The Rinsch Family

On July 23, 2020, Ashley Rinsch and her husband, Brandon, came to Good Samaritan from Flat Rock, Illinois for their scheduled doctor’s appointment with OB/GYN Dr. Dustin Blackwell. Having some issues with high blood pressure, Dr. Blackwell wanted to evaluate Ashley to see how she was getting along. Noticing that her blood pressure was high, he told Ashley to go to the hospital so she could be monitored for a while on the OB unit. Her blood pressure continued to remain elevated, so Dr. Blackwell made the decision to deliver Ashley’s baby that day for the safety of her and her daughter.

Although baby Kamryn was not due until August 16, she was born later that day at 6 pounds, 10 ounces and 19.5 inches long. The couple’s excitement about their daughter’s arrival was cut short by unexpected complications in both mom and baby after the delivery.

Little Kamryn came out crying but then her breathing began to get weak and she was showing signs of needing respiratory support. “Kamryn stopped breathing and the nurses began working with her,” said Ashley. “I was starting to panic when her breathing changed,” added Brandon. While caring for Ashley and Kamryn, the nurses made sure to keep both parents calm and reassure them that they were going to take care of their daughter. As a Level II Nursery, Good Samaritan has trained staff with the proper equipment to care for babies who need help breathing.

“If Ashley would have delivered at another hospital that was not a Level II Nursery, her baby would have been transferred out to a larger facility that is farther away,” said Madelyn Taylor, OB Nurse at Good Samaritan. “Because we were able to take care of Kamryn here, both Ashley and her daughter were able to be close to home and stay together at Good Samaritan.”

After Kamryn was taken to the nursery, Ashley was transferred to a recovery room. She was continuously monitored and was not having any complications until she began hemorrhaging. “I remember telling my husband that I was bleeding a little and then I noticed a pool of blood, so I quickly alerted the nurse,” said Ashley. “The nurses were fantastic. They didn’t want to upset me or cause me any added stress. They acted quickly and were very knowledgeable.”

Lab work showed that Ashley’s hemoglobin was low due to the amount of blood loss and that she needed a blood transfusion. Dr. Blackwell stated that post-partum hemorrhage can be a normal, but uncommon complication of delivery. “The source of bleeding is caused by uterine atony, which is when the uterus fails to contract after the delivery of a baby,” he said. “Primary treatment revolves around medications and uterine massage. Our goal is to treat the underlying cause, but also treat the deficit from the blood loss by monitoring her vitals, replenishing her fluids with an IV and giving the appropriate medications.”

Both Ashley and Kamryn were improving the next day and Kamryn was able to leave the nursery and return to her mother’s room without any respiratory support. After going home and introducing the new baby to her big sister, Ellisyn, the couple returned to the hospital a few days later for a weight check and to meet with the Lactation Nurse, Ava, to get additional help with feedings. It was during this visit that Ashley shared her story and experiences at Good Samaritan.