By Holly, Seminole, FL USI learned I was pregnant on labor day 2008. We were excited since we had been trying to get pregnant for a few months. Shortly after we found out we were pregnant I started bleeding. After an ultrasound at 7 weeks, we found out that we were having twins but lost one. We had a 50% chance of the remaining baby surviving.
PROM at 19 weeks + 1 days. Delivery at 30 weeks.
Story added: 2009-03-31
I started bleeding again around week 9. It was unexplained bleeding, however I just lost our family cat and was real stressed over that.
Weeks 10-19 were uneventful, I finally started to relax and think that this pregnancy would be fine from now on and our baby would be ok. We had our U/S done at 18weeks and found out we were having a boy. But we were also given the news that they think I have a condition called Vasa Previa.
At 19w1d I felt a small gush. I went to the bathroom and my underwear was wet. I put on a panyliner and thought maybe is was a little pee and went on with my day. Well ALL day I kept getting these little gushes of clear fluid.
So my husband and I went to L & D that night. The had me go to the bathroom and wipe clean with the sanitary wipes and give a urine sample. Immediately after that she performed the test to see if I was leaking amniotic fluid and it came back negative. Well, DUH...I just wiped everything clean and I hadn't leaked form the bathroom to the bed yet. Anyways they sent me home. As soon as I got home I had a BIG gush. I filled a regular sized pad in a second.
I called my OB in the morning and explained what happened, that I didn't trust the labs that were done at the hospital and demanded to have an U/S done. My fluid levels were 7cm....they were LOW. I knew it!
My OB placed me on bedrest for the weekend and told me to drink LOTS of fluids and we would do a repeat U/S on Monday morning. Well my fluid levels went down to 4cm.
I was devastated. I knew what this meant. I was only 19 weeks! They sent me to the hospital to be admitted for observation. They pushed IV fluids for 24 hours and repeat U/S the next day...no change in fluid still 4 cm. I was given the statistics of me going into labor or getting an infection and was told I should terminate the pregnancy. But I was also given the option to wait and see. I was told IF i even made it to viability, which is 24 weeks, my baby's lungs would be underdeveloped and he won't be able to breathe on his own.
This was my last pregnancy, I wasn't going to try again....and we couldn't terminate, I still felt him moving. We decided to wait and see what happened.
I was sent home on strict bedrest...only up to go to the bathroom and I showered once every two or three days. I had an U/S weekly from weeks 20-24. My fluid went up to 8cm at one point. At this time the DR's were not convinced I had ruptured my membranes and could never find evidence of a leak. But I knew I was leaking, I could feel it.
Week 24 I started bleeding. To the hospital I went were I remained for the rest of my pregnancy. The doctors were finally convinced my membranes had ruptured. They gave me the 2 steroid shots and 10 days of antibiotics to fight of any infection that I might have. The heavy bleeding lasted 2 days and I continued to gain and loose blood tinged fluid for the next 6 weeks. I had and U/S EVERY DAY! 41 ultrasounds in 6 weeks. My fluid got up to 7cm and as low as 1.5cm.
Week 30...I started having horrible period like cramps. I called the nurse in and asked to be put on the fetal monitor. They intensified quickly and I was screaming in pain within 20 minutes. My DR came in and checked my cervix and said I was 1 cm dilated. They rolled in an U/S machine and did a quick U/S to make sure they knew where the baby was and to see if he was ok. They checked my cervix again, 10 minutes later and I was 4cm dilated. DR said ok...this is it.... and they rushed me in for a c- section (I have had 2 prior c- sections, so a vaginal delivery wasn't an option)
15 minutes later my baby boy was born. CRYING!!!! He weighed 3lbs 4oz and was 16 inches long. He scored an 8 on the Apgar scale. He of course was rushed off to the NICU. He had a partially collapsed lung that they had to put a chest tube in to drain around it, but that came out after 4 days. He was on a ventilator for 5 days. He was holding his own temp and in a bassinet by 2 weeks. He is now 4 weeks old..gained almost a whole pound already. He has started bottle and breastfeeding. He is having brady episodes, which is where he forgets to breathe and his oxygen levels and heart rate drops, but I've been told that is normal for preemies. They estimate he will be home in about 3 weeks.
A week after my delivery I went in for my check up and they realized that I was severely anemic. My hemoglobin levels were 6.6, and I was sent to the ER to get a blood transfusion done. But I am recovering well now....11 weeks of bed rest was well worth my little boy! Don't ever give up hope!