Survival stories of little blessings against the odds
Amazing success stories of little blessings against the odds
They told us we are one in a million,
we believe with the right care more can follow
Angela's story
PPROM at 17 weeks. Jessica Lilly born at 34 weeks
Lives in Glasgow, delivered at Princess Royal Maternity
On the 17th May this year I attended maternity assessment suspecting that my waters had broken only to be told by the doc that I had wet myself.
He was going to send me home and not look into it any further until the midwife suggested that they bring me back in for a scan the next day.
The next morning I went to work believing that everything was ok not knowing that it was going to turn into one of the worst days my life.
At my scan the consultant confirmed that my waters had broken and gave me the grim news that I would most likely deliver within 48 hours and if I didn't my baby would have a 1% chance of survival the lungs wouldn't develop with so little fluid. They advised that I should have a termination due to the risk of infection but there was no way I was giving up on my baby.
They kept me in hospital overnight and gave me a 10 course of antibiotics. The next day they sent me home and told me told to carry on as normal but after a lot of reading up I decided to put myself on home bed rest and drank lots of water. I attended twice weekly for bloods and fortnightly for scans.
Every appointment was full of doom and gloom but reading success stories on here and other pprom sites kept me going. At each scan my baby had fluid in her stomach so she was taking in what little fluid was there and was growing at a normal rate.
Around 24 weeks my leaking stopped and at my 25 week scan I had full waters again. I had resealed but the consultant still insisted my baby only had a 1% chance of survival due to lack of fluid during the crucial period for lung development.
I was given steroid shots at 24 weeks. They planned to induce my little one on the 3rd September as she had been head down for 10 weeks but she had other plans and turned while I was waiting to be induced so on the 4th of September my little miracle Jessica Lilly was born by c-section and guess what she was breathing and crying. She weighed 4lb 8oz. Jessica spent 14 days in hospital (5 days nicu, 2 days high dependency and 2 days special care) she was on Cpap for 3 days, phototherapy for 2 days, antibiotics for 3 days and was tube fed for 10 days. She also suffered bradycardia leading to desaturations for around 9 days. Jessica is now 4 weeks and 2 days old and is absolutely perfect. She is weighing in at 6lb 8 1/2oz.
Where there is life there is hope.
Candy's story
PPROM at 10 weeks. Callie born at 32+1 weeks
Had a c-section at 32+1. Nil fluid in my scans. Baby's lungs were 100% fine. No help needed at all to breath. Just make sure the hospital is a level 3 nicu. Xxx
Helen's story
PPROM at 21+6 weeks. Maya born at 30+5 weeks
Lives in Kent, delivered at hospital
I have had 2 children before my Pprom miracle, both pregnancies standard really, although my second pregnancy I did have Group B strep - I sent off for a private test for this as it is not tested for as standard on the NHS.
Firstly, I had a midwife appoint just before Xmas and I told her I thought I had a water infection, they did a wee test but I didn't hear the results so I had to chase them but they said it was clear and if I was still worried to make docs appoint. I was sure I had a water infection but with it being Xmas there wasn't much I could do so after xmas i rang docs and got an appointment, this was for the 10.1.12. I did a sample and the doc confirmed I did have a water infection.
My waters broke on 15.1.12, I was 21 + 6 - I didn't experience my waters breaking with either of my other 2 pregnancies, but I felt I was leaking down below and as I got up it gushed as I was running to the downstairs toilet and I just knew what had happened. I was filled with fear, I just thought I was going to lose the baby. I went to the hospital, they examined me with a speculum and confirmed my waters had gone. The doc I saw (we later nicknamed her doctor doom!) told me that I would more than likey go into labour in the next 24-48hrs, 80% chance of labour in first 2 weeks of losing waters and as I was under 24 weeks there was nothing they would do and I was admitted. (One thing to note, I had an issue with my dates at my 12 week scan and they pushed my dates back even though I was certain of my dates, at the time it didn't really matter but all of a sudden when the date is so crucial as to weather they might try to save your baby this becomes everything and I remember thinking that i would argue about my dates if it came to it.)
I was kept in hospital for 5 days, constantly leaking. I was put on antibiotics. As I didn't go into labour like they first thought I was discharged as they said there was nothing more they could do for me and really it was just a waiting game. They told me about watching for sign of infection, taking my temp twice a day, no heavy lifiting but apart from that I could carry on life as normal. I also had to have bloods done twice a week. I didn't know what to think or do - to be honest it felt like the docs didn't really know a lot about this either and the inpression I was getting was that there really was no hope.
I'm the type of person that like to know exactly whats going on so I started doing my own research online when I got home, I found a couple of web pages with lots of info that I wrote down, then I came across the FB pages, and I saw a lot of ladies, esp in America were on bedrest so I looked into this further. I spoke with my husband and we agreed that we wanted to do whatever we could to save this pregnancy and i felt I would never forgive myself if i hadn't tried whatever i could, even though we knew this would be hard as we had a 2 children age 6 & 3 at the time. So I put myself on bedrest at home. i would get up, get showered and dressed then go downstairs and lay on the sofa all day long, apart from getting up for a wee, which we had a downstairs toilet for. I drank as much water as i could, i drank Actimel to replace the good bacteria (nurse told me this in hospital), took my temp twice a day, avoided caffein or choc, did whatever i could to avoid infection. Luckily a neighbour was a midwife so she came in and did my bloods for me to save me having to go to the hospital twice a week. I had hospital appoints every 2 weeks where i would see a consultant and have a scan. My consultant was amazing, but even he said to me that bedrest wouldn't make any difference!
I stayed at home on bedrest for approx 6 weeks, it was a really hard, lonely and depressing time. On 28.2.12 I went to the loo and when I wiped there was blood. My neigbour the midwife said we needed to get to hospital (I was 28 + 1). I was monitored on the delivery unit but then taken to a ward as the bleeding eased off., and this was a pattern that continued to happened, I had mixed messages from docs, some saying as soon as the bleeding stopped I could go home, others saying I was there until I gave birth, they wanted me to get to 34 weeks. I kept having a heavy bleed and then it would go pink, every time I was moved to delivery then back to the ward (by then I had my own room!) The last occasion I had a heavy bleed, was monitored all night long, and i actually told my husband not to worry about rushing down as I was sure it would be like all the other times and I would just get moved back to my room, but this time a different doc saw me and he advised that I should have c-section straight away, although it was my decision. I was scared and just wanted to keep my baby inside for as long as possible and as this was something that had kept happening I was in 2 minds what to do. The midwife said to me he was a good doc and to listen to him so I agreed and was prepared for an emergency c-section asap that morning. That was an awful experience as I had a spinal which didn't work! I had my little girl at 30 + 5, she weighed 3lb 8oz (I have big babies, my others being 8lb 11oz & 9lb 8oz, they said she would have been about 10lb had i gone to term!) After the delivery they told me half my placenta had broken away and the other half was in a bad state was starting to break away and it probably wouldn't have lasted much longer so it was a good call that the doc made otherwise it probably would have been an awful outcome for our lo.
She was in hospital for 6 weeks and came home 30.4.12, I would have been 37 weeks pregnant. She had a few issues and set backs while she was in hospital but as far as we can tell and from tests we have had done since there is no long term issues due to Pprom.
I did speak to a midwife liason lady while i was in hospital, no one could give me a reason for my waters breaking but I did mention to her about the water infection that i had and she said it was a possible cause because if my bladder was inflamed it could have rubbed on the sac and caused it to burst.
Going back to the pregnancy, I would say one of the main discrepacies in my care was that I had 2 consultants who had differing opinions on steroids. 1 wanted me to have them at 24 weeks, the other wanted me to hold off as he said they only worked for a certain amount of time and then wore off - I wasn't offered or given a booster just before the c-section and my lo's consultant said if i had had a booster shot she wouldn't have had the problems with her lungs that she had when she was born. I had the steroids at 26weeks.
Jenny's story
PPROM at 16 weeks. Zander born at 26 weeks
My name is Jennifer Boze. In December 2011 my fiancé and I found out we were going to have a baby. On march 16 we were on our way to the store before my fiancé had to go to work. As I was riding in the car I felt this warm gush and I was completely soaked. My fiancé immediately turned back around and took us back to the house. I went to the bathroom to see what had happened. The fluid was clear and did not smell like urine so I knew my water had broken. We then left to go to the hospital. I had an ultrasound done it confirmed my water had broken because I had less than 1 % water left. The ER dr told me I would likely miscarry within 24 to 48 hours that my ob dr was being called and that I was going to be admitted. Once admitted my ob dr came up to talk to my fiancé and I. He said I could choose to abort or choose to carry my son but that he would most like be born premature. We chose to go on with the pregnancy and I was sent home three days later. I was put on antibiotics and bed rest. I saw my doctor two times a week for ultrasounds to check the baby's water level. Water remained low through out my whole pregnancy. I had bleeding off and on. At 24 weeks I was admitted to the hospital where they have a level 3 nicu. I carried him for two more weeks. My fiancé was leaving to go home and I wasn't feeling well. He told me to order lunch and I did. They delivered my lunch shortly after he left. I couldn't even eat it all. I became very nauseous and sick feeling and I began to have terrible chills. I called my fiancé to tell him while on the phone I became very sick to my stomach and began to vomit. He then called the nurses station and within minutes nurses came in. They took my temp and said I had. Fever and that I most likely have an infection. They out me up to a monitor and baby showed signs of distress and I was told that I would be have to deliver very soon. That evening my son was born. On May 22,2012 Zander was born. He weighed 2 lbs 3 oz and was 13 in long. He was immediately rushed to the nicu. He went through several blood transfusions during the next few days due to the infection. We were told his lungs were very under developed due to the low water. He was on a ventilator but not responding very well so they put him on nitric oxide. The dr said they don't typically try on babies his size but if we were ok he wanted to try and see if he would respond. The first 24 hours were very rough he didn't respond very well but then the next day he was showing improvement. We chose to fight for Zander. Zander spent five months in the hospital before coming home. He went through six surgeries, including bowel surgery, laser eye surgery for ROP, eye surgery again because retina was becoming unattached, and vp shunt for hydrocephalus. At just a few weeks old we found out that Zander had suffered grade 4 IVF brain bleeds which later lead to the hydrocephalus which why he needed the vp shunt.
Zander has been home for year on October 18. Tho he does show some developmental delays he is a very happy baby. He is def not a vegetable like we were told. Tho he cannot sit up or walk just yet he is crawling and rolling we were also told that Zander would be g tube dependent which He is not. I am happy to report that our boy loves to eat. He does require glasses to see but overall our boy is thriving and learning everyday.
1. I PPROMed at 16 weeks. I carried my son to 26 weeks. I developed an infection. If not for the infection I could have carried longer. He is 17 months old now.
2. After him I got pregnant while on birth control. I had a cerclage ( cervical stitch) caused me to tear and have lots of bleeding. my cervix kept trying to dialate. I went into labor at 22 weeks. I lost him 12-07-12. My babies would have been exactly one year apart had I carried him to term. I miss him terribly.
3. I had the cervical stitch I have heard success stories but I have also heard ones that ended up not successful because of it such as my case. U can also get the 17p shot which is a progesterone shot. Taken 16 thru 20 weeks of pregnancy to help from going into preterm labor. Also the steroid shots to develop the babies lungs given at around 24 weeks incase u do deliver early. Also doctors do magnesium drip to help stop contractions and it's also good for the babies brain to help prevent brain bleeds.
4. I have a son who I carried to 26 weeks. My advise is doctors are not always right. I found that out in both my last two pregnancies. My son is now 17 months old and tho he does have some developmental delays he is a healthy happy baby and is thriving.
5. My doctor put me on strict bed rest. He also prescribed antibiotics which I took four times a day. I was on home bed rest and then at 24 weeks I went into the hospital. I was only allowed to get up to take one shower day and to use the restroom.
6. I knew my water had broke because I felt this warm gush. I went to the restroom and it was clear had no Odor. I went to the e.r. They did an ultrasound and it confirmed my water broke because i had about1% water left.
Megan's story
PPROM at 17 weeks. Kherington born at 27+5 weeks
I fully ruptured at 17 weeks
Strict bed rest at home with weekly scans for 6 weeks
Admitted for hospital bed rest at 23+1 until I delivered
Emergency c-section at 27+5, chronic placental abruption
Total of 10 weeks 5 days on bed rest with virtually no fluid the whole time
Kherington spent 82 days in the NICU, right lung collapsed at birth, multiple blood transfusions, grade II IVH on both sides of the brain, pneumothorax of the right lung, oscillator for 2 weeks, conventional vent for 2 weeks, cpap for 5 days, struggled with weaning from high flow but transfered to low flow cannula three days before discharge.
discharged on half liter of oxygen, came off oxygen after six weeks at home.
discharge diagnosis: BPD, ROP, Bilateral Hip Dysplasia
first surgery sep 2013 to correct hip dysplasia. Second surgery feb 2014 currently in spica cast til May
Kherington is now 14 months and always has a smile on her face! The only lasting issue pProm related is hip dysplasia and we are working to correct it
Steph's story
PPROM at 20 weeks. Alfie born at 34+3 weeks
Lives in Cambridgeshire, Delivered at Hinchingbrooke hospital
I fell pregnant last year (3rd pregnancy),near enough straight after having sadly lost our second baby at 8 weeks. I suffered quite severe morning sickness, which I took as a good signafter having previously lost baby 2, however after some light bleeding at 10 weeks, and again at 12 weeks, I ended up having a couple of extra scans early on. Both scans showed everything was fine and baby was doing well.The pregnancy carried on as normal until the day we came home from holiday (around 18 weeks). I got up to our little boy in the night and thought I had felt I was losing fluid when the baby moved. It happened twice that night but there was no noticeable fluid loss and baby was still moving.
I decided to put it to the back of my mind unless something else happened. We went for our 20 week scan two weeks later only to find the fluid around the baby was very low (around 4.5cm.) The registrar could find no evidence that my waters had broken, however booked me in to see the consultant the following week and confirmed that if my waters had of gone, the baby stood no chance of surviving. The night before my consultants appointment, I felt the sensation of losing fluid again, however this time I was losing a lot and it was very red in colour. We rushed through to the labour ward (at this point I was 20 weeks, 3 days). They decided to start me on a two week course of antibiotics and keep me over night until my consultant appointment. The next day the consultant carried out our scan and said there was still a tiny amount of fluid around the baby and our best bet now was to go home, sit tight and have a very low threshold for coming back in to hospital as the likelyhood was I would miscarry and it would happen quickly.She gave us no prognosis, other than to say it was not good and they would expect me to deliver within 48 hours.
She said we would review the pregnancy on a weekly basis. This started the beginning of our little routine, home, resting, not leaving the house, once a week trundling off to hospital to be scanned, once a week, normally a sunday/monday night I would have bleeding and head off into hospital to have baby monitored/speculum/registrar tell us baby wouldn't make it. At 23+4 weeks we met with a paediatric consultant who told us our baby stood no chance. She informed us the likely hood of our little baby being able to breathe was very low, if he did survive he would have no end of complications, needing oxygen for years, CP etc etc. She advised us not to have baby resuscitated before 28 weeks and that they wouldn't give me steroids until 26 weeks.
At 24 weeks I went in with bleeding and they decided to start steroids earlier than planned. At 25 weeks I had the worse episode of bleeding so far, our local hospital is unable to take babies below 30 weeks gestation and so they decided to transfer me to the nearest NICU with space, this turned out to be UCH London, over 100 miles from home and my husband and 2yr old son. I was transferred out at 3am on my own as I sent hubby home to be with our little boy, with blue lights. A week later, with no sign of labour they sent me home in a taxi.
Our consultant advised me to take bleeding as part of our 'normal' and to only go in if something changed, i.e. pains etc. I was booked for a C section at 34 weeks, however at 32+3 I woke up in the night feeling uncomfortable. within half an hour, by the time I got to hospital the pain was unbearable and the babies heart rate was dropping with every contraction. They decided to rush me straight in and deliver.
Due to complications I wasn't terribly aware of what was happening in theatre, however I know that Alfie cried when he was born. Something neither me nor my husband ever thought would happen! They bought him over to show us we had another son! Alfie weighed 4lb 4oz and had a remarkably smooth SCBU journey, 8 days on/being weaned off of CPAP and on/off light therapy for jaundice and then 8 days establishing breast feeding before he came home, 16 days old fully breast fed and off of all oxygen! He is now 7 months old, meeting all of his milestones, around 16lb and truly a miracle.
