Mother, 24, gives birth to baby boy TEN WEEKS after her waters broke
- Lauren Middleton, from Leeds, got fright when she felt gush of water at 26 weeks
- It normally signals the baby is coming but doctors decided to postpone the birth
- She was closely monitored until she finally gave birth at 35 weeks to baby Archie
A mother has given birth to a ‘miracle’ baby boy ten weeks after her waters first broke.
Lauren Middleton got a fright after feeling a gush of water when she got up to use the toilet while 26 weeks pregnant.
The 24-year-old was rushed to hospital where doctors told her that her waters had broken and she prepared to go into labour prematurely.
But experts made the decision to postpone the birth for as long as possible in order to give the infant time to grow.
Lauren Middleton got a fright after feeling a gush of water when she got up to use the toilet while 26 weeks pregnant
The 24-year-old was rushed to hospital where doctors told her that her waters had broken and she prepared to go into labour prematurely. Pictured: Little Archie after being allowed home last week
Experts made the unusual decision to postpone the birth for as long as possible in order to give Archie (pictured at home) time to grow
Under normal circumstances, the moment a woman’s water breaks signals the baby is on its way.
But it is possible for a woman’s water to break early and not be followed by labour — a disorder known as preterm prelabor rupture of membranes, or preterm PROM.
The rare condition, which affects 3 per cent of pregnancies, causes the amniotic fluid to drain from the mother’s womb.
After spending three days in hospital, Ms Middleton, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, was sent home.
Ms Middleton suffered from a condition known as preterm prelabor rupture of membranes, or preterm PROM
The rare condition, which affects 3 per cent of pregnancies, causes the amniotic fluid to drain from the mother’s womb
From then on she had to attend the maternity unit at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) twice a week for checks.
WHAT IS PRETERM PRELABOUR RUPTURE OF MEMBRANES?
Preterm prelabour rupture of the membranes happens in expectant mothers who are less than 37 weeks pregnant.
Most women will go into spontaneous labour within 24 hours of rupturing their membranes.
But six per cent of women do not go into labour within 96 hours.
The earlier into the pregnancy the rupture occurs, the less likely it is that the onset of labour will be within a specified time period.
The condition affects six to 19 per cent of term pregnancies and occurs in two per cent of all pregnancies.
The condition is associated with 40 per cent of preterm deliveries and can lead to high morbidity and mortality.
Risk factors for the condition include:
An expectant mother may describe feeling a ‘popping sensation’ of a ‘gush’ with continuous watery liquid draining.
A woman will be taken into hospital immediately and admitted in many cases for the at least 48 hours.
In most cases delivery should be considered at 34 weeks.
It is recommended that women diagnosed with PPROM should not exceed 96 hours after their membrane has ruptured. The risk of maternal and fetal infection increases the longer the time between membrane rupture and the onset of labour.
Source: patient.co.uk
She said: ‘I was so shocked, I really didn’t think my waters had broken. I was really scared when I heard because it was so early in the pregnancy and my baby was so tiny.
‘I knew straight away he was in danger of serious harm. It was an incredibly stressful situation because I was worried about the baby’s health the whole time.
‘I was in and out of hospital constantly, having that many checks isn’t normal but I knew were vital for the baby.’
Tests carried out at 34 weeks showed the mother was healthy and her amniotic fluid had replenished itself.
Doctors decided to leave her until 37 weeks, which is considered full term.
But only a week later, at week 35, Ms Middleton started contracting at home and she was rushed to St James’s Hospital in Leeds.
Eventually after 21 hours baby Archie was born weighing 6lb 4oz at 9pm on October 18.
But her joy was short-lived as an hour later Archie was rushed him to neo-natal intensive care after struggling to breathe.
‘One minute we were having cuddles and everything was fine and the next minute he was gone,’ the mother said.
The newborn was diagnosed with pneumonia then sepsis, leaving his devastated parents unsure if he was going to survive.
Luckily quick treatment and a course of antibiotics have got Archie on the mend and he has now gone home for the first time.
The mother added: ‘The NHS have been unbelievable, I can’t thank them enough.
‘If it wasn’t for their amazing work who knows what would have happened to Archie. I genuinely love all the nurses, they’re more like family now.’
After returning home last Friday, Archie has met dozens of family members, including grandparents and aunties and uncles.
He’s also being lovingly looked after by his big sister Ruby, who is three.
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