PPROM High Risk Pregnancy - PART ONE

This time one year ago our life's were turned upside down. During Covid-19, my partner (Zac) and myself were surprised to find out we were expecting our third child. We were both in shock and could not believe it. We often spoke about having a third but it definitely wasn't in our plans anytime soon. We had plans to start renovating our house again, I was still breastfeeding my daughter and my body still had not even gone through a girly cycle after giving birth to Violet. So it was the last thing on my mind, but hey, life always likes to surprise us!

I was feeling off, I definitely did not feel my usual self.. I thought maybe we will try take a test and see what it says because it's not like I would know from my last cycle whether it could be possible I was late... First test, done! came back with a VERY faint line.. so I sent my partner off to the shops to get more, maybe even try a digital one! as the nerves built-up, there were more faint lines and then a negative digital test. Ohkay, a negative response! I'm not pregnant! That was close!

Days went on, I wasn't feeling any better. I know my body, I had just started a candle business and as it was starting to boom I had absolutely no life in me. Something was definitely wrong! I didn't know at the time but, the digital pregnancy tests are basically pointless to take when you are in very early stages of pregnancy as they don't pick up the HGC levels. I waited a few days took another normal test and yep! There were those two lines, clear as day! Back to the shops and bought another digital test and it came back, Positive! 1-2 weeks pregnant!

Wow, the news of another baby took a bit to settle in. We felt like we were only just managing with two, and now three?! At the beginning we were more consumed by the thought and judgement of what other people were thinking. I guess at the end of the day it's our life, and our children, no one else has to raise and love them but us so who else matters. We are good parents, why not have another to love.. am I right? Or am I crazy?! 😂

Third time round, I wanted to try to soak up as much of this pregnancy as I could. unfortunately, god had other plans and it didn't start off good. We had our first scare at about 6 weeks. I started bleeding.. At first it started to bring back all the memories from our miscarriage we had before only weeks before I conceived Violet and I just put my head in my hands and cried out "no! Not again!" I don't know how I would cope going through it again. My partner sat with me while I sobbed on the toilet and just rubbed my back, speechless. If you have bleed in the extremely early stages of pregnancy most GPS and sonographers don't bother scanning as there's no way they can help you if you were to miscarry. The next following weeks consisted of weekly blood test to monitor my HGC levels to ensure they were rising.

Thankfully, my levels were still going up so it was finally time to book our first scan

8 week scan Apart from being diagnosed with a sub chronic hematoma.. everything else was perfect. This wasn't a huge worry to us as it's common to happen in pregnancies. I experienced the same with my daughter and it resolved itself by our next scan. As we progressed through the scan with all the excited chatter of our new baby, feeling emotional seeing another precious life growing, we found out were expecting our new little bean on, 25/12 Christmas Day !

At about 12-13 weeks pregnant, I was out for lunch with my bestie since high school, Joe. We were sitting down the beach eating chips and gravy (my biggest craving lol) while we were talking, I was explaining to him that I felt off, something wasn't right that day. I started to worry maybe I was getting a UTI because I was very sore. next thing I know, our seat belts are strapped back on and we are rushing my kids to their grandparents and I'm at the emergency department with a towel wrapped around me, feeling uncomfortable, continuously bleeding and in a cold waiting room.

When we first arrived at the hospital, from my hips to my knees of my jeans were covered in blood. With a sub chronic hematoma I was bleeding on and off already but this was different. This was ALOT of blood.

As you usually do in a busy emergency ward you wait and wait so we went over questions with the midwife, done some checks below as we waited for the obstetrician that was on call to arrive with the portable ultrasound machine.

Finally! The OB and the machine is here and it's time to check our baby. The whole time in my head I knew I just wanted to see a heartbeat, I knew once I seen that little heart racing away everything was going to be okay. we only JUST had our routine 12 week scan.. so what could possibly be wrong?

What a relief! the first thing I seen on the screen was our tiny baby moving around! We all looked at the screen in "aw", what a little blessing.. Nothing more was further discussed as everyone was happy with the outcome and thought it was just the hematoma coming away and as said before it would just resolve it self.

Fast forward - weeks go on, I have more spotting through out this time.. still feeling horrible and having to look after myself and two other little ones while running my busy small candle business. Its now time to go to Port Augusta for our 20 week scan! Epp, very exciting! This is the scan where the baby actually looks like a baby and not so much little alien. lol

The 20 week scan is usually the last scan if there are no more complications picked up and also the scan where you find out the gender! we made the choice to keep the gender a surprise as we already have one of each so we weren't to fussed as long as he/she was healthy.

so, I was laying there, waiting for the sonographer, very patient but nervous and ready to see our baby! Zac needed to pop out quickly to the toilet.. As he was gone, the sonographer came to start the scan. (this always happens at appointments and I'm usually left dealing with the first half of an appointment on my own because Zac needs to poop.) We went ahead and just started with out Zac there and as he was scanning over my belly I could instantly tell that something was a bit different. The sonographer was quiet for a bit longer then he should of been. I kept trying to reassure myself "it's okay, just wait Nadine."

As I was looking at my baby on the screen I could see that he looked squished, like there was no room. Surely my baby isn't that big already?! The sonographer asked me some questions about my pregnancy. After I answered him I got on the phone and rushed Zac to hurry up. Once my partner was back he then explained to us that there was virtually no fluid around the baby, the baby was behind in growth by 2 weeks, there's no way he can do the scan and that we need to go to Adelaide as soon as possible.

That afternoon, on the drive back to Whyalla.. trying to process the information we had just received.. Zac and myself start making the phone calls to family, friends and doctors to organise where the kids were going, to see our doctor asap as it was an emergency and then to get out house looked after. The town we live in is 5 hours away from the city (Adelaide) , there is no paediatricians or anything to do with babies available at our local hospital so anything more complicated then the normal pregnancy routine check-ups it means having to travel, which SUCKS!

Later that evening we got into our local GP who is amazing, Our doctor was on the phone trying to reach The Women's and Children's Hospital for a while but the staff were sending him on a wild goose chase and he ended up hanging the phone up in frustration and looked at me and said, "I want you to leave tomorrow morning to Adelaide and arrive at the Women's Assessment and say that I sent you. If this were their baby they would want answers now. we cant leave this any longer"

The next morning little did we know the journey we were about to start.