When Louise Adams from the U.K. showed up at the hospital at 22 weeks pregnant, she was told she would have a miscarriage within days. Doctors said that because her water broke prematurely and it was still so early in her pregnancy, her baby would have a mere five percent chance of survival.
However, Adams was determined to keep her baby alive.
“Doctors and midwives were skeptical and gave me no hope. They told me there was little research and it was unlikely to make any difference. But I had nothing to lose,” Adams told Daily Mail.
“All they could do is monitor me in hospital waiting for the inevitable miscarriage, which they said would happen in days. But I could feel Joseph kicking. I couldn’t just sit around doing nothing to save him.”
Despite her bleak diagnosis, Adams, 28, who was expecting her second boy with her husband Jakk Adams, 32, decided to learn more about her options.
Through research, she found that women in other countries were sometimes advised to drink more water to replenish the water lost by a premature break of the membranes. In the U.S., mothers are sometimes put on an IV drip, which can have a similar effect. She even found studies confirming that an increase in fluid intake can help replenish amniotic fluid.
Armed with little more than faith, Adams decided to start drinking the recommended 4 liters (7 pints) of water per day to keep herself well-hydrated. This labor of love also proved somewhat risky, as drinking too much water too quickly can result in hyper hydration, or water intoxication.
In her research, she also learned that consuming cranberry juice and cloves of raw garlic help to ward off infections, which become more common after a premature water break.
After six days, Adams was released from the hospital.
Typically, hospitals in the U.K. will not try to save babies before 24 weeks in utero as they have a very low chance of survival, and even if they survive they face serious health complications.
“Getting past 24 weeks was the first hurdle as I knew at that point he at least had some chance of survival if born then,” Adams told Daily Mail. “Once past 24 weeks doctors finally gave me steroids to mature Joseph’s lungs and antibiotics to prevent infection.”
When Adams came back to deliver her baby at 36 weeks, he was almost full-term. The baby boy, Joseph, was delivered at a very healthy 5lb, 10oz, and has been affectionately dubbed a “real-life water baby.”
He soon met his older brother, and was able to go home with his family after just one week. His parents couldn’t be happier.
“When we heard him crying his eyes out, we were overjoyed. He was absolutely perfect and did so well,” Adams told Daily Mail.
“He is a smiling bundle of joy. He never gave up fighting and beat all the odds.”
