BEC COX and her husband Tom had been trying for a baby for six years when they discovered that she was pregnant.

The couple from Newcastle, New South Wales, had tried several rounds of IVF, and were left heartbroken at each failed attempt.

And so they were overjoyed when they discovered that they were expecting, but just 12 weeks in disaster struck.

Bec’s waters had broken, and with doctors unable to offer a solution she began downing litres of water in a bid to save her son. Here she shares her remarkable story with Fabulous Digital.

My husband Tom and I had been trying for a bub for six years. IVF was our only option, and on each round, our hearts broke at another failed attempt.

But it looked like we finally had a breakthrough. The next day, a blood test at the doctor confirmed it.

Over the years, I hadn’t been able to resist buying cute baby clothes in the hope we would have a bub soon. And now it was becoming a reality.

The six-week scan revealed it was twins.

‘It’s possible with twins that one may not survive,’ the sonographer warned us.

Devastatingly, a scan a few weeks later revealed one of the babies hadn’t made it.

‘It’s called vanishing twin syndrome; the stronger embryo absorbs the other one,’ the sonographer explained.

My baby had just one per cent chance of survival and we were offered termination. But I refused to give up

We were crushed, but tried to keep positive.

Then, at a 12-week scan, we were given more bad news. My waters had broken. Tests showed I had preterm premature rupture of membrane (PPROM).

‘There’s a small tear in your sac and the fluid is just leaking out. There’s nothing we can do to fix it,’ the doctor told us.

It meant I could miscarry or the baby could come too early.

Even if the baby was born, it might have lung disease or be stillborn because of the lack of fluid.

My baby had just one per cent chance of survival and we were offered termination. But I refused to give up, and Tom agreed, telling me we had to stay positive.

The scan had revealed we were expecting a boy and this made things feel more real. I had to keep strong for our son.

Due to the sac tear, there was more chance of me getting an infection. Put on bed rest, I went home and googled the condition.

Looking on forums, I read that other women with the condition were drinking more water.

It made sense that the more I drank, the more fluid my boy would have. So, I upped my water intake and crunched on ice.

I had to go for weekly scans to check the bub’s heartbeat and development.

Although he was still alive, fluid levels around him were low. Sometimes, there was practically none; other times, there were between one to three centimetres.

‘A normal amount is between eight and 21 centimetres,’ the sonographer explained.

Doctors were still worried about our son and kept mentioning termination. But I knew in my gut he was going to pull through.

‘Please, make a note on my folder to stop offering termination,’ I pleaded.

The goal was to reach 23 weeks and then I’d be admitted to hospital. This is the point that doctors will resuscitate a bub that arrives early.

As my bump grew, I consumed oodles of water. I was drowning myself in it, gulping four litres every day.

It kept leaking from me and I was changing my pad six times a day. Sometimes it would even gush out unexpectedly.

At 23 weeks, I returned to hospital.

Every morning, the nurses would high-five me for another night without going into labour.

I was given antibiotics to fight off infection, steroid injections to help the baby’s lungs develop – and, of course, I kept drinking water.

Just before the 28-week mark, I experienced a twinge of period pain. Later, my doc told me it was contractions.

What is preterm premature rupture of membrane?

Premature rupture of membranes (PROM) is a rupture of the membranes (amniotic sac) before labor begins.

If PROM occurs before 37 weeks of pregnancy, it is called preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM).

PROM occurs in about 8 to 10 per cent of all pregnancies. PPROM (before 37 weeks) accounts for one fourth to one third of all preterm births.

Rupture of the membranes near the end of pregnancy (term) may be caused by a natural weakening of the membranes or from the force of contractions. Before term, PPROM is often due to an infection in the uterus.

A baby is very likely to be born within a few days of membrane rupture.

Source: Stanford Children's Health

‘The baby is on its way and you’re at risk of infection,’ he said. ‘You need to have the caesarean now.’

Last May, our baby boy was born, weighing just 900g.

I touched his nose before he was whisked away to NICU. We’d already decided on the name Thomas.

The next day, I finally got to meet him. Unable to hold him, I clutched onto his tiny hand through the incubator.

‘He’s so beautiful and perfect,’ I gushed to Tom.

After four days, I got to hold him. Bursting into tears, I looked at my little survivor.

‘You strong man, I love you so much,’ I said.

It was three months before we could bring Thomas home. Now one, he is like any other happy baby.

I hope my story can help other women stay strong, as Thomas is proof that babies can survive this.

In other real life news, a mum who was told she was infertile discovered she was pregnant after being hospitalised for a liver infection.

And a woman has revealed that she has been left with no sex drive and is now infertile after an ovarian cyst exploded at 21.

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