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Preemies
LUCKY41010
member
This is from a "friend" ON fb
LUCKY41010
member
in Preemies
"I'm not sure how much everyone knows about what's going on with me, so I'm gonna clarify for you. Last Monday, I had an exam at my doctors appointment. Later that night, my stomach starting cramping. It was about as painful as actual childbirth. I shrugged it off because of my exam, it's happened before. I tried taking mymind off the pain and just fell asleep. At 2 am I woke up and my sweats and the couch were soaked. Half asleep, and not thinking that it could've possibly been my water breaking, I changed clothes and went back to sleep. When I woke up later that morning, I was bleeding. I called my doctor and explained what was going on, they suggested that I needed to come in and get checked out. I went to the Women's Evaluation Unit @.... They checked my cervix and whatnot, but no ultrasound. If they would've done an ultrasound, they would've seen that tere was no fluid and known that my water broke.
On Thursday, when I went to the doctor soley to find out the sex of my baby, that's when they noticed it. They sent me to the Perinatal Center for another ultrasound and after an hour, a doctor finally came in to tell me that my water had broken. He told me to go home, stay in bed and I could be admitted @ 24 weeks. Later that night, I went to Barnes, lied my way into the ER to be seen at their Pregnancy Assesment Center. After another ultrasound and a couple of tests, the doctor returned with the same news.
The doctor gave me the option to induce my labor right then, knowing that my baby had a 0% chance of survival or to go home and try to wait it out 16 days until I was 24 weeks before I could be admitted for care. There isn't a ton of hope right now, but we're trying to stay positive.
What happened to me is called PPROM. It's Preterm Premature Purture of Membranes. PPROM before 24 weeks has the worst odds for a good outcome. The odds of survival for the baby are much lower, especially if doctors are not able to delay the onset of labor or if there is already an infection when the condition is diagnosed. Generally babies born before 22 weeks have no chance of survival. When doctors can delay the birth until at least 23 or 24 weeks, the baby can survive in some cases but with high odds of long-term developmental problems due to the premature birth.
In most cases, women go into labor within a week of membrane rupture. So, if I make it past Tuesday, I'll feel a little better. The odds are not in our favor in any way right now. If the baby is born at at least 24 weeks, they have a 50% chance of survival. Only a 10% chance of being normal. At 25 weeks, it raises to 63%. 26 weeks, 75%. So the longer I stay pregnant, the better.
If I am admitted in, what now is 13 days, the doctors will start pumping me full of antibiotics and steriods to help the babys lungs develop. I will stay there until I deliver or 34 weeks, hopefully 34 weeks! "
I Know she doesn't know much about it but has anyone heard that they won't admit you until 24 weeks???
This discussion has been closed.
Re: This is from a "friend" ON fb
unfortunately, i think that before 24w is still considered a miscarriage. i had a close friend lose her baby girl at 18w. she was treated as if it was a miscarriage for insurance/work time off/etc.
how terribly sad. i will keep your friend in my thoughts and prayers.
I've never heard of someone not getting admitted because of concerns over viability - that's insane! And isn't 23wks the "cutoff" anyway, not 24? There were two 23wkrs in the NICU when we were there and that was 4yrs ago (both kids are fine).
I'll be thinking of your friend :hug:
I was not admitted until 24 weeks and was put on complete bedrest at 20 weeks at home. I was told if something happened to call, but they could not do anything for me...they just would not want me to miscarry alone.
24 weeks is viability, and anything lost before then is technically a miscarriage.
So unfortunately it is not that uncommon.
I had a friend with PPROM at just under 23 weeks. She was immediately admitted to the hospital for strict bedrest and kept in Trendelenberg position (tilted so that head is lower than legs) at all times. They kept her there and in this position for 9 weeks, but miraculously she never went into labor or acquired an infection, and in fact at some point her membranes appeared to reseal and her fluid levels raised again (virtually unheard of). After 9 weeks they allowed her to lie flat and maintain strict bedrest, and then at 34weeks they discharged her home... she delivered a few weeks later full term without complications, and has a beautiful, healthy baby girl.
I don't know how low her fluid levels went at the time of her rupture, and I know she went to the hospital immediately, but clearly you can be admitted prior to 24 weeks. Miracles can and do happen, as the members on this board can clearly attest to. I'm so sorry to hear of this woman's troubles, and I will keep her in my T&P.
So sorry for your friend. I will be praying for her.
I had a friend get admitted for strict bedrest at 23w3d. That's all I know about this though.
Is this friend in St. Louis? The hospitals she's describing sound like two hospitals here.
The hospital at St. John's (which is where the women's eval unit would be, and is where my son was born) does handle some 23 weekers. I'm not sure what denotes whether they'd admit her or not. I know of some people who ruptured very early and were able to hang in there, though obviously that is rare.
I'll definitely be thinking of her.
For the record, a loss after 20w is a stillbirth, not a miscarriage. But either way, it really sucks.
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Yes it is St.johns...I will let her know she is in good hands..
She wrote a note today that says she was able to build up so fluid and she has 4 cm..and last appt she only had 2..So her next appt is in two weeks. and they are going to go from there.They told her to bring packed bags because she will probably be staying
Yes, she is. The NICU there is great. And JLC's girls were at Children's and they have an amazing NICU as well. Either way, your baby will be in good hands. So glad her fluid is replenishing. I hope it continues.
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That's maddening that they won't admit her until she's 24 weeks. Ridiculous, actually. It may be because of her insurance. It's stupid, but I've had doctors treat me differently based on the type of insurance I had.
I can't believe they've put her through so much without admitting her. She must be terrified. If I were her I would keep fighting and find a good high-risk specialist who will see her.
Finding a Good High Risk Specialist
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Trauma of Delivering a Preemie
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I have not heard of the 24 week rule, but I hope that she is able to get to 24 weeks and be admitted.
Tell her not to get too caught up in the statistics, my water broke due to pProm at 25W6D and I made it to 33W1D and although we are still in the intermediate nursery, really all we are doing is fattening her up and getting the suck/swallow/breathe reflexes down.
There's several that I've met on here who have gone weeks and months due to pProm, but she has to stay positive and not think about the statistics.
I wish her the best, and my whole journey of being in the hospital for 7 weeks due to pProm and the last almost 4 weeks in the intermediate nursery is all in my blog in my signature.
I know it helped me to see what went on with others in that situation, so feel free to pass it along to her if you think it might help.
Thoughts and prayers are with her.