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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
Becky's story
PPROM Suspected at 27 weeks, confirmed at 29 weeks 1day. Harrison born at 29 weeks 1 day
Born in the UK

 

I was pregnant in 2012, due Sept 24th and it was my first pregnancy. All was going well except I had bad SPD and was in pain a lot of the time, baby was head down and quite low which made it worse.

 

At around 27 weeks I was quite convinced my plug was coming out and my waters were leaking - I went to the MAU around 3 times each time to be sent home saying I was ok, despite the last time having excruciating abdominal pain. On July 10th we traveled to Birmingham from Cambridge and when we stopped along the way, I noticed I was really wet down below.

 

Embarassed, I thought I wet myself and bought some Tena lady and we carried on. We arrived in Birminghsm for my husbands PhD graduation, met his parents, collected his gown and went for photos - and as he was having his formal portraits taken - my waters broke, in front of a LOT of people. I was 29+1. We made our way to the nearest A&E (which was the Childrens Hospital!) and I was transferred to Birmingham Womens, and admitted. I was told yes, it was my waters, they would keep me for 48 hours and all being well, send me home.

 

Unfortunately, 6 hours later, I started having contractions and babys heart kept stopping with each one. I ended up having an emergency C section at 8.38pm. Baby was ok, immediately ventilated and transferred to Cambridge 2 days later. He spent 78 days in various hospital wards, but is now a happy, healthy 3 year old. No reason was found for the PPROM and when I found out I was expecting again, I was terrified. Luckily, he went to due date

 

 

Danielle Carrigan's story
PPROM at 28 weeks 3days. Evelyn Bluebell born at 30weeks +4 days
Born in the UK
 

Having given birth to my eldest daughter the day after her due date, I was shocked to find myself ending up as a PPROM mum with my second daughter. I have an underactive thyroid which wasn't really under control until I was 13 weeks pregnant, so I was being closely monitored throughout this pregnancy.

 

I work as a Primary School Teacher, so it came of no surprise to me that I contracted a stomach bug at over 27 weeks pregnant. The bug lasted for 5 days with constant sickness and diarrhoea. I was drained. Just as I started to feel better and regain my energy, I woke up and felt a trickle down my leg (28 weeks + 3 days at this point). I lay still and was in denial for a while. I saw my partner off to the gym and took my eldest daughter down for her breakfast. By this point, I had put a pad on just to 'check'. Every time I moved, I felt waters gush. I knew they'd gone. I rang my partner and he returned to find me wrapped in numerous bath towels! Off we went to the hospital...

 

My pad was tested and it was confirmed that my waters had gone. I was told that she'd be delivered within 24 hours. My obs were all good - the consultant agreed to try and keep me going until 34 weeks but I needed to stay free from infection. I was to have an ultrasound once a week, bloods twice a week and obs every day. After a couple of nights in the hospital, it was agreed that I could do my obs at home and travel in for scans, bloods etc. I was missing my daughter terribly. I lasted a couple of days at home, returning for our ultrasound. This showed that I had no measureable fluid left. We were gutted. I was then reAdmitted.

During my previous stay, I was given all of my steroid jabs to strengthen baby's lungs. During this stay, I was on oral antibiotics but my infection levels were increasing, so I was to have IV antibiotics. This was to be administered every eight hours. 3 days later I could feel a water infection coming on...there was no time to confirm it. I had become symptomatic and had started having rigours on the bed. This kick stArted contractions so I was rushed to labour ward. I was 30 weeks and 4 days pregnant.

 

I was having a contraction, followed by a rigour. It was unbearable. They took blood and confirmed that I had sepsis. This obviously meant that baby was at risk. I opted for an emergency c section under general anaesthetic as I was in so much pain. I was told that I was risking my life.

 

Evelyn Bluebell was born at 8.17pm on 10th Aug 2015 weighing 3lb 1.4oz. I woke up under intensive care and was told that she was ok and was on scbu. A few hours later, I got to meet her. She was so tiny and so perfect.

 

I was desperate to touch/hold her. She had been on cpap for 7 minutes and then started breathing herself. My 30 weeker was breathing unaided. Amazing! She was being pumped full of anaesthetic for suspected sepsis. Evelyn was in ITU for 3 days, HDU for 3.5 weeks and the Nursery for 3 weeks. The SCBU staff became my family - they were amazing. Trying to balance life between the two girls was difficult but we managed. We had lots of support from family.

 

Evelyn spent 7 weeks on SCBU and came home on overnight O2. I was able to wean her off this within 10 days of coming home. She has contracted bronchitis twice and has had a bug but is getting bigger and stronger all of the time! 

 

These premature babies are tougher than they look. 7 weeks seemed like a lifetime but I got through it by working towards her due date. She is now a happy, smiley little pudding who is just beginning to enjoy some food!

 

 

Natalie Thomas 
PPROM at 26 weeks 2days. Millie-Rae born at 27weeks  
Born in the UK

 

26 weeks and 2 days On friday the 13th of march 2015 I woke up, after having back pain and cervical pain. I went to the toilet and noticed some spotting.

 

After calling the triage I was told not to rush in but make my way to go and get my anti d injection. While waiting to get a lift i started having cramps that felt like the start of labour.

 

So my mother in law drove us to the hospital. The first thing they did was give me the injection and they were going to send me home but i mentioned that I'd had a leak but wasnt sure what it was. So they did and internal... the dr said everything was fine but as i sat up i felt a pool of something.

 

The dr said it was probably sweating on the pad id had on but my reply was that I'm not wearing a pad now and im leaking!!! But the dr said it was fine again.

 

When the Dr walked out of the room the midwife had a look at the leak and obviously went for a second opinion. Another Dr appeared with different tools to have a look (dignity lost right then) he put me in so many different positions and made me cough god knows how many time to then shout the midwife to bring steroid injections asap... confirmed the dreaded news.... my water had broke!!!

 

I was transferred to North Staffs Royal University hospital to wait 72 hours for labour. Other than a few cramps that came and went there was no labour. On the sunday i was moiterd (daily) and my little girl had a few desats. And reduced her movements but after tellingbthis to my midwife they were still happy for me to be discharged. I was so scared. Id never even knew of this before. I didnt know what to do. I was told to refer back to my local hospital walsall manor 3 times a weeks for monitering/scans/bloods.... monday and tuesday her movements were getting slower... wednesday was my first appointment. I told my consultant she wasnt moving properly so she put me on the moniter. Wothin 10 minutes inwas rushed to delivery to get a drip and fluids but after 5 minutes with no improvemnet i was taken for an emergancy c section. 27 weeks exactly...

My daughter was born at 17:39 screaming. I knew nothing about her... not her size or how beautiful she was... nothing. The peditrician couldnt intubate her so she was rushed off to nicu. My partner areived... and thebwait began. 7 hours after she was born they finally came with our daughter in a huge incubater. She was so tiny and perfect weighing 2lb. She was covered in wires and tubes with beeping everywhere. She was beautiful, we called her Millie-rae.

 

Thats when the shock hit us. She was being transferred back to stoke as they have an icu. We waited all night for a text message from the transport team to tell us if she had made it alive brett had to go home. So i was alone in hospital with an empty belly waiting to find out if my daughter was alive. We recieved a message early hours of thursday morning saying she had coped very well and looked good. She was just getting settled in.

The next day inwas discharged. My partner and i went to see her later that day. We walked in to this whole new scarey world just by walking through thise double doors. The coridoors were clean and everywhere smelt as sterile as it looked. We waled into room 1.... the room with the sickest babies. My heart broke looking at her. She was so fragile. And i cried my heart out asking how such a tiny baby could survive this??? I touched her sticky delicate skin and promised i wouldnt give up on her. All iwanted to do was hold her and kiss her.

2 days after her birth and we had just arrived to see her bed surrouned by drs and nurses trying to save her life. She had had a huge pulmonary heomerage. We were told she was very sick and they didnt know what the next hours would bring. Again our world shattered. We left broken.... how could this be happening!!! I wanted to stay with her 24/7 but iwas getting sick and was in so much pain from surgery. I felt helpless. After treatment with sufactent and a platlet transfusion she picked up.... from there it was onwards and uowards. She remained stable. I got in to a routine if expressing for her every 3 hours and felt amazing that i had the power to do what thise nurses could never do.

Day 9 the day came where she was strong enough to be taken off life support and onto cpap. Millie coped well and a day later ihad her placed on my chest. That feeling is a feeling i will never be able to explain. The pride and love i had and still have. Inwas in ore. She was fighting so hard for me and all incoukd do is cry with pride as i kissed her and felt her warmth.

She grew bigger and stronger and it wasnt long before I walked in to find her only wearing oxygen prongs and in the next room for babys that are getting better. The time came at 3 weeks old she could be transferred back to our neonatal unit. It was more relaxed and calm and i held my little mille for hours.

 

I did her tube feeds. I cleaned her and changed her. I was given so much control over my daughter and that was amazing. After 3 months in hospital my littke girl cane home off oxygen!!!!!! Im am so so proud of her.

 

She turns 1 next month!!!!! Millie-rae you are my miracle and my fighter and the world is yours. You deserve it. She can sit up and babble and roll both ways. She eats well and takes a few bottles in between. Her pediatrician is amazed at her progress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donna Bates 

PPROM at 27 weeks. Kaycee born at 31weeks  

Born in the UK

 

In 2008 at my 12 week scan everything looked fine at 20 week scan was told having a girl but was also told she may have club feet and a heart defect.

 

I was booked for another scan but my waters broke so had to spend two weeks on hospital on bed rest with scans every day. I was told her feet were normal but heart was causing a problem but they would not know until she was born.

 

I was allowed home,  however after spending weeks of being at hospital on strict bedrest, I went into labour at 1235 am on the 9/02/09 and she was breach so was rushed hospital for c section and was just about to have needle in back when someone shouted baby is on the table!

 

Kaycee was then taken by medical staff and rushed to NICU where she was put on a breathing machine however in the middle of the night I was woken and asked to go to nicu from my ward as Kaycee was really poorly as her lung had colasped and was fighting for her life.

 

Eventually they got her as stable as possible and rushed her to Addenbrooks Rosie hospital in Cambridge, UK. 

 

I was told to stay at the hospital I was in, and told she may not make the journey and if this was the case they would return her back to me, but thankfully I got the call that she had made it to the Rosie hospital and was stable. 

 

I headed over to her when I left hospital and we were with her there for 3 weeks, Doctors were amazed she was expecting to be in there for months but instead we were taking back to Hinchenbrook hospital, where Kaycee did amazing and she was allowed home on oxygen at 4 months old.

 

Kaycee was on oxygen till she was 18 months old and only at night from about 12 months old, was told she had Cronic Lung disease and would either go by age of 7 or have it for life.  

 

She turned 7 last Tuesday just gone and has no signs of Cronic Lung diesease and is doing well in life one very happy and relieved mummy,

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