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My water broke on 11/12/03, I just hit 24 weeks, I called 911 and was rushed to the hospital. After confirming my water did break and I had dialated 1 cm, I was admitted into the antepartum maternity ward. I was bombarded by different doctors and nurses, I didn't realize severity of the situation, and given different scenerios. I was badly shaken but trying to keep my hopes up. I was on bed rest for a week, which was difficult because my baby was laying right on my bladder, a spot he liked since his conception!I was having sporadic contractions that were not being picked up on the monitor. I was having more back pains then anything. By the following Wednesday, my contractions were coming every 15 minutes and still not showing on the fetal/uterine monitor. I was miserable. The doctor then told me that my baby's heart beat was dropping and they would have to take him out. I was moved to labor and delivery, by the time the monitors were put back in place, my bbay's heart beat had stabilized, but I was kept there for observation. Apparently my baby was bored and was playing with his umbilical cord. During the afternoon, my contractions were steady and more painful than anything, I was finally given morphine. BLISS, I finally got some much needed sleep, I hadn't slept in a week almost. But when the morphine wore off....not only did the contractions hurt more, they were stronger and coming every 3 minutes. Because I hadn't dialated any more, still just 1 cm, I was taken back to antepartum. Back to being miserable, I was given 1 more dose of morphine, on 11/20. That night I asked the nurse to kill me, the pain was so bad and that I felt like pushing. When the next shift change came, the new nurse checked me, I had dlated 2cm with a swollen cervix. I was taken to the OR for an emergency C-section. My son was born 11/21/03 at 1:01 pm. He weighed only 1lb 0.8 oz (not even a full oz). During the last 6 weeks my son has shown me how to be strong, he has amazed the doctors and nurses with his strenght and good nature. He has made daily strides with only 1 setback (Thank God). Today I was told he will be graduating from NICU and going to the Special Care Nursery. He now weighs 2lbs 9.2 oz, still a little guy, but so full of personality. Yesterday was a big step for the both of us, we tried breast feeding for the 1st time. He is my little miracle and I love hime so much. He still has a ways to go before he can come home, but I know God has his hands on him. To all the parents go through this, be strong, pray every day, and take it an hour at a time. Good luck to every one....to see my baby's photos http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/b/bmkjones password: atlanta

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In 1986 i was born 14 weeks too early and weighed 635g. I had 13 blood transfusions and had septecemia at one stage, and numerous other complications that come with being born too soon, but I pulled through. I left the hospital when I was 100 days old, around the time of what would've been my due date. I am 17 now, and live a healthy life...going to school, riding my horse, and enjoying things like all other regular teenagers.

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I am the mother of two preemies. My daughter who is now 8 yrs. was born at 33 weeks and my son who is now 2 yrs. was born at 30 weeks. PRAYER WORKS!!!!!!

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I found out that I was having another baby on February 13, 2003. I was so happy. My pegnancy was going well in the begining. I started having alot of problems with asthma and that caused me to be real stressed out. On top of that I had been on bed rest from the begining because I have had other premature labors. Well my daughter came 11 weeks early. One morning I was at an appt and my water broke. My roommate rushed me to the hospital and she was born by emergancy c-section. Only weighing in at 2 lbs 12 oz and 14 inches long she fought for her life. She spent her first 2 months in and out of the hospital. Thank God that she is well and thriving now. I don't know what I would have done if something had happen to her.

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MY SON IS A 27 WEEKER. HE WAS BORN JUNE 10, 2003 WEIGHING 1LB 11 OZ. MY CHILD HAD NUMEROUS SURGERIES FOR NEC(REMOVAL OF INTENSTINE), A FONDOPLICATION AND G-BUTTON, AND VENTRICULAR SHUNT. RYAN STAYED IN NICU FOR 4 MONTHS. WE CAME HOME ON NOVEMBER 10, 2003. GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD. RYAN NOW WEIGHS 7LB 5OZ. HE IS GROWING EVERYDAY AND DOING THINGS THAT DOCTORS SAID HE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS,BUT I KNOW THAT GOD CHOSE EACH US TO GO THROUGH THIS WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE FOR A REASON. REMEMBER THERE IS A POWER FOR GREATER THAN THOSE DOCTORS. WE WILL KEEP EACH OF YOU IN OUR PRAYERS.

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My daughter was a thirty weeker and spent a month in the NICU. She is now fourteen years old. She did have some of the usual preemie delays- her speech lagged, she had difficulty with reading and math- but had that preemie perseverence and is a straight A student. She is also a sweet and happy girl. About a year ago she had a drastic change in her personality and developed an eating disorder. She spent a month in the eating disorder clinic and is doing better, but she also suffers from clinical depression. My psychiatrist says preemies often suffer from depression as they hit adolescence because they are notoriously low dopamine and serotonin producers. Preemie babies don't get the chance to lay down the cells that produce serotonin and dopamine in the brain like full term children do. Anyway, a strep infection triggered the eating disorder- and I am having trouble finding much information on this related to preemies. I just wanted other parents to be aware that preemie attachment disorders often arise when your preemie hits puberty, and please be aware that an eating disorder can be triggered by strep throat, multiple URI's, or multiple pneumonias.