Rhiannon & Daniel Price PPROM story

PPROM at 16 weeks. Louie born at 23weeks + 2 days

Born in the UK

Born Feb 2015 

 

I was 16 weeks pregnant when I started what I thought was weeing myself every now and then (it was my 4th so thought my bladder was weak) on the day before new years eve 2014 I read about a condition called pprom (preterm premature rupture of membrane) so decided to get checked out.

 

To my horror on New Years Eve it was confirmed my waters had been leaking and my poor baby had no fluid left, I was told to go home and to expect to miscarry with 72 hours, but would have to go in the following day to discuss my options.

 

How I drove home I still can't recall, it was a blur. I researched all I could on PPROM and discovered the Facebook page 'Little Heartbeats' the stories I read and the information provided by a lady named 'Ciara' made me realise it didn't mean I would miscarry and as long as infection stayed at bay I could carry on with my pregnancy, she advised bedrest as much as possible and to drink water and lots of it.

 

My husband put me on strict bedrest, he done everything,  cooking, cleaning, looking after our three boys. There were so many loss stories but so many stories of hope,  the doctors wanted me to abort this life I was carrying but my baby had a heartbeat, it was fighting so I would fight too. I refused termination and wastage to go for checks every week at the hospital, I'd have a scan and bloods taken to check for infection. Every appointment we were asked if we had changed our minds on termination, we never did.

 

At our 20 week scan we were told the baby had a problem with its heart, a condition called transposition of the great arteries,  again we were told because the baby had no waters and now this heart condition, the most logic and kindest option would be termination,  again we refused and we were to be scheduled to see a heart specialist who would do an indepth scan to confirm the diagnoses of TGA. Again I turned to 'Ciara' for advice and help as she too had dealt with other PPROM mums who had this condition. At 21 weeks I started bleeding heavily and was told I had partial placental abruption and I was kept in hospital. At 23 weeks exactly I was transferred to another hospital that had the facilities to help a 24 week baby, the NICU doctor came to chat and advised that before 24 weeks, if baby was born they wouldn't guarantee to help as baby would possibly not survive and under no legal obligation we they obliged to help.

 

I cried and cried and willed this little life to hold on for another week. On February 2nd I was scheduled to travel from Newport, south Wales to Bristol, England to confirm the TGA, so on 1st February, the hospital staff allowed my husband Daniel to stay over night so he could travel with me the following morning. At 6:15am the baby decided to come. I was only 23weeks and 3 days, I was so scared no-one would help. 

 

My baby was a boy, my Prince Louie. He was very ill but alive and so strong.

 

The doctors did help, they said they couldn't believe how much he was trying to breathe. We spent the most amazing 4 days with him in NICU before bleeds on both side of his brain cruelly took him from us.

 

He grew his wings 5th February 2015, Fly High mummies little sunshine.  

 

Below in the picture are is his brothers meeting him for the first and last time, he fell asleep forever a few hours later.