Clinical Definitions- Now You Know

Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes -- PPROM
Your baby is surrounded by a sac of amniotic fluid. Some people call it the bag of waters. In most cases, this sac breaks during labor. Preterm premature rupture of membranes occurs when your water breaks before labor begins and more than three weeks before your due date. You may notice a gush of fluid, a slow leak or a trickle from the vagina. The reason why this happens is not known. There is nothing you could have done to cause or prevent this. Preterm premature rupture of membranes probably occurs for many different reasons. Women who smoke cigarettes, have had bleeding during pregnancy or whose water broke before they went into labor in a previous pregnancy are more likely to have PPROM. Preterm premature rupture of membranes occurs in 2 out of every 100 pregnancies. In cases where the membrane has ruptured very early, less than 20 weeks gestation, you may make the choice to deliver your baby. However, these babies are too young to live on their own.
http://www.mombaby.org/

Oligohydramnios
Oligohydramnios means having too little amniotic fluid in your womb. About 8 per cent of all pregnant women are found to have low amniotic fluid at some point, usually in their third trimester. Among those still pregnant two weeks past their due date, 12 per cent have this condition.
What is amniotic fluid and what does it do?
Amniotic fluid is the liquid that surrounds your baby as she grows in the amniotic sac in your uterus during pregnancy. The fluid, or waters, protects her from being hurt if you have a blow to your tummy or your tummy is compressed. The fluid also plays an important part in protecting your baby against infection and in helping her lungs and digestive system to mature. Babies regularly swallow the amniotic fluid and it is passed out of their bodies as urine. In this way, your baby controls the volume of amniotic fluid around her.

The amount of amniotic fluid you have increases until the beginning of the third trimester and generally peaks at 36/37 weeks, at which point you may have about 800-1000ml/2 pints. After that, it gradually begins to decrease until you give birth. Low levels of amniotic fluid during the first trimester and early part of the second trimester of your pregnancy are rare, but where it does occur, it may lead to an increased chance of miscarriage, or stillbirth.
http://www.babycentre.co.uk

Complications of the above lead to the possibility of:
Pulmonary Hyperplasia- baby's lungs are underdeveloped
Cord Prolapse- restricting oxygen and vital nutrients to baby
Premature Labor
Miscarriage or stillbirth

A hospital from nowhere

I was admitted into the hospital. Nothing was happening tonight. The nurse told me to let her know if I stated to go into labor. The doctor said it could happen at any moment. This was not good news. My husband and I got a private room and paid for a cot for him to sleep on. The room was old and very small. It wasn't dirty per say- just old. I kept reminding myself of the hospitals my mom was in. Her rooms were bigger, but pretty much like this one- old.

Every additional thing is on a cash-only, a la carte system. You have to pay in cash daily for a cot, tv access, even pillows and blankets. They didn't even give us a towel for the room. Since it was so late at night, they couldn't give me any pillows or blankets- that department was closed apparently. Hubby went to a nearby walgreens and bought me a blanket. They had one in the whole store. I guess it was meant for me. I used my clothes as a pillow.

The next morning, the doctor came to see me. The ultrasound looked the same. No fluid and baby was doing well. No labor. That was good. He told me that in some instances, though rare, the fluid does reaccumulate and so just to stay put on bed rest and see what happens.

That was the status quo for the next week. On day three my body had miraculoisly started reaccumulating fluid- a miracle baby and she was mine! Two days later, the fluid leaked out and we were back to square one. In the meantime, I was speaking with my OB's office daily and they were telling me the same thing- the fluid could come back, and that was my only hope, so stay on bed rest. It was easy for them to say. They weren't in a community hospital in puerto rico.