One Week Post-pPROM: 22 Week Pregnancy Update

Today is a milestone, since I’ve now managed to stay pregnant one week after pPROM (preterm premature rupture of membranes). I’m feeling hopeful. It seems that among women who can make it this long, staying pregnant several weeks is possible.

At this time I have no signs of preterm labor. I’m so thankful for that! No bleeding, no cramping, no cervical dilation, no contractions. Each day feels like a small miracle, and indeed it is, because most pPROM moms don’t make it this far.

What amazes me is that pPROM affects 2% of pregnancies, and yet I had never heard of it, and neither have any of my friends or family. I had no idea it was even possible for a woman to remain pregnant after something like this, and that babies can survive extremely low amniotic fluid levels. I’ve read dozens of stories of moms whose babies had NO measurable fluid on ultrasound who delivered after weeks of this. It’s amazing how life fights.

Today is when I would normally do a Twitterature post. Even though I’ve spent a week in bed, I haven’t been reading books. Mostly, I’ve been researching pPROM: what I can do to improve the outcome, stories of loss, stories of pPROM moms and their babies, the NICU experiences. I’m trying to arm myself with knowledge, because if we’re fortunate enough to keep this baby growing a few more weeks, the likelihood of my delivering a micro-preemie are very high.

We moved just a few weeks ago, and I’ve been so busy with unpacking (before all this happened), that I didn’t read as much as usual. Today my sister is staying to help out with my kids, and she’s heading to the library later. She has instructions to pick up a couple dozen books for me, since I’ll likely be confined to bed for several more weeks. Next month’s Twitterature post will be more like my regular ones.

Million Little Ways, A: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live by Emily Freeman is a book it seems everyone was talking about. This book defies description in my opinion. It was quite different than what I thought it would be. In some ways, the tone of the book gets on my nerves (I felt the same way about A Thousand Gifts. Love the message, but the way it was relayed, notsomuch.). It was very preachy, which I wasn’t expecting at all. And there were a couple of ideas that were contrary to scripture. Judging from the Amazon reviews, I might be the only person who wouldn’t give this book a 5-star rating.

At the same time, I found myself really loving and highlighting a few passages. And or some reason, I thought of this book while I was in the hospital. I kept thinking of the idea of the ‘art I was made to live‘, and how in my life, mothering a large family is a huge part of that.

One of the themes of the book is the fact that as beings made in the Creator’s image, we are hard-wired with the desire to create.

I wrote in this post that I had re-read two of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s later books, that were written from the perspective of an adult. The First Four Years  and On the Way Home.

What have you been reading lately? Any good titles to recommend while I serve out the rest of my time on bedrest? 

Linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Twitterature

P.S: Speaking of good reading material, please check out the Ultimate Bundle (click on the graphic below) – today is the last day to order! You’ll be supplied with enough great stuff to read for months or even longer. 🙂