“It can happen to anybody,” said Ashley Knarzer, MD.
Dr. Knarzer is an OB-GYN at Ascension Sacred Heart OB-GYN Bluewater Bay in Niceville, FL. She delivers babies at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach, FL, but her own delivery took her by surprise.
During her pregnancy, Dr. Knarzer was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a complication that causes high blood pressure in women whose blood pressure was normal.
“Due to preeclampsia I was scheduled for a C-section at 37 weeks,” said Dr. Knarzer. “But what happened right after my delivery was unexpected, even though my daughter was a few weeks early.”
Dr. Knarzer’s daughter, Charlotte, weighed 6 lbs. and 4 ounces at birth and seemed to be fine. Then she started having difficulty breathing and went into respiratory distress.
Charlotte was suffering from Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn, a condition that causes newborns to breathe rapidly shortly after birth and typically resolves in 24 to 72 hours. Charlotte was moved to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) just down the hall.
“I thank God we were at Emerald Coast so they didn’t have to transfer my baby while I was recovering,” said Dr. Knarzer. “My husband was worried but I knew everyone working at the hospital was amazing and they were going to take such good care of us and they did.”
Charlotte stayed in the NICU for six days, where she got the nicknames Princess Charlotte and Charlie when she was being sassy. During that time, Dr. Knarzer saw some of her patients there as well. She says it’s given her a new perspective.
“I always have compassion for what my patients and their babies are going through”, said Dr. Knarzer. “But when you see your baby struggling, that comes from a new place of understanding.”
Charlotte and Dr. Knarzer are home with the rest of their family now, including Charlotte’s four-year-old brother, who was excited to meet her. Dr. Knarzer is continuing to check her blood pressure, take her blood pressure medication, and follow up with her doctor as needed. She is enjoying this time with her baby but also looks forward to returning to treating her patients.
To learn more about OB-GYN care near you visit SacredHeartBaby.com.