Leah's Story

Leah was authentic from the get-go.

“I hate making decisions. I like to let external forces make decisions for me,” she said.

But you know what? Leah made a lot of good decisions, like first-time moms just seem to do.

Her one-month-old could be heard in the background, squeaking encouragement and approval as mom told her tale.

And here’s what Leah said:

I have notes prepared for this. I feel like I’m not a very good speaker.

When I found out I was pregnant, I went with a provider that was in the same system as my primary. I was thinking about working with a midwife but I found the location where I was going only had OB’s. No midwives. So I thought, ‘Well, whatever, I’m sure it’s fine.’

One thing I did know was that I wanted a doula. So when I hired one, she helped explain the difference between an OB and a midwife and encouraged me to look around and see what else was out there. After doing more research and reading some pregnancy books, I felt confident that I wanted to try a midwife first, as long as I stayed low risk. It seemed more my style.

One of my girlfriends, who did a ton of research and was looking to do a VBAC, had looked into all kinds of places and did a ton of consultations and decided to go with an OB at Women’s Care of Wisconsin. She told me she really liked them, and her recommendation sparked me to call.

Now, I have a hard time picking a provider based on a video or a written bio because you never really know until you meet them in person, so when I called I simply said I was interested in a consultation with a midwife who is accepting patients or is nearby. I live in Kaukauna and went with the Appleton location because it was closer; that’s how I got with Jenny. I hadn’t even looked up anything about her at all!

I was definitely more prepared for this appointment than I was for the one with the OB, and part of that was because I had better questions to ask this time around. Women’s Care was very different from the place I'd been at previously. It was warm and welcoming instead of cold and sterile feeling. The nurse who first spoke with me and went through a ton of materials with me was awesome, and they gave me printed materials! I like having printed materials, not just digital documents sent to my phone.

When Jenny came in, she also went through a ton of information, and then she let me ask whatever questions I had. At the previous place, the appointments seemed a little rushed, kind of like they were just checking some boxes. Jenny answered all my questions really thoroughly. We were nearing the end of our appointment and I said, ‘I have a few more questions, but if you have to go . . .’

Jenny was awesome and said, “No, no, no, you keep going!”

I will also say I was very nervous early on about the birth plan and delivery day, because people kept telling me my plan can be whatever I want. That was frustrating to hear because it’s my first time—I don’t really know what I want, how this works, or even what my options are.

I brought that up to Jenny, and she explained that I didn’t need to know the plan right away, that it was something you figure out later in the third trimester. So that made me feel relieved. And then she mentioned how it's important to not be too tied to your plan anyway because things sometimes don’t go the way you think they will.

Or as Jenny said, “Baby’s gonna do what baby’s gonna do.” 

And I don't know why, but that just made me feel better. Like, I didn't need to have every part of my plan figured out to a T, or have a Plan B for every scenario. I could hope for the best and then just trust that my care team has me and my baby’s well-being as their top priority and will help me figure it out if something changes. I talked about that with my therapist, and she told me to give myself permission to not think bad thoughts about giving birth. So, I just didn't think about it. And that was great and gave me some relief for a few months.

That worked until month 8 . . . then it was, ‘Okay, this is going to happen.’

I shared all my anxieties with Jenny along the way. She never laughed at me or my questions. I definitely shed some tears in those appointments. She was so patient with me, so good at explaining my options and providing recommendations when I asked, and always explaining the reasoning behind what she thought was best for me.

And now we have Averi. Born eight pounds three ounces and now she's ten pounds seven ounces. She's doing awesome. Of course she has her fussy moments where you have to figure it out, but she's a really great baby😊.

MaKaela's Story

Three years ago, I found out I was pregnant with my first little boy, and I was really scared. My mom had recommended that I see a midwife, and I liked the things she talked about and the points she made, so I just called and scheduled an appointment. I hadn’t seen anyone there before, and I ended up with Jenny Taubel.

I felt instantly comfortable with her, and I became more confident throughout my pregnancy journey. Everything went really well with my pregnancy, labor, and delivery. I felt very attached to the whole experience. And that’s when I found out they were closing their OB Department, so I was not able to see Jenny for my six-week postpartum checkup.

I kind of felt like I never got closure from that, and it made me really sad. But I was determined to keep an eye out, because I was going to follow Jenny wherever she went. I searched her all the time and when I found out she was joining Women’s Care of Wisconsin, I made an appointment right away because I was due for a checkup.

Anyway, I live in Neshkoro, and everything is kind of far away from me. I was driving 50 minutes to my appointments with Jenny for our first visits; now I was adding another half hour to that drive to get to Appleton, but getting back to Jenny was worth it. And I got closure from that first chapter.

Then I got pregnant with my second; she was just born in June. I went into this second pregnancy with a lot more confidence, although we got a bit of a scare at the 20-week ultrasound, as my baby seemed not to be growing quite as much as she needed to (borderline fetal growth restriction). Luckily, she stayed above that threshold so that I was able to stay with Jenny, and everything went great from there.

Jenny's so good at bringing calm to situations. I remember during my first pregnancy I was so nervous I couldn’t even think of questions to ask her because everything was so new to me. And I would go home and Google stuff and be so scared. There was one appointment where just I broke down in tears asking her all these questions, and she made me feel so much better.

Honestly, when I’m with Jenny I feel like I'm being taken care of by my own mother. She has such a gentle manner.

Paige's Story

I’ve been a patient of Dr. Gass since before I became pregnant, and from the very beginning, she has been nothing short of incredible.

Before pregnancy, she provided the most thoughtful and thorough care. From routine visits to procedures, she always took the time to explain, listen, and make me feel completely cared for. When I became pregnant with my first daughter, I had a rough pregnancy marked by sickness and the uncertainty that comes with being a younger mom. Through it all, Dr. Gass was a steady, compassionate presence. She was always confident, comforting, and supportive in every way. When it came time to be induced, I was anxious about the unknowns of labor, but she helped calm my fears and made me believe I could do it. And she was right there by my side every step of the way.

Just one year later, I became pregnant with my second daughter. This time, my pregnancy came with new challenges, as I was diagnosed with IUGR and needed to be induced at 38 weeks. Once again, Dr. Gass was amazing — she explained everything clearly, reassured me, and helped me feel completely at ease. Thanks to her care, I delivered another healthy baby girl, and I’ll always be grateful for her guidance and support.

In October 2024, I found out I was pregnant again. Sadly, that pregnancy ended in miscarriage. It was one of the hardest experiences I’ve faced, but Dr. Gass was exactly what I needed during that time. She made me feel seen, heard, and truly cared for. She never rushed me through appointments and provided both medical and emotional support in the most compassionate way possible.

Then, in 2025, I found out I was expecting again. After what I had just gone through, I was anxious and fearful, but Dr. Gass went above and beyond to help me feel supported. She encouraged me to come in for check-ins anytime I needed reassurance, which gave me so much peace of mind. In August, I delivered my third baby (a boy) once again, I was diagnosed with IUGR and needed to be induced at 37 weeks. I felt confident knowing that Dr. Gass was there. She guided me through everything just like she always had.

When my son had to spend time in the NICU, she continued to check in on not just me, but him as well — a small gesture that meant the world to me during such a vulnerable time.

Dr. Gass has been my doctor, my steady hand, and a true source of comfort through every pregnancy, loss, and new beginning. She is genuinely one of a kind, and I tell her all the time she’s simply the best.

Jennie's Story

As founder/owner of a full-service salon in Oshkosh and a mom of a two-and-a-half-year-old and six-month-old, we had to ask Jennie how the work life balance thing was coming along.

“It’s coming. Some days are better than others, but we’ve got a good village to help us,” she said.

Within that village Jennie includes the midwife who delivered both of her children, Jenny Taubel.

Here’s the story of how they came together, and why Jennie wouldn’t have it any other way:

Now this was a different place mind you, and I was originally assigned to a different midwife through the first half of my pregnancy. She ended up leaving, and we got put with Jenny, which ended up being the best thing that could have happened.

I wasn’t high risk, so I really didn’t see the first midwife that often and hadn’t developed a close relationship with her. It was at my 20-week appointment where I was told I’d have to switch. I was a bit hesitant since I had already started, but once I saw Jenny and was able to meet with her, I was super happy. I'm so glad it went the way it did, and I know in the long run it truly was a better fit.

I was able to do a water birth there with Jenny, which was my plan all along. I mean, there were a number of different things I wanted to do, but things don’t always go to plan, so I was open-minded in that respect. But with Jenny, I felt like everything I expressed interested in trying during pregnancy, labor and delivery she was open to. She just let me kind of have my journey but then also stepped in when necessary, giving me recommendations along the way.

I asked questions and she never made me feel like I wasn't important or what I wanted didn't matter. If she had an idea about something, it was like, ‘Okay, what about this?’ It wasn't, ‘This is what we have to do.’ I just loved that about her. She was so easy-going and soft-spoken, and our personalities just meshed well. I think not being pressured into doing certain things for me was a big thing, because there were important things I didn't want to teeter on, and I felt like she supported me in that way, and that's what I really needed.

Anyway, I ended up laboring for five or six hours, and we did the water birth. It was the best experience ever. Later we found that Jenny moved after they closed the department, but I was watching to see where she would end up, because we were planning on having another baby and I was going to follow her as long as it was close. Jenny joined Women’s Care in Appleton, so that was no big deal for us to travel from Oshkosh to see her.

Now fast forward to my second. There wasn’t going to be a water birth because no hospitals in the area do that. So it was going to be different no matter what. I knew how well it went the first time for me, and I wanted things to go well this time too. Jenny kept reassuring me, telling me things were going to be faster and easier. My first thought was, well, you don’t know that, but okay, I’ll go with it.

Well, things did go faster and were easier. I mean, it was definitely different, but it was great. So both different and both the same, right?

Looking back on my first, and not really being sure about anything, I still 100% knew I wanted to go with a midwife. Obviously, if you're high risk you are suggested to go to an OB. But I did a lot of research to see what was going to be the best fit for me. I actually had a client who was previously a midwife, and I got to talk to her about the experience. So I knew that’s the road I wanted to go down, and kind of a non-negotiable.

For me, it was going the more natural route, with less medication. And I liked the fact of being in a hospital so if interventions were needed, they were available. But I liked that I could do everything on my own, in my own time. Nothing was pressured or pushed on me. For me, the midwife was just the way to go.

I tell everybody if they've had a poor experience, anywhere, with anyone, just try a midwife. It’s such a different experience. Obviously it's not the right fit for everybody, but I just feel like it is for many people. It can be such a great way to go.

That’s my general recommendation, anyway. My specific one is Jenny Taubel. If being heard and listened to is important to you, Jenny’s perfect.

I'm so glad she was able to deliver both my babies.

Justine's Story

Justine needed to push our phone call out just a bit due to her toddlers’ schedules. 

When asked if this was a good time, she said, “Yep! I’ve got my iced coffee. I’m ready to go.”

Tell us about how you met your OB/GYN, Dr. Adriana Schaufelberger.

And so Justine began:

My husband I struggled with trying to conceive for four and half years. So yeah, a long time. When we moved back to Oshkosh, I wanted to get established with a new OB here, to kind of get a fresh set of eyes on things.

My sister was pregnant, and she was already seeing Dr. Schaufelberger. She had great things to say about her. So I thought, ‘Let’s give her a try then!’

We had done a lot of fertility treatments over that span, and nothing was working. We'd had a couple of losses. We decided to try IVF. That same week I scheduled my first appointment with Dr. Schaufelberger and she reviewed everything.

She was just great, so upbeat. She looked at everything and I specifically remember her saying, “I don't see anything wrong. You should be having babies, but let’s get a plan in place.”

In that same visit, she asked me if I wanted to take a pregnancy test. And I was like, ‘Well, I'm a little late, but it's been four and a half years, so I’m probably not pregnant, but sure.’ She left the room and I started gathering my things, when all of a sudden she barges back in and screams, “You're pregnant!”

I couldn’t believe it.  And she gave me the biggest hug. I think she was just as joyous as I was. She was so excited and happy for us. It felt like it was meant to be, that she was supposed to be in my life at that exact moment.

But even if it didn’t happen then, Dr. Schaufelberger was so confident we’d get there, that we were going do what we needed to do and figure it out.

Obviously with the struggle we had to conceive, during the first pregnancy I was terrified of losing the baby. But Dr. Schaufelberger was always very positive and her confidence continued to assure me. Any question I had, there was no judgment, simply, “This is what we’re going to do.” And everything just fell into place.

Pregnancy was great. Loved being pregnant. Millie came out fast, no complications. With our second, Addie, same thing, although she was two pounds bigger, so perhaps a little more complicated (chuckles), but everything went really well. Dr. Schaufelberger delivered both. I’m pregnant with our third now.

In a couple of days she’s delivering this one too.

There’s so much to love about Dr. Schaufelberger. I’m a clinical professional myself, so I appreciate her always being on top of the latest research. She's super friendly and supportive. She’s intelligent. She exudes confidence.

And you know she’s got your back.

 

 

 

 

 

Myths About Midwifery

Even though midwifery has evolved alongside today’s modern health care system, many myths surrounding this profession are based in common misunderstandings that are centuries old. At Women’s Care of Wisconsin, we believe education is a powerful tool, so we’ve teamed up with our three certified nurse midwives to set the record straight! 

Jenny Taubel, Kay Weina and Elise Gessler have more than 50 years of combined experience as certified nurse midwives and are passionate about the work they do.

Plus it's National Midwifery Week, so the timing of this information is perfect!

Myth #1: Midwives are just untrained labor coaches.

Despite this myth’s popularity, certified nurse midwives often start out as labor and delivery nurses. While labor and delivery nurses are required to hold a bachelor’s in Nursing, certified nurse midwives go back to school to get their Master of Science degree in Nursing (MSN). They are also required to pass a national certification exam and maintain that certification by meeting continuing education requirements.  Combined with their training and medical expertise, this qualifies them to deliver babies.

“I think a lot of nurse midwives were labor and delivery nurses to begin with, like us,” said Kay, who was a labor and delivery nurse for 10 years before going back to school. “When you’re a labor and delivery nurse, you get that patient to delivery, and when you get to that point, the doctor comes in to catch the baby. I always thought -- well gosh! -- that’s the best part! I could do that!”

“I like to think of our role as an OB-GYN Nurse Practitioner, with the added special perk of delivering babies,” said Jenny.

Myth #2: Midwives can only deliver babies at home.

“We do not deliver at home, but we can refer you to some of the licensed professional midwives in the area that would provide you with that type of care,” Jenny said.

According to the American Midwifery Certification Board, 94.1% of CNM-attended births occurred in hospitals in 2017. That same year, 3.2% occurred in freestanding birth centers and just 2.6% occurred in homes.

At Women’s Care of Wisconsin, our certified nurse midwives’ practice is strictly hospital births only, with Kay primarily delivering at the ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah and Jenny going back and forth between ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Appleton and ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah. Elise has stopped her OB practice and is working in the role of a nurse practitioner. She can still see pregnant patients for occasional visits but is no longer available as a delivering provider. Elise works out of Women’s Care of Wisconsin’s Appleton clinic and still provides care for women throughout the lifespan.  

Myth #3: If I choose to have a midwife, my birth has to be all natural.

“I think a lot of people wonder, if you choose a midwife, do you have to have a natural birth? And I think a lot of women probably seek out midwifery because they’re looking for a non-medicated or low-intervention birth, but we certainly can provide medications,” Kay said.

While you can choose to have a natural birth with your midwife, certified nurse midwives are licensed, independent health care providers who can prescribe medications in all 50 states. This includes IV medications and epidurals, which can be an option during labor even for women who originally wanted a natural birth but change their mind during the delivery.

“I think the biggest thing about midwifery care is that we want to listen to the women, we want to give them options, and we want your birth experience to be the most positive one because you’re telling your birth stories forever!” said Kay.

“I like to think of myself as a ‘travel guide’ through a woman’s pregnancy, labor, and delivery journey,” said Jenny. “I’m here to offer comfort, support, encouragement, education, and help in making decisions when needed.”

Myth #4: If I choose to have a midwife, I am putting my baby at risk if something goes wrong.

If you’re considering working with a midwife, but worried about what would happen to your baby if something goes wrong, you can relax! Our certified nurse midwives partner with Women’s Care of Wisconsin OB-GYN physicians through collaboration and referral to provide the best possible care.

“We have a great group of very supportive physicians that are on call and available to us around the clock, so if you develop a concern, such as high blood pressure, preterm labor, or a problem during labor, we have those physicians to consult with,” Jenny said.

While this doesn’t necessarily mean your certified nurse midwife will transfer care, it could mean you will have a team of people working with you to ensure you have a healthy pregnancy rather than working with just one healthcare provider.

“There are some situations where a pregnancy starts off as low risk, but a new problem causes it to become high risk, and then we transfer care to the physicians,” said Jenny.

Certified nurse midwives are also available to assist physicians in the event of a c-section.

“If patients have had a previous cesarean delivery, and would like to schedule a repeat C-section, I can still see them for prenatal care and be there to assist in the surgery with the MD, which is really nice,” said Jenny.

Myth #5: Midwives only work with women who are pregnant.

“We see patients from adolescence all the way up to menopause,” said Elise.

While many people think of midwifery as a practice solely focused on pregnancy and childbirth, nurse midwifery actually encompasses a full range of gynecological health care services.

“We offer contraceptive counseling for all methods and procedures to insert or remove IUDs and Nexplanon, screen for and treat STIs or vaginal infections, do preventative wellness exams, and treat menopausal issues,” Elise said.

The services midwives offer also include primary care, gynecologic and family planning services, preconception care and postpartum care.

If you’re interested in seeing one of our certified nurse midwives, you can schedule your first appointment by calling 920.729.7105.

Dana's Story

“Mindful, functional and beautiful solutions for experiences are my passion.” That’s Dana, the product designer and business owner, on her website’s homepage. A promise to deliver on her clients’ goals and objectives, Dana’s words could also describe what she was looking for as a mom—and also a surrogate—when she found her OB/GYN, Dr. Valary Gass. Her thoughts will be enlightening for anyone searching for the right provider.

Before you found Dr. Gass, things weren’t clicking with your first OB/GYN. What were you looking for in a provider?

I needed a provider who was more on my wavelength with how I wanted pregnancy and deliveries and things like that to go for me. I mean, if it was up to me right now, I’d probably do a home birth with Dr. Gass. I want the best of both worlds. I was really looking for a provider who would let me set my goals and intentions and respect them. That’s when I started asking around to people, reading the bios on websites and watching the videos, and I decided just to schedule an appointment with Dr. Gass and try her out. She was just this ray of sunshine.

Not sure we need to steal from “Casablanca,” but this sounds like it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Yeah, Dr. Gass is my girl. She was great during that pregnancy because a number of things came up. She was just so confident in her approach and didn’t jump to conclusions or make assumptions. She always waited until we had all the evidence and would present it to me just that way. That first delivery with her was magical, everything I could have ever wanted. Now, Dr. Gass knows everything about me and my life. Literally a few weeks ago, when I delivered as a surrogate, I told her I loved her after I had the baby.

Okay, so what do you mean when you say the birth was “magical.”

I remember her coming in. She was very prompt, because my first baby was born in like two and a half hours, start to finish. I think I was in the hospital for maybe 18 minutes before my second, Brooks, was born, and she was there, ready to go. And I don't even think she was on that night, but she knew I was anxious about everything. And it was during covid. Dr. Gass was just so calm and chill about it all. She didn't make me do any sort of IVs or anything I didn't want—she knew my preferences—and advocated for me with the nurses, which was just incredible.

You mentioned “surrogate.”

I told Dr. Gass I wanted to be a surrogate shortly after Brooks was born. She said I’d be wonderful. My husband and I just love being parents; we love our kids so much. I’ve had easy pregnancies, pretty easy deliveries, good recoveries. Birth is the most empowering thing I've ever done in my life. So we decided we wanted to pay it forward to other couples who were struggling to become parents that wanted to have a biological baby. I ended up hemorrhaging after both of my surrogacy deliveries, but never once did I or my husband get scared, because Dr. Gass is just on it.

And you just delivered your second belly buddy last month?

I sure did. I had my first belly buddy, a boy, when Brooks was 18 months old; that was January of 2022. Last month I delivered a girl. And for the follow up question I know is coming, the answer depends on which me responds to the question. If you ask logical me, I’d say we are done with pregnancies. Hormonal me, however, would be willing to do a sibling journey for those wonderful people.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your OB/GYN?

Okay, going back to when I had Brooks. I remember the nurses asking Dr. Gass if she needed the light, or did she want me to scoot to the end. And I remember her standing back so calm and just saying, “No one needs to be born with the spotlight. Baby's gonna come.” She was just the perfect amount of hands-off, because she knew that's what I wanted, but she was right there, ready when it was time to do all the important parts. I felt like I had a home birth but in a hospital setting, which was exactly what I wanted.

One final thought?

Maybe I can sum it up this way: Dr. Gass has this confidence about her that makes me feel comfortable, even when I'm gushing out 2,000 milliliters of blood after I have a baby. I'm like, ‘She's got me. We're good.’

She’s just that incredible.