Premature Rupture of Membranes

S.,
I'm very sorry to hear about all the trouble you've been through. That must be very stressful and overwhelming. However, I am glad to hear the hospital and your doctor are taking care of you and making sure you and your baby stay safe.

I know it's hard, but try to stay positive and stay in touch with your family. They will be the ones to keep you going.

This might be the time to start a hobby- knitting, scrapbooking, reading, studying your family's geneaology, etc. You might also take this time to catch up with old friends via phone or email. That might be a great way to bring your spirits up and get you through this tough time.

Blessings to you and your family!

hi S..

my name is C.. i have to admit that i have never had this happen to me. just wanted to say though, that if ya ever want to talk, feel free to email me (home email is ____@____.com) try to keep your chin up. you are in my prayers, and i wish you all the best. take good care of you and that tiny one inside.

hugs,

C.

Hello S.. My prayers are sure with you! I was only on bedrest for 2 weeks and I almost went insane. I wish I had some good advice for how to make the time go faster. Worrying about caring for your premie won't help you or your baby. Try to remain positive. If you are feeling especially miserable, have someone bring you a sharpie marker and some glamour magazines. Have fun drawing little mustaches on all the models. (Yes, I am only half kidding.)I know this is a difficult time, and it is so hard being away from your family. Please know that we are all wishing you the best!
L.

Hi S., First off, I'm sorry you're going through this. I know it's not easy.
I had a preemie in April of 2006. He was born at 32 weeks. My water broke suddenly on April 6th. I went to the hospital and the doctor's came in to see me and tell me what kind of ride I was in for. I would be in the hospital for 5-6 weeks, at the very least, they told me. On strict bedrest, IV antibiotics, the whole nine yards. The following day, ultrasound came in to check out the baby, and within 2½ hrs., my son was born via emergency c-section. So I got out of the bedrest for 5-6 weeks, but I also had a 32 weeker!!
Luckily, he was only in the NICU for 16 days and did wonderfully. The only lasting effects of being preemie is his smaller size, some developmental delays (which is totally normal), and he still has some reflux issues.
If you're able to hold off on delivering, that's great! I was once told by a NICU nurse that for every day you're able to NOT deliver early, that cuts down 2-3 days of baby being in the NICU. So even though it seems like a really rough ride being on bedrest for weeks in a crummy hospital, it's a good thing for the baby. :-)
It's good that you have internet access while you are in there. I had planned on telling my husband the day I delivered (before I knew I would be having him that day!) that I wanted him to go rent me a laptop, LOL. But we didn't get that far!!
Just try to relax, let the nurses and doctors do their job, and you just focus on getting to 35 weeks or beyond. :-)
I wish you the best of luck. I'll add you to my prayers.

Hey S.

I wanted to add my 2 cents worth here to what the other ladies have said. They gave all good advice. But seeing how your almost 28 wks. My son was born at 26 wks. He weighed 1 lb 10 oz, was 13 inches long, stayed in the hospital 67 days. That was back in 2001. He's now 5, getting ready to go to Kindergarten. And shows no sign of being premature.

I also feel for you. I was not on bed rest, but my son was born @ 33 1/2 weeks. He was in the NICU @ Riverside (hands down best hospital in Columbus) for 17 days. The nurses there were so wonderful and answered all questions I had. It is very hard to see your precious baby hooked up to machines and have a feeding tube down this throat. Everything was explained to me and after the first week or so, you learn to ignore that stuff and just concentrate on the baby. The only advice I would give you is to do something called "kangarooing" with your baby. That's where you take off your shirt and they put the baby in a diaper only on your chest. It's supposed to be wonderful for the baby and mother and a great way to bond. I did it every day that he was in the hospital and it was the most wonderful experience ever!

Today, my son is getting ready to turn 3 and weighs 40 pounds and is 3 feet 5 inches tall and the only sign that he was premature is the fact that he is a little slow in talking, but even that is coming around. Trust me, enjoy your hospital stay and quiet for now because when your new baby comes it will be a different story!

Take care of yourself and your baby! I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Have someone go to the local library or bookstore (or amazon.com) and immediately get Dr. William Sears' THE PREMATURE BABY BOOK. It is fantastic, full or evidenced-based research and information and will really help you prepare - much more so than most of the doctors or nurses will ever bother with.

My heart goes out to you and your family. Hang in there and best wishes! Take care, J.

S., while my water did not break, at 30 weeks I was having contractions every 2 minutes. I did go to the hospital to find out that I was in preterm labor. They were able to stop it with magnesium sulfate,and steroid shots to help develop his lungs, and I was kept in the hospital for 4 weeks. I was released at 34 weeks and my OB had decided that if I go then it would be ok. I was sent home on a pill call procardia to help stop contractions, and on bed rest. Needless to say that my little booger did not actually show his face to this world until 38 weeks. I know how you feel, and I hated being in the hospital all that time, but just remember that it's best for you, and your baby right now. It can be very stressful, but also remember that if your baby decides to come today the medical advances are so progressed now that I am quite sure your baby will do fine. Hang in there. I know how hard it can be to just lay there all day every day, but this soon will pass. Need someone to talk to you can email me at ____@____.com Good luck to you and your precious baby.

Hand in there, you do have a lond stay... but it is waht is best for you and that baby. i made it to 34 weeks tnen they had to to a c section on me due to toxemia. so my case was a little different then yours but i had a preemie. He was 4lbs and 3 oz alot smaller then i ever hoped for, but his dad was a preemie and so was his grandfather. must run in the family. any way they are all fine if you would like youcan dend me your email and we can talk about your fears and worries. I know i was overwelemed to and still sometimes am due to wanting to try for one more and scared to have one more preemie.
just rest up and watch tv
M.
____@____.com

Hi S.,

My daughter (who is now 7)and she was born at 30 weeks. I had had pains the previous night, just thinking it was constipation I went through those motions. I went in the hospital the next morning for a routine appt and they proceeded to tell me I had started dialating and I was really feeling the early stages of contractions. They did the best they could to stop labor, but that only lasted into that night. To make a longer story short, she was born 10 weeks early. As she as she popped out they wisked her off to the neonatal unit. Because we had been there for 24 hours they had given me steroid shots to help develop her lungs faster which worked. She came out a hollering! Her birth weight was 2 lbs 10 oz. She was kept in an incubator for 3 weeks and then had to learn how to hold her own body temp. which they kept her for 1 week in a warmed bed, open top. She left to come home after 4 weeks. I was very fortunate that she had no medical issues and got to come home 5 weeks early. It is very hard to see your baby with all kinds of wires attached and feeding tubes (through the foot)on your baby. Keep in mind this was 7 years ago so the advances that they have now are 100% better then they were then. The best advise I can give you now is to try to keep yourself calm. You can't let yourself get worked up to much or you run the risk of sending yourself into labor. Believe me, I know "easier said then done". Get yourself a good support system, Mother, Husband and keep them close at hand. There really is not much more you can do, nature will take it's course. If you have more personal questions I am here for you, send me a personal message and I will be there for you. Good luck and God bless you and your baby.

Bless your heart! The longer that baby stays in the better for the baby. Babies can survive at 24 weeks gestation but it's a rough path, the longer they are in uertro the healthier they are when they come out. Our prayers are with you here! Do you enjoy anything like scrapbooking, reading, blogging? Sort pictures from your older children? TRY to enjoy your days of rest!

I completely feel for you. I was not on hospital bed rest, but was put on bed rest at about 30 weeks with my first baby. Admittedly, it was very boring. I got caught up on all the tlk shows & soap operas (lol). But, as for a preemie, my son was born at 36 weeks. He was 5# 10 oz and a was perfectlty healthy baby. He is now 4 1/2 years old & a great little boy. Our only "problem" was that he didn't know how to nurse very well & only took about 1 ounce at a time & slept for only an hour at a time. Once he worked himself out of that, we all did better. More sleep. I agree, definitely keep your support system intact. Good luck & we'll be thinking of you.