feel guilty for what you decide.