When Should My Child Have a First Gynecologist Visit?

For many young people with a uterus, the thought of seeing a gynecologist for the first time can feel scary or even embarrassing, but this should be a time when they feel comfortable and able to ask questions about development and body changes. We talked with Dr. Valary Gass of Women’s Care of Wisconsin to provide you with the information you need to help your child feel more positive and less stressed out about the first gynecologist visit.

At What Age Should I Schedule the First Gynecologist Visit?

“The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends that people with uteruses between the ages of 13-15 visit with a gynecologist,” Dr. Gass explains. For many parents, a reasonable time to talk about scheduling this first appointment is after the first menstrual period. The real purpose of this appointment is to establish a relationship between your child and the gynecologist so they can feel comfortable asking questions and learn about what changes to expect as time goes on.

Preparing for Your Child’s First Gynecologist Visit

The most important thing you can do to help ease your child’s nerves is talk about the visit. Explain why this visit is important and what can be expected. Having an open dialogue with your child will encourage questions and increase comfort about the experience.

It is also a good idea to have your child create a list of questions for the gynecologist before the visit. Sometimes being nervous can cause us to be forgetful, so writing these questions down on a piece of paper will help make sure everything is answered.

Common topics for questions include periods, hormones, birth control, sex, and sexually transmitted infections. These are all normal topics for your child to have questions about. Remind your child that anything discussed with the gynecologist is protected by privacy laws. The gynecologist should be a safe and judgement-free space, so your child shouldn’t feel embarrassed about asking questions.

What Your Child Can Expect During the Visit

“Most of the time, a child’s first gynecologist appointment does not involve a pelvic exam,” Dr. Gass says, “but it should include taking a careful medical history, addressing any concerns like bad periods, and considering things like HPV vaccinations.” During your child’s first gynecologist visit, expect to have a general physical exam where the nurse will record height, weight, and blood pressure. The gynecologist may then check for common health problems and talk about any medical history. Listening to heart, lungs, and feeling the abdomen should be expected. Sexually active persons under age 25 should have annual gonorrhea and chlamydia screening. This can be done at the visit with a simple urine test. The gynecologist will ask about sexual activity and address any need for contraception.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that this visit is an opportunity for your child to speak openly with the gynecologist and ask questions.

When Is a Pelvic Exam Necessary?

“The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology suggests that most people with a cervix begin regular Pap smear screening at age 21,” Dr. Gass says. At that point, regular screening should continue every three years until age 30 when they can switch to having a Pap smear with HPV co-testing every five years. Your child most likely will not need a pelvic exam during the first gynecologist visit, unless there are complaints of lumps, bumps, pelvic pain, or abnormal discharge. In these instances, the gynecologist may decide a pelvic exam is necessary. Our office offers nitrous oxide to help patients relax during exams or procedures if needed.

When Should My Child Stop Seeing the Pediatrician?

Once your child is seeing a gynecologist regularly, you may wonder if they need to continue seeing the pediatrician. This is largely up to you and depends on the specific needs your child has as well as the gynecologist’s preference for their practice. It is perfectly normal for your child to continue seeing a pediatrician into college and it can be helpful with a complicated medical history. Just make sure your child continues the annual gynecologist visit as well.

For More Information:

https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/your-first-gynecologic-visit

https://www.acog.org/womens-health/experts-and-stories/the-latest/should-my-teen-see-an-ob-gyn-heres-what-i-tell-parents

https://www.naspag.org/for-patients

Schedule An Appointment

If you would like to schedule an appointment with one of our providers at Women’s Care of Wisconsin, please call or text us at 920.729.7105

Meet Jenny Taubel, Certified Nurse Midwife

We are proud to welcome Jenny Taubel, CNM to Women’s Care of Wisconsin. Jenny brings an extensive background and limitless positivity to our Appleton clinic, providing support and care to her patients during pregnancy, labor, and birth, as well as health services to women through all ages and stages of life. This quick Q & A will help you get to know Jenny. We’re certain you’ll think the world of her, just as we do.

Can you describe the journey that led you to becoming a certified nurse midwife?

I started off as a labor and delivery nurse right out of nursing school and I was working full time pm shifts back in the day when they were still eight-hour nursing shifts. After several years on a very busy large labor and delivery unit, I decided I really wanted something more and to try something new, so I started investigating master's degree nursing programs. I found a nurse midwife program at Marquette University. I applied and was accepted and graduated in their third class of nurse midwives.

What are your areas of expertise?

As a certified nurse midwife, I provide prenatal care and labor and delivery care for low risk, healthy, normal women. I also assist on C sections. I provide annual GYN exams including pap tests, STI screening and treatment, contraceptive counseling; I do insertions and removals of things like Nexplanon and IUDs as well.

What do you love most about your job as midwife?

What I love most about being a nurse midwife is not only delivering babies, of course, but also the long-lasting relationships that I've established with women over the years and who I talk to, to this day. And I love hearing that they've had a good experience with me, and they come back for their second, third or even fourth baby.

What can a patient expect from you when they come to see you?

What a patient can expect when they come see me is that I'm a very good listener. I want the patient to have the kind of quality care that I want for myself. I've been working in the healthcare field for a very long time and I know what good care is all about. That's the type of care that I want my patients to experience. So that means that they'll be listened to, understood, they'll be given all the information they're seeking and their options for care. And they’ll never feel rushed. Ever.

Do you have any words of wisdom for patients from somebody who has done this for as long as you have done this?

I just want patients to know that they are not alone in whatever they're going through, whether it be a pregnancy concern or GYN concern. And I, myself have been a patient many, many times, and I've gone through some very scary, crazy medical conditions that I've overcome (survived actually). And that's made me stronger and more empathetic to patients that might be going through a tough time. I feel that I can really support them because of what I've gone through and share with them some of the things and I think that really helps them.

How about a little personal information?

I'm married and I have two adult daughters. And I have two dogs and a grand puppy. I love traveling whenever I can, especially going up north to Wisconsin lakes during the summer and renting kayaks or a boat and just having a lake vacation.

Anything we missed?

Just that I feel that being a nurse midwife is my calling. And I'm very lucky that I found that because I know not everybody does. But it’s just that certain feeling you get when you just know you're doing the right thing in your life.

To schedule an appointment with Jenny, please call or text 920.729.7105.

Patient-Controlled Nitrous Oxide: What’s It All About?

At Women's Care, we believe in providing our patients with options so we can develop a health plan that meets both their physical and emotional needs. That means having the most advanced techniques, which is why we're happy to offer patient-controlled nitrous oxide to assist with pain relief and anxiety during gynecological procedures.

"We have a lot of women who are now choosing to use nitrous just because of the ease and the availability," Deidre Polar, RN, explains. "Before when we didn't have it, just the simple procedure of an IUD placement or a biopsy for a patient who couldn't tolerate it meant we would have to use sedation of some sort."

Nitrous oxide has been a common practice to help cope with pain for many years. Commonly called "laughing gas,” nitrous oxide is mainly used in dental offices to help with pain during dental procedures. When used for gynecologic pain/procedures, it is a mixture of 50% nitrous gas and 50% oxygen. The gas is self-administered by the patient and inhaled through a mask for about 30 seconds before the procedure begins.

Unlike a sedative, the effects of nitrous oxide start to fade quickly as the gas is cleared from the body through the lungs. Within a few minutes after the nitrous oxide mask is pulled away, the gas leaves the patient's system, making it a great option for women who need to drive after their procedure.

"Nitrous oxide completely relaxes the patient enough without the complications that could arise when having to go to sleep," Deidre says. "It's much better than using a sedation option where the patient would be down and out for the rest of the day."

A common question Deidre hears from interested patients: “Are there any reasons I could not use nitrous oxide?”

You cannot use nitrous oxide, says Deidre, if you:

• Cannot hold your own facemask
• Have a known vitamin B12 deficiency
• Have received a narcotic medication within the past 2 hours
• Have other medical conditions identified by your provider that place you at risk

If you would like more information about how to request nitrous oxide for your next procedure, please call our office at 920.729.7105 to speak with your provider or nurse.

 

 

Achieving Your Ideal Birth (X3): One Mother’s Story

Author’s Note 1: Natalie had reservations about sharing her journey as first submitted. While our views of the finished product differed, we are in complete agreement about whose editorial vision is most important.

She is adamant this piece should reflect that she’s a person speaking honestly and candidly about her own individual experience, insisting that in no way, shape or form should it seem “preachy.” I didn’t (and still don’t) think she was portrayed as someone advocating a certain path. As a matter of fact, she went to great lengths to tell me just the opposite.

So, consider this version similar to the original, with some minor but essential tweaks and, of course, the addition of the three paragraphs you have just read.

There’s a full spectrum of thought about dealing with the pain and intensity of labor. Some women prefer interventions that can include epidural, nitrous oxide or IV medications to calm and ease the body; others elect to avoid medication-based pain management.

Natalie Demler has strong convictions about unmedicated births. She’s had three of them.

Demler acknowledges that friends are sometimes incredulous and need to ask a question or two just to make sure she’s thought everything through.

“You know we have modern medicine, right?” they say. Or, “Do you really want to put yourself through all that?”

She got it from family too.

“My own mom was like that,” Demler said. “She didn’t want me to be in pain.”

With her first child, Demler made it a goal to have an unmedicated birth. With the support of her husband Jake, she completed a five-week course on hypnobirthing, which combines breathing, relaxation, visualization and other techniques to help naturally manage pain during labor and birth. She did a lot of reading, educating herself on birth choices and how to advocate for those choices.

“I just wanted to experience the birth of my child in its entirety,” said Demler. “I learned how incredible a woman’s body is, and how getting through those intense moments was, for me, really a question of mind over matter. It was so worth it, so empowering to be able to say that I did it. Even to myself.”

She describes what she feels are additional benefits of an unmedicated birth (“the baby is more alert, you can stand up right after because your legs aren’t numb, recovery is typically easier”), but Demler is no proselytizer.

“My friend who went into labor three days before me knew she wanted an epidural, and I totally get that,” said Demler. “It’s a completely unique experience for every woman.”

Any thought of yielding to the pain during her first labor was met with resolve.

“I just had to get through the tough moments when I started to doubt myself and my body’s ability to birth,” Demler said.

That meant complete focus on her breathing and a hyper awareness of her own mental state.

“You try to make every thought positive,” said Demler. “You try not to tense up or panic, which is easier said than done, and use your adrenaline to give you strength.”

She has a vivid recollection of what she felt after powering through intense moments.

“All of the pain disappears when the baby is placed on your chest,” Demler said.

Following the birth of her daughter Emory and her son Everett (Demler pauses here and adds “unmedicated births don’t get easier, by the way”), both delivered by an OB/GYN she called phenomenal, Demler was greeted with the news that her longtime provider was leaving the area.

She found out three weeks before her due date.

“I’d been with him since I turned 21,” Demler said. “We had a really close bond; he was with us during our miscarriage. I was pretty devastated that he was leaving and worried about how things were going to go. That’s when I found Kay.”

In her search for a new provider, Demler contacted Women’s Care of Wisconsin, and the receptionist felt that midwife Kay Weina would be a great fit for her. Demler asked around and heard nothing but good things (“Kay’s amazing!” “You’ll love her!”)

At 35 weeks, Demler met Weina for the first time and transferred her care to the midwife.

“She hugged me, and immediately asked if I wanted a tour around the facility and to look at the room,” Demler said. “She was so personable and right away I had a feeling that everything was going to be fine, that she was going to take good care of me and the baby.”

Weina made clear that whatever vision Demler had for the birth was the way they were going to make it happen.

“Birth is sacred and spiritual for every woman, and it’s every woman’s own unique experience to bring a child in the world,” Demler said. “My husband and I prayed every day that we’d find the perfect provider, one who believes in you and helps you through intense moments. I knew Kay was going to be there for me. She made me feel safe.”

For someone making transitions in the late stages of a pregnancy, Demler was pretty good about rolling with the changes. A certain amount of angst set in, however, when she found out Weina was about to do something she rarely does, and right around go time.

“I found out Kay was going on vacation for a couple of days,” said Demler. “I was not ready for someone else to deliver this baby!”

Demler had an appointment with Weina on a Wednesday; the midwife was leaving later in the week and would be gone for the weekend. Demler wanted to know what was going to happen if she didn’t go into labor before Weina left.

“No, you will,” said Weina.

Demler asked about a Plan B just in case.

“Nope, let’s not even go there,” said Weina. “You’re at four centimeters. You’re going into labor. And you’re having this baby.”

Sure enough, a few hours later Demler started having contractions.

“I got the kids home, my daughter had her first dance class, and I felt my first contraction,” she said. “I texted Kay right away, which I thought was really cool. I mean, who gives you their cell number?”

Demler returned her focus to breathing techniques, keeping herself in rhythm. Paradoxically, she found the opposite of focus could also be beneficial.

“Distractions, like taking a bath or cleaning the house during contractions, helped too,” she said.

Weina met them at the hospital shortly after Demler donned her gown. The midwife walked the halls with her, the movement and Weina’s peaceful demeanor bringing comfort. The hospital room exuded a feeling of calm as well, as treasured music transformed the space into something more like a birth center.

Later, when things began to ramp up and intensify, especially early in labor, Demler needed to fight. As contractions became acutely painful, she leaned into them, bolstered by a powerful thought that became a meditation:

“That was a big one; I’m getting closer to meeting my baby!”

Weina delivered Elsie Rae on July 13, 2023

“Kay was phenomenal during labor, cheering me on. Jake was encouraging me the whole time. I focused in on what I needed to do. With Kay and Jake’s support, Elsie was born into a room full of love and joy.”

Author’s Note 2: Following our interview, Natalie shared a note she jotted down one night during a late night feeding session with Elsie soon after her birth. Powerful words.

Elsie is our greatest surprise. A surprise pregnancy but little did I know that she would be all our family needed and more. I’ll never forget sitting on the bathroom floor that November morning with our two year old and six month old—they were both very sick with RSV and I had been spending a lot of time in a steamy bathroom with them to help them breathe. We were sleep-deprived parents and it had been a rough week to say the least, and that’s when I found out about our surprise baby. Staring at the positive test while holding my sick babies, I just thought “How am I going to do this?” but after the initial shock that we were going to have three under three faded, we couldn’t have been more excited. I dreamt of who this little one would be every day—a boy or a girl. Deep down I had a feeling, she would be a girl and we would name her Elsie. I can’t imagine our life without her now—she is the most perfect addition to our family. She has the bluest eyes and sweetest smile (with one dimple). She is the calm to our storm most days. The reasoning of why we chose Elsie is special to us as well. It means, “God is my oath,” or “Pledged from God” in Hebrew. Middle name is after my mom and great grandpa Ray. She was born at 12:34am, which is an angel number. Angel numbers are said to be special and I can’t help but think this sweet surprise baby is here for a very divine purpose. I continue to see 12:34 on the clock, just as I see 11:11—which is the time our son Everett was born (another surprise baby).

Although it was not what we had planned for our family, we trust that God knew what our family needed.

An Important Time to Raise Awareness

Pregnancy is one of the most exciting and vulnerable times of a woman's life. Most of us have thought about pregnancy and how our pregnancy would go long before we were actually pregnant. Most of the time, everything goes just right. However, almost one in ten women deliver preterm (defined as less than 37 weeks). These babies miss out on the important growth and development that happens in the final weeks. Preterm birth is a leading cause of infant mortality. Babies who survive can have health problems, both short and long-term. 

Some of the signs and symptoms of a preterm labor are:

• Contractions (the abdomen tightens like a fist) every 10 minutes or more often
• Pelvic pressure – the feeling that the baby is pushing down
• Low, dull backache
• Cramps that feel like a menstrual period
• Abdominal cramps with or without diarrhea

It is important to notify your doctor if you think you are experiencing preterm labor.

While we don’t understand all the reasons some babies are born too soon, we do know that some factors increase the risk of preterm birth, including women with a history of preterm delivery, short cervical length noted on ultrasound, a history of cervical surgeries such as a D&C, and smoking. Other risk factors include young or advanced age of the mother, substance abuse, stress, depression, and carrying more than one baby.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has identified five proven strategies to reduce preterm births:

• Prevent unintended pregnancies and achieve an ideal length of time between pregnancies
• Provide women ages 18–44 years access to health care before and between pregnancies to help manage chronic conditions and modify other risk behaviors
• Identify women at risk for giving birth too early and offer effective treatments to prevent preterm birth
• Discourage deliveries before 39 weeks without a medical need
• When in vitro fertilization is used, elect to transfer just one embryo, as appropriate, to reduce multiple births

As November is Prematurity Awareness Month, we invite everyone – future parents, pregnant women and everyone supporting them through their pregnancy, healthcare providers, public health professionals, and others – to learn about preterm birth and take action to prevent it.

The providers of Women’s Care of Wisconsin believe having a healthy pregnancy starts before a woman is pregnant. Healthy babies begin with healthy mothers. We promote a well-balanced lifestyle to our patients, which means preconception care, proper nutrition, routine exercise, a healthy, safe environment, as well as a daily prenatal vitamin with folic acid. With good guidance, avoidable conditions that may have everlasting consequences may be prevented.

We would love the privilege to take care of you and answer any questions you might have about pregnancy care or preterm deliveries. Call or text us at 920.729.7105 if you have any questions or concerns.

The physicians at Women's Care of Wisconsin are devoted to you and your health. That means having the most advanced techniques, up-to-date educational information and a compassionate, caring staff. Our providers offer a well-rounded approach to your OB/GYN care, one that meets both your physical and emotional needs throughout every phase of your life. We call it our Circle of Care.

Nikki's Journey

“I was so blessed to have the twins,” said Nikki Riehl.

Still, when you have a toddler and hear that you have twins on the way, it’s an attention-getter.

“I’ll admit there was some worry going through my head,” said Riehl.

Once the impact of the news was processed, Riehl’s focus shifted immediately to the health of her babies, as a twin pregnancy can mean an increased chance of health complications. Riehl’s twins were fraternal.

Developing babies get oxygen and nutrition from the mother via the placenta and umbilical cord. In the case of fraternal (aka non-identical or dizygotic) twins, each has its own placenta and umbilical cord. Fraternal twins can be same or opposite sex and can look different.

Riehl knows something about fraternal twins, as she is one.

“I had my mom to lean on when it came to questions, which was really nice,” she said.

 A twin pregnancy with separate placentas and amniotic sacs is the optimal twin pregnancy, as each baby has its own source of nutrition (and protective membrane as well).

Mothers expecting twins can expect more ultrasounds, and one of Riehl’s ultrasounds revealed that Baby B (the baby positioned lowest in the uterus is known as Baby A) had an excessive amount of amniotic fluid surrounding it. Symptoms are generally mild, but severe cases can lead to shortness of breath, swelling, discomfort and malposition of the fetus. Complications include premature birth.

Riehl was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, a known cause of an increased level of amniotic fluid (aka polyhydramnios). To combat the condition, Riehl saw a dietician, changed her diet, and was instructed to be more active.

“I went on a lot more walks,” Riehl said. “And I had to poke my finger and check my blood sugar four times a day.”

Her c-section was scheduled the Tuesday after Memorial Day. Riehl visited her OB/GYN, Dr. Therese Yarroch, on the previous Tuesday for her final checkup, and things seemed to check out.

“Dr. Yarroch said I’ll see you next Tuesday,” said Riehl, “but I got a call from her on Saturday.”

Yarroch’s review of the last ultrasound showed a potential anomaly: the umbilical cord could be wrapped around Baby B’s neck. While the image was inconclusive, the excess amniotic fluid could have led to the baby moving around more emphatically.

“She wanted me to go to the hospital right away for an NST,” Riehl said.

An NST, or Non-Stress Test, is performed in the third trimester of pregnancies to measure fetal heart rate as well as the contractions of the mother. It can indicate if the baby is not receiving adequate oxygen because of an issue with the umbilical cord.

The test showed Baby B’s movements were good. If the cord had been wrapped around Baby B’s neck, his heart rate would have been dropping and he wouldn’t be moving as frequently as usual. The NST usually takes 20-30 minutes. Riehl’s was at the two-hour mark.

“I felt Baby B moving in there and the heartbeat was fine for that entire time,” said Riehl. “I wasn’t sure why they were monitoring me for that long, but then Baby’s B’s heart rate started to drop.”

Yarroch suggested the c-section be performed right away.

It turned out Baby B’s cord was wrapped around his neck, three times, and he wasn’t breathing when he arrived. Baby A was breathing normally but five minutes later he too began to struggle. Both were whisked to the NICU and intubated.

“They just needed a little kickstart to help their lungs,” Riehl said.

She couldn’t go to the NICU until she was well enough to get out of bed and into a wheelchair, which took several hours.

“I was anxious to get to the NICU because I hadn’t seen my babies yet,” said Riehl. “They had four nurses working on them and they were in contact with me, so I was hopeful. The nurses were so awesome.”

She got to hold her twin boys, Rhett (Baby A, “the laid back, relaxed one”) and River (Baby B, “who just wants to be held”), on Sunday morning. They were out of the NICU the next day.

Many thanks to mom for telling her story while deftly caring for three-month old twins and their big sister Maddie—who let us know repeatedly that she did not appreciate the lack of attention, at all.

We end with the Facebook comment from Riehl that was the catalyst for us to reach out and learn more:

“Dr. Yarroch delivered our twin boys on May 27th via c-section. Baby B was having some complications and she used her professionalism and followed her gut to get both boys out safely to avoid further problems! I am so thankful for her and now we have two beautiful and healthy boys!”

 

Chrissy's Journey

After several years of marriage, Chrissy O’Connell and her husband Patrick decided it was time to start a family.

“We were trying and it just wasn’t happening,” she said. “I went to see Dr. Reed to get tested; the results revealed I had poor egg quality and low egg quantity.”

That begs the question of how O’Connell came to meet the provider who would be with her on her fertility journey.

“As a marketing guy, you're gonna love this: I picked Dr. Reed because of her video on the Women's Care website,” O’Connell said. “And we clicked immediately. When we talked about fertility, she understood my struggles because she had had her own.”

Long story short, after three rounds of intrauterine insemination (IUI), the O’Connells were still not pregnant.

“We decided on one last round of IUI,” O’Connell said. “It gets expensive. It's not covered by insurance, it's never guaranteed, your body's going through a lot because you're on different drugs, you’re getting injections into your belly, tons of ultrasounds, the egg checks and the bloodwork. It's just a lot to physically go through.”

But the fourth time was the charm.

“We got the news about our miracle baby,” she said.

Later, they’d receive other news.

At her 20-week ultrasound, O’Connell found out she had placenta previa and vasa previa. The first condition is when the placenta partially or fully covers the cervix; the second is when some of the blood vessels that connect the umbilical cord to the placenta lie over or near the entrance to the birth canal.

“Basically, my placenta and the baby’s umbilical cord were routed right over my cervix,” O’Connell said. “Those sure can’t come out first.”

The presence of placenta previa required that her team keep a watchful eye on the position of the placenta (a low-lying placenta can cause severe bleeding in the mother before, during or after delivery) and cervical length (a short cervical length is associated with increased risk of hemorrhage and preterm birth), as well as to closely monitor blood flow through the umbilical cord.

Vasa previa, a rare and serious pregnancy complication, can lead to severe, potentially life-threatening blood loss to the fetus. Once diagnosed, a c-section is scheduled, typically at weeks 34-37. Careful monitoring continues throughout the pregnancy to maximize the amount of time pregnant while taking care to deliver the baby before the onset of labor.

“They told me I was going to be in the hospital at a certain point in my pregnancy, that I was probably having a NICU baby at 34 weeks,” O’Connell said.

For O’Connell, this meant being admitted to the hospital at 28 weeks.

“In the six weeks of my hospital stay I think I met every one of Dr. Reed’s partners at Women’s Care,” said O’Connell. “I was there long enough that everyone had the chance to round on me.”

Dr. Reed would deliver baby Maggie via c-section at 34 weeks. And there was a NICU stay.

“We had our miracle baby, then we lost two babies that we conceived naturally,” said O’Connell. “Then we had our second baby, Bailey, two and a half years later. I had a repeat c-section so I knew what I was headed into, but I did not know what it was like to be pregnant after 34 weeks. So every day was like ‘I’ve never been this pregnant before!’ But after Bailey we did have two more miscarriages.”

O’Connell ends with a memory from her first pregnancy.

“There was one day that Dr. Reed came in and sat on my bed,” said O’Connell. “She held my hand and told me how I was handling the situation with such grace. She was my biggest cheerleader. She helped create baby Maggie, supported us through miscarriages. She’s one of my absolute favorite people.”

Maggie is now in first grade (“she’s energetic and compassionate”); Bailey, who loves being a little sister, is in 4K (“she’s playful and silly”). The two are different in many respects but share the most wonderful commonality.

“They are our miracles,” said O’Connell.

 

Nicole’s Journey

“Surprises aren’t my thing,” Nicole West said.

Reflecting on her first pregnancy, well, that’s just what she got.

“I wasn’t ready for the pain I felt,” West said. “I was young, unprepared, and didn’t know what to expect from the experience. I didn’t know I had options.”

But she knew she didn’t want to experience that kind of pain again.

“With my second pregnancy, I wanted to be prepared,” West said.

In order to do that, it meant advocating for herself with her new OB/GYN, Maria Vandenberg of Women’s Care of Wisconsin. It meant being brutally honest and upfront, right from the get go.

“I’m an anxious person. I mean, I’m literally afraid of everything,” West said. “At my first appointment with Dr. Vandenberg the first thing that came out of my mouth was ‘I don’t want to die. Just don’t let me die.’ That’s how scared I was. I mean, really, most doctors would have thought I was nuts.”

With fears so deep, West told Vandenberg that she wanted to be put under and wake up with a baby (“pretty unrealistic, but now you know my mindset”), then waited for her provider to show her the door.

Then, a surprise—and a good one at that.

“Dr. Vandenberg not only assured me I wasn’t going to die, but that I would also enjoy my birthing experience,” said West.

Fear became a catalyst for West’s self-advocacy, and she let Vandenberg know just what her worries were. Vandenberg made sure each was addressed, and the two planned it out, step by step.

“I wanted a plan, and that’s just what I got,” West said. “Best of all, I had the confidence that things would work out.”

And for the most part they did. Except the part about the very large baby.

“At one of my appointments I found out if I went full term that I could expect a 13-pound baby,” said West. “Telling a person with high anxiety something like that can bring back intense fears.”

No worries, though. There was a tweak to the plan, and West was induced at 36 weeks. Her son, Mack, came in at a little over nine pounds.

“Dr. Vandenberg assured me that everything was going to be okay,” said West. “I got an epidural at two centimeters, and everything went as planned—no pain whatsoever.”

With Mack now 7 and brother Dylan 15, mom looks back on that initial appointment with Vandenberg (she’s still a patient) as a seminal moment.

“She’s just amazing. And I swear, it’s her eyes. She looks at you and just automatically makes you comfortable. It was as if she held on to my fear, and from that moment on I knew everything was going to be okay. Even so, I cry every time I see her; she’s been such a blessing in my life.”

 

 

Chelsy's Journey

“I’d have to say the stars aligned that day,” said Chelsy Jannusch.

Jannusch reached out to discuss the relationship she’s developed with Dr. Sara Swift of Women’s Care of Wisconsin, but she wanted to make clear her motivation for doing so.

“I know there are a lot of women who struggle to conceive or have children,” she said. “Knowing there are doctors out there who are not only willing to help but happy to help, well, that just means the world. It’s a very vulnerable, sensitive time in your life to try to be pregnant and have a baby, and she was there for me and gave me such peace of mind.”

Jannusch’s first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage; she got pregnant again soon after. When bleeding occurred, the care she sought would not be based on the provider. It would be a matter of proximity.

And chance.

“I loved my original provider,” Jannusch said. “But once I started bleeding I ended up going to the nearest location and the provider who was on call. 

And so she was paired with Dr. Swift.

“She was absolutely wonderful,” Jannusch said. “Unfortunately, I miscarried again. But Dr. Swift noticed on an ultrasound that she thought I might have a septum in my uterus.”

A septate uterus is a congenital anomaly where a thin membrane (called a septum) runs down the middle of the uterus, splitting it into two parts. Women with a septate uterus have an increased risk of pregnancy loss. The septum is difficult to detect visually, so often an imaging test is needed to confirm its presence.

Swift ordered a CT scan (and successfully advocated for Jannusch when the insurance company balked at covering it). The test would show a full septum running from the top of the uterus almost to the cervix. Swift successfully performed the reconstructive surgery. Several months later, Jannusch was pregnant again. 

“Everything worked out this time,” said Jannusch. “Sure, there were complications. I developed gestational diabetes, and carpal tunnel—which I didn’t even know you could get when you’re pregnant—and severe nausea, and at 37 weeks my water broke and I had pretty intense preeclampsia.”

A robust list that left off one little nugget: she was in labor for 50 hours.

“I remember Dr. Swift came to me and said, ‘Let's talk about your birth plan.’ I didn't have a plan. I'd never done this before. I just wanted to have a healthy baby. I told her if it came down to needing a C-section that I was totally okay with that. She tried everything she could for us to have a natural birth. I only dilated five centimeters, and that was the max that we got to.”

Her son, Stiven, was born via C-section at 11:59 P.M. Named after his late grandfather, Stiven shared something else with his namesake.

“He was born on his grandfather’s birthday,” Jannusch said. “With twenty seconds to spare!”

Jannusch is an exuberant and joyful person; her storytelling exhibits these traits. Her positivity is authentic, reflective of an inner strength. She’s tenacious, no doubt. Honesty is part of her makeup as well.

“After two miscarriages, I was terrified my entire pregnancy,” said Jannusch. “Sara (as testimony to their friendship, Jannusch reverts to calling Swift by her first name) was having me come in every few days during the first trimester, and just about every week after that.”

Jannusch thought it had something to do with her age, having turned 36 just before the birth of her son.

It didn’t.

Swift knew how nervous Jannusch was, so the extra visits were all about reassurance.

“I’ve never met a doctor like her. She just makes you feel so heard,” said Jannusch. “She looks you in the eyes and listens to you. And you can tell she genuinely cares.”

To punctuate that sentiment, Jannusch calls forth a memory.

“The day my son was born, Sara stayed at the at the hospital the whole time and continued to check on me,” Jannusch said. “The day after I had him she came in the room and sat down beside me and told me she felt like she failed me because I wasn’t able to have a natural birth.”

Jannusch held Swift’s hand and spoke from the heart.

“Without you, I wouldn't even have this baby. You did everything you could and I'm not upset. He's here and he's healthy.”

It was at this point in the interview that Jannusch made clear there were others she needed to thank.

“I’ve never been in the hospital other than having my baby, but the nurses, honestly, were just earth angels,” said Jannusch. "And I had a lot of them—I went in at midnight on a Sunday and went home the following Saturday.”

And there was someone else.

“My poor husband,” she quipped. “I’m an emotional person. I cried last night when he didn’t make a side with dinner. I was crying when I left this morning, I’m crying right now. He just gave me a hug, told me not to worry and stay positive.”

Being pregnant, she said, will do that to her.

As our time together drew to a close, Jannusch reflected.

“In the spectrum of things, I’m just one patient of many. But I love that woman. I waited in life to get married and have kids, and then you have complications and you think you’re never going to have a baby. I remember after my second miscarriage she sat down with me, looked me right in the eyes and said, ‘What do you want to do? And where do you want to go from here?’ I told her everything I wanted, and now I’ve got this beautiful little two-year-old.”

Author’s Note: Chelsy agreed to be interviewed at Women’s Care of Wisconsin’s Neenah location, the very place she first met Dr. Swift. Upon arrival she apologized profusely for being late (she wasn’t) and then said she needed to have a quick blood draw. We found out later the test confirmed Chelsy was pregnant, although her levels were concerning. She miscarried days later. Her response to us, in part:

“I assure you I really am doing OK. These things happen more than you know and I’m sure it was for good reason. You know, when I had my first loss I felt so alone. So isolated. And I’m really thankful that now I can speak from a place of experience to help others who are going through it for the first time.”

Alyssa's Journey

With four children now—all girls—Alyssa Pederson and her husband are contemplating a move into a new house soon. Pederson has a general vision of what that will look like, with one rock solid stipulation.

“We’re gonna need two bathrooms,” she said.

With the biggest sister (Nora, 6) holding the baby (Lydia), and the next biggest one waiting to pitch in (Kinsley*, 5, who likes to throw the diapers away), Pederson was able to find a moment to talk about her relationship with midwife Kay Weina of Women’s Care of Wisconsin.

“Well, not sure that you know this [full disclosure: I didn’t**], but I actually worked with Kay before I was her patient,” said Pederson. “Kay’s medical assistant went back to school for her nursing degree, so I became her MA.”

Pederson did her medical assistant internship at Women’s Care of Wisconsin when she was pregnant with Kinsley and was hired two months before her delivery. She returned to her duties following, then went on maternity leave with her third child (Hazel, now 2), came back for a short stint, and then left Women’s Care to be a full-time mom two years ago.

Weina would deliver both Hazel and Lydia (16 weeks). The midwife experience, in general terms and with Kay specifically, has made Pederson an advocate.

“What I like the most about having a midwife is that I just feel like they have more time to be with you,” said Pederson. “While I was in labor with both of the younger girls, Kay would pop in and out whenever she could or she'd come up there and spend her entire lunch break with me. After the clinic day was done, she was up there until I had Hazel. When I was walking the halls while I was laboring with Lydia, Kay was up there walking with me.”

She gives Weina and her delivery nurse kudos for their support and encouragement which allowed her to deliver Lydia without an epidural.

“I was really glad I was able to do that,” said Pederson. “I almost caved.”

Partnering with Weina as both a colleague and a patient, Pederson appreciates Weina’s approach to care.

“Kay takes time to listen to your concerns, your wishes, your questions,” Pederson said. “You don't feel rushed with her. She’ll take as long as she needs with you, even if that means the rest of her day is now running late.”

Pederson, like many other patients before her, touched on Weina’s almost mythic aura of serenity.

“For labor and delivery, when she walks in the room there’s just a feeling of calmness,” said Pederson. “With Lydia, the nurse texted Kay when I was eight centimeters, but I needed her back because the baby decided right then it was time. I was freaking out a bit until I heard Kay’s voice. Then it was like, ‘Okay, I can do this.’”

From the very first appointments to confirming the baby’s heartbeat up until the time of delivery, Pederson’s expectations with Weina have always been exceeded. She ends with a final anecdote about Kay.

“Kay loves to go camping,” said Pederson. “But if she has a patient that goes into labor while she’s camping, she’ll go to the hospital and deliver the baby, and then she’ll go back. I must say, Kay is the sweetest human on earth.”

NOTES:

*Kinsley: How parents arrive at names sometimes works without a hitch. But sometimes you need a process:

 With Kinsley, we really struggled. We both had two names each that we liked, but we couldn’t decide from those four. One day, I got up to get ready for work and my husband came in with a hat.

“Pick one,” he said.

“What am I picking?”

“Her name.”

“WHAT?”

I picked Kinsley, and here we are!

**I didn't: In addition to not knowing Alyssa was a former employee at Women’s Care of Wisconsin, I also happened to contact her on May 3, hoping she would talk to me about Kay. The timing could be considered serendipitous. Or insensitive. I choose the former.

Her response: “I will definitely reach out to you once I get a look at my calendar at home. We are currently at the in the hospital as Kay actually just delivered our baby yesterday!”

 

Angie's Journey

In a recent survey, respondents voted hosting a dinner party with family as the number one stress inducer during the holiday season. Yeah, right. Angie Christopherson’s tale includes a positive Covid test on Christmas Day and a rescheduling of her inducement date, moved from December 26 to January 3. Oh, and because Santa’s gift to her regular OB/GYN was appendicitis, Christopherson would be meeting a brand new provider for the delivery of her second child.

Good thing Christopherson is the kind of person who can go with the flow.

“Long story short, I was given Dr. Brubaker,” said Christopherson, “and she was the greatest gift to me.”

But let's try the short story long and let Christopherson tell the tale of her experience as only she can:

My original provider ended up getting appendicitis, so then she was out. So I was just gonna have a random provider do the birth. And I was like, ‘Yeah, whatever.’ It’ll make things interesting because it’s someone I never met before. Honestly, I was okay with it.

I was supposed to get induced on December 26, but on Christmas morning I woke up and felt awful. Probably the sickest I’ve ever been in my whole life. I’m usually the kind that can push through things, but this time I couldn’t even get off the couch. Felt like I was going to pass out all day. So I called the nurse and asked if we should still get induced, because I honestly didn’t think I was capable of pushing a baby out.

The nurse told me I should take a Covid test just to make sure and rule that out, then we’d go from there. I had an at home test and, yep, I had Covid. And then it all made sense. We canceled the inducement and had to wait for a new date because of the quarantine protocol.

And then my husband got Covid.

And then I was notified that my doctor got appendicitis.

And I was chasing a toddler around too.

We ended up scheduling the inducement on January 3. I was like 40 weeks and five days, so yeah, I was ready. We went in, got the Pitocin, and everything was moving along well. At eight centimeters they sat me up to see if they could get me to ten, but I felt like I was going to pass out. I didn’t, which was good. But when I got to ten centimeters, all of a sudden a bunch of nurses came running in. I’m thinking, ‘Okay, why are all these nurses here?’ 

Things had started to go a tad bit sideways: they couldn’t find my baby’s heartbeat. 

Enter Dr. Brubaker, who was downstairs with another patient. I don’t know if they press a button or something when they can’t hear the baby’s heartbeat, but Brubaker must have launched herself up the stairs, because she was a little bit out of breath when she got there. I asked her if everything was alright. ‘I just sprinted up here!’ she said. 

They ended up finding my baby’s heartbeat, but it just kept dropping, mostly because he was kind of in the birthing canal. So it was kind of a scary thing. But Brubaker was so calm, went through the options if the heartbeat continued to drop.

Maybe this was where I was a little too go with the flow, because out came, ‘I don’t really know, so why don’t you pick!’ 

That didn’t fly with Brubaker, so I think I went with, ‘Okay, whatever’s safest.’ But I knew I was to keep pushing, and pushing, and pushing. For like an hour and a half. (And I thought the second delivery was supposed to be easier!) Anyway, the pushing continued and I’m not entirely sure what happened, but basically the baby’s shoulder got stuck. They did some maneuvering and voila!

Charlie was born! 10 pounds, 13 ounces!

He was a large guy. One nurse asked me if other nurses could come in and see him. At this point I was so relieved that I just said, ‘Sure! Bring ‘em in!’

And the nurses were like, ‘Holy cow! This is the biggest baby we’ve ever seen!’

So yeah, it was kind of a hoot, I mean once the scary stuff had passed and we could push out this almost 11-pound baby.

Sometimes when you hear stories about women giving birth, or just being in the hospital in general, you hear about how they just felt like another patient or another number. But I truly felt valued, and I felt Dr. Brubaker truly cared about my baby’s health. She was able to deliver him with ease while keeping me educated about possible outcomes during the entire labor.

She was so professional, so calm, and we absolutely loved her.

 

 

 

Sarah's Journey

Serendipity can be a powerful thing. 

When Sarah Hanaway’s insurance changed and she needed a new OB/GYN, she decided to call Women’s Care of Wisconsin in the hope that they had a provider who was accepting new patients.

Sarah Hanaway, meet Dr. Adriana Schaufelberger.

Hanaway was being introduced to her new provider just as she and her husband were trying to get pregnant for the first time; they were instructed to try for three months.

Which is exactly what they did, but they weren’t getting pregnant.

“At my first visit with Dr. Schaufelberger, I told her I didn't know how moms that try for years handle it, because we were already feeling kind of disappointed,” said Hanaway. “And so that day when I got there, she had everything ready for what kind of fertility things we could do, she had already checked into my insurance and everything. She was prepared for me and knew me as a patient before I even knew her.”

Hanaway acknowledged her fears that a long and difficult road to getting pregnant was just beginning for them, and then made another admission: because she had been let down a couple of times, she hadn’t taken a pregnancy test for a while. She took one then and there and was given the news.

“You are the least pregnant a person can be,” said Schaufelberger.

Hanaway was excited and scared, but she said Schaufelberger countered that by being informative and reassuring. Throughout the first pregnancy Hanaway, like most new moms, had a plethora of questions.

“I could get ahold of her at any time, and asking her questions was so easy,” said Hanaway. “And that first pregnancy went great, and we delivered Rory.”

The second pregnancy was more challenging, as the baby wasn’t moving at 37 weeks. It’s uncertain whether it was related to her preeclampsia or had some connection to her bout with COVID, but Hanaway developed blood clots that fortunately did not get to the baby. Schaufelberger induced labor and delivered baby Rosella early.

“That might have been the world’s fastest delivery ever,” said Hanaway. “Schaufelberger told me she was going to go home and eat dinner, come back, and I was going to have a baby. She didn’t get the chance to eat. Labor was 30 minutes, tops.”

Complications followed after Ella’s birth, as Hanaway dealt with postpartum preeclampsia, which presents briefly at the end of pregnancy and can cause early delivery. The condition lingered, and instead of being able to focus on recovering after childbirth and caring for her newborn, Hanaway spent a considerable time just being very sick. This resulted in the most difficult circumstance of the pregnancy.

“I had to leave Ella at home and go back to the hospital,” Hanaway said. “That caused a lot of hard emotions that Schaufelberger acknowledged and kept in mind when we were pregnant with number three.”

And with their third, the complications continued.

“Anything that can happen when you’re 37 years old and pregnant was happening to me,” Hanaway said.

Preeclampsia affected Hanaway’s pregnancy again, and to complicate matters further she developed cholestasis, a condition that lowers liver function that can cause complications for mother and baby. At her twenty-week appointment, Schaufelberger told her to come in for testing every two to three weeks. 

One day Hanaway called and said she didn’t feel the baby moving. Tests became weekly.

“She saw this was making me anxious,” said Hanaway. “She cares a lot about the patient and the baby, and she just let me know she was going to do everything in her power to make sure we were being taken care of.”

The delivery of her third child, Rynn, was not a speedy affair like the second. Hanaway assumed it was just a really large baby, but it turned out the baby was flipped and “turning all over the place.” Despite the acute sickness she felt during delivery, Hanaway recognized something that was a constant with Schaufelberger.

“She keeps the delivery room lively and treats the entire family, not just the mom. She makes sure she knows everybody,” said Hanaway.

Certainly that includes Hanaway’s husband, an inquisitive person who spent most of Rory’s delivery barraging Schaufelberger—in the midst of all the action—with a seemingly unending set of questions. For Ella’s delivery, Schaufelberger pointed at mom’s head and said to dad, “You stay up there. I’ve got the area down here covered.”

Now with three children four and under as well as a new puppy (“potty trained but not yet behavior trained”), the Hanaway house is an active and joyful place. Asked to pause for a moment and reflect on Dr. Schaufelberger, mom and dad were in alignment.

“We both agreed that we had such an amazing experience with her and she made us feel comfortable every step of the way in all three pregnancies. What sets her apart from other doctors is that she doesn't just get to know you as a patient; she knows you as a person and she knows and cares about you and your entire growing family.”

After three pregnancies with their fair share of complications (by the way, Hanaway had gestational diabetes with each), she ends by highlighting a Schaufelberger quote that resonates with her, deeply.

“Dr. Schaufelberger always says ‘I trust a mother’s instinct.’ That’s so reassuring to hear, to know that she trusts you to know when your body isn’t feeling right.”

So a chance appointment with “any available provider” becomes a bond of strength, a relationship based on confidence and trust.

Serendipity indeed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sam's Journey

When you call a mom with an 11-month-old for an interview, leading with the question “Are you good to go?” is a given, even if you know what the answer will be.

“Got a baby right here but I’m ready,” was Sam Hawkinson’s reply.

Of course she’s ready. She’s a mom.

Hawkinson is the proud mother of 11-month-old Louie.

She’s proud of her five-year-old son Finn, too.

And Archie, age seven.

Jack too, who’s nine.

“My husband is one of three boys, and his dad is one of five boys, and his dad’s dad was one of eight boys,” said Hawkinson. “I prepared myself for boys.”

Following the delivery of boy #1 (aka Jack) by her regular OB/GYN, Hawkinson needed to find another provider—not due to anything negative, simply retirement. While Hawkinson was satisfied with the new obstetrician she started with during her second pregnancy, due to unforeseen circumstances she was unavailable to meet with Hawkinson at several appointments.

Enter midwife Kay Weina, who stepped in and introduced herself at Hawkinson’s 20-week appointment.

“Kay walked in the room that day and I don’t know what it was. Her overall presence, an aura of calm,” said Hawkinson. “Whatever it was, it just made me feel like she was who I needed to have deliver the baby.”

Admittedly, Hawkinson had been curious about midwifery and had pondered how that approach might impact the journey. Their initial conversation proved to be a tipping point.

“Meeting Kay and understanding the midwife’s point of view, which is to be there with you and for you, was an immediate aha moment for me,’” she said. “Kay’s calm and loving presence, and the fact that she began by taking time to get to know me, was a huge difference-maker.” 

Following that appointment at 20-weeks, Hawkinson made the provider switch.

“It wasn’t that my provider wasn’t a good fit,” she said. “It was that Kay was the perfect fit.”

Fast forward to the birth of Archie (boy #2), where Hawkinson went into labor but her contractions ended up stalling. Kay was with her through the entire night in what culminated the next day in a somewhat non-traditional birth.

“Well, I started to birth right there in the shower,” Hawkinson said. “This baby was coming out, and there we all were—Kay, my doula, the birth team, my mom and my husband—all in this small bathroom. Pretty wild.”

With baby boy #3 (Finn), Hawkinson went into labor, got to the hospital, and the labor stalled once again. Kay (“calm and collected as always”) broke her water, and Finn was delivered.

She noted that there was another similarity with those births.

“I was standing up both times when I delivered,” Hawkinson said. “Using gravity seems to work for me.”

And let us not forget boy #4, baby Louie who, at 11 months now, was in mom’s arms during the interview. Hawkinson described the birthing experience with Louie as the toughest yet—“He just really didn’t want to come out”—but he’s doing great and growing well.

Hawkinson ends with a comment about Kay that aptly punctuates the discussion.

“Kay just makes you feel really grounded, basically like you can do anything,” she said. “Like have a baby!”

 

Meet Adriana Schaufelberger, MD, Women's Care of WI

“What do you think your patients appreciate most about you?”

There was a distinct pause following the relatively standard question, at least when you’re interviewing a physician. A conventional answer was certainly the expectation.

Dr. Adriana Schaufelberger’s answer was anything but.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I’m funny,” she said. “I try to make things lighter and take any embarrassment out of it. And there’s no shyness here. Tell me what you’re thinking. Out with it. Go for it. And that’s where we’ll both laugh. I think that’s a big thing.”

Thus begins a discussion with the board-certified OB/GYN, someone who truly loves every part of part of her interactions with patients at Women’s Care of Wisconsin.

The ability to connect is clearly a strength of Schaufelberger’s. Her patients feel this in their first visit and understand in short order one of her essential mantras.

“I’m not about rushing. I don’t like to be rushed. I don’t like to rush my patients,” said Schaufelberger. “My routine is to come into the room, sit down, and then . . . we talk. And if you cry, there’s a good chance I’m going to cry with you." 

Schaufelberger loves to talk and is laser focused on chatting about patient care, yet she does sprinkle in the personal: she’s an identical twin, first generation Hispanic, who worked 40 hours a week while taking full credit loads to earn her two degrees.

“I started out in nursing school, getting into Purdue’s nursing program by accident. I didn't apply for it, but I was in. So I took it as an omen,” said Schaufelberger.

She loved everything about nursing (“I was good at it too!”) but a nudge from her mentor put her on a different path. She was told quite simply that she should go to medical school. Her response was perhaps typical of a different era.

“I’m a girl. I can’t be a doctor,” was her reply.

After a sideways glance accompanied by a “Seriously!” and then a more benevolent “Of course you can!”, Schaufelberger set her sights on a new career.

“And when I graduated from med school, my mentor walked me across the stage,” she said.

Schaufelberger veers once more into the personal, acknowledging that she’s obsessed with her children and loves her dog way, way too much. And she talks about her father, a pipe fitter, who when he got injured looked to his daughter to take care of things.

She shifts gears, returning to the topic of her patients, the conversation accompanied by the clatter of pots and pans. The interviewer notes this.

“Oh, I’m multi-tasking. I need to be busy or I don’t do well,” said Schaufelberger. “But as I was saying, I’m old, I’m relatable, I’m not intimidating, I don’t scare people, and maybe that’s why people I don’t know connect with me. Because I can talk to them.”

This segues into a nice little discussion about a shoulder injury that took Schaufelberger out of action for five months.

“All I could think about was seeing my patients,” she said. “I love them all.”

One of the patients who acutely felt the pain of Schaufelberger’s shoulder injury was Morgan Bonnell, who became a patient following a recommendation.

“It was very important to me when I switched that I click with my new provider and feel an immediate sense of trust. Within, oh, about 20 seconds of meeting her, I knew she was incredible,” said Bonnell. “She literally pulled out a piece of paper, we went through every one of my concerns, wrote them down and said, ‘This is our plan for this' and ‘This is our plan for that.’ She was listening. I knew I was in good hands.”

In the eighth month of Bonnell’s pregnancy, Schaufelberger admitted she would not be able to deliver the baby because she needed a procedure to repair her shoulder.

“It was instant tears for me, and she was tearing up too,” said Bonnell. “But she said she was still going to be there for me. And she was true to her word—any time I needed her or her reassurance, she was just a phone call or text away.”

Schaufelberger ends with the importance of a welcoming atmosphere, one with the power to create an immediate connection that can lead to a lifelong bond.

“Okay, I admit that I really want you to like me when you come in. But more significant is that you feel safe and secure, so you can be honest and ask whatever needs asking, and we can be friends.”

She’s also the kind of person who delivers lasagna when someone’s sick.

That speaks volumes, and perhaps explains the ambient kitchen din.

Dr. Adriana Schaufelberger sees patients at Women's Care of Wisconsin locations in Neenah and Waupaca. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Schaufelberger, please call or text 920.729.7105.

Ashley's Journey

The Cotten Family: Zayden, Kyleigh, Ashley & Casey

It’s good to have a plan. Might not work out exactly as envisioned, but that’s life.

Ashley mentioned “the plan” right away.   

“I have a 12-year-old daughter,” Ashley began. “When my husband and I got married, we knew were going to try to have a child together. That was the plan. And since I got pregnant the first time, I just assumed that it was going to be easy the second time.”

But it was not. Frustration with a previous provider (“I didn’t feel welcomed or heard”) led her to Dr. Allison Brubaker.

A fertility specialist at Women’s Care of Wisconsin, Brubaker made an instant connection with Ashley.

“She took the time to understand me and hear my worries, frustrations, and concerns,” said Ashley. “When you're trying to get pregnant, you need your doctor to take that extra time to really listen to what you're saying.”

Ashley would spend the next two years trying to get pregnant, but to no avail. She blamed herself, felt she had somehow done something wrong, could not understand why her body was not doing what it was supposed to do.

“This is a really vulnerable time in your life. And you really need somebody who truly cares and is genuine, who can listen to your story, your thoughts, your concerns and really follow through with a plan to make sure that you’re getting what you need,” said Ashley. “Dr. Brubaker hits all those points.”

Despite the efforts, one day Ashley felt it was time to take a break from the tests, the treatments, and the procedures.

“I just needed some time to figure out what we were going to do,” said Ashley.

Of course, that’s when Ashley got pregnant.

The celebration of the joyous news, coming as it did after so much time and doubt, wouldn’t go according to plan either.

“When I found out I was pregnant, my husband found out the same day that he was positive for COVID,” Ashley said. “I yelled for him to come check the test to see if it was real, but he was in no condition to understand what was actually happening at that moment. We celebrated together a week or so later. We were over-the-moon excited.”

About seven weeks into the pregnancy, Ashley started bleeding.

“I just had this feeling after we worked so hard it was going to be over,” said Ashley. “I called Dr. Brubaker and she just said not to freak out, that I should get to the ER and we’d figure it out.”

And it turned out to be fine. Following the ER visit, Brubaker saw Ashley in clinic the same day to reassure her that things were okay.  

“She paid extra attention to my pregnancy because I was high risk, and she knew that I was overly-paranoid because of the journey that led up to this point.”

Because Ashley couldn’t get her gestational diabetes under control, she ended up on insulin. That resulted in lots of check-ins with Brubaker. At 37 weeks, she couldn’t get her fasting blood sugar under control. Brubaker, said Ashley, looked at her face and could sense that it was time.

“Are you ready to be done?” said Brubaker. 

“Yes!” came the reply.

Ashley went home, packed a bag, and returned. Brubaker delivered a healthy baby boy, Zayden, and their family was complete.

Which was the plan all along.

 

 

Whatever Makes Your Heart Happy: A Mother’s Story

The conversation began playfully, as the response to how things were going now with three children was decidedly mathematical.

“My husband and I are officially outnumbered,” said Melodie.

But then, a quick caveat.

“I will try not to get emotional about my doctor and the relief she brought to a . . . well, just a very stressful experience.”

Melodie took a deep breath, paused, and told her story.

“I started at Women's Care when I was pregnant with my son Camden, who’s four and a half now, and I actually was seeing an OB that left the practice, right around the time that I delivered. It wasn't very long after that I was already looking for another provider at Women’s Care for my second delivery. And so I found Dr. Gass, who delivered my daughter Hannah, my two year old.”

That was March of 2020, the beginning of the pandemic. Hannah’s delivery was fast and the experience positive.

The following year, Melodie was pregnant again. At her ten-week appointment, she had no indication that there wouldn’t be a heartbeat.

“I had two previous pregnancies where I never had an issue. I've never had a miscarriage. I wasn't expecting that being pregnant the third time,” said Melodie. “But in that moment of finding out, Dr. Gass was just so wonderful. She validated in that moment that my family had a loss. And there was going to be this part of me, this future that I saw, that was gone. And that it was okay if I didn't feel okay.”

Melodie said Gass provided options following the loss and let her know that the decision didn’t have to be made right away, that Melodie could think about what she wanted to do.

“She was just so supportive, and she saw me as a person with a whole life, not just an appointment in a time window where she needed to do a task,” said Melodie. “She validated the heartbreak I felt. I wasn’t dismissed with a ‘this is common and you’ll be fine.’ That meant a lot to me.”

That loss, in December 2021, weighed heavily on Melodie, who wasn’t sure when or if she would be ready to try again. But she and her husband felt their family wasn’t quite complete. Soon after, and perhaps even a bit sooner than she had prepared herself for, Melodie got pregnant.

Emotionally, this was a difficult time for Melodie, who said Gass offered something she offers all her patients who have just experienced a loss, to simply come in more frequently in the first trimester for peace of mind.

By week 14, Melodie had taken advantage of enough extra appointments to envision the happy ending, their rainbow baby. A week later Melodie awoke in the middle of the night and assumed she had wet the bed. She was covered in blood.

And her first thought was the realization that this might not be a happy ending at all.

By the time they got to the ER, Melodie was still bleeding. After treatment and testing, she was wheeled back to a room where she and her husband agonizingly waited for the ultrasound tech. Fearing the worst, they received the news: though there was no determination about the bleeding, there was a heartbeat. The baby looked perfect.

Melodie went home, they got the kids to daycare, and then the phone rang.

“It was Dr. Gass’ office, calling me before I could even call them,” Melodie said. “She had been contacted when I was in the ER, she made the recommendation for the medication I received there, and she wanted me in her clinic ASAP.”

Melodie saw her that very morning and made subsequent visits until she could start feeling fetal movement.

“Dr. Gass made room for me on her schedule every single day so that I could come in and see that the baby's heartbeat was still there,” said Melodie. “I trusted her completely, that she was going to do whatever it took. When she delivered our daughter Hannah, it was a positive experience, without problems. The true test of how good your provider is . . . is when it feels like everything's going wrong.”

As the pregnancy continued the bleeding tapered, but there was a significant blood clot at the front of her uterus. And entirely separate from this, there was an anomaly of the baby’s abdomen.

“Every time we cleared a hurdle, something else seemed to snap us back to reality,” said Melodie. 

Adding to this was the fact that Melodie was high risk in multiple categories, which brought additional concerns about delivering early and the health of the baby. Little by little, the anxiety grew.

“But each day and week that ticked by was like a little celebration every time I saw Dr. Gass,” said Melodie. 

On December 6, 2022, Dr. Gass delivered Sophie to the world and placed her on her mother’s chest. Mom, in response, said just three words.

“We did it.”

Specialists in Milwaukee have confirmed that Sophie has a rare congenital malformation of the digestive tract known as an enteric duplication cyst; she’ll need surgery, most likely around her first birthday. 

Following her recent six-week appointment, Melodie said she was still processing it all.

“Dr. Gass always says, ‘Whatever makes your heart happy.’ And she really means it. I don’t know if going in to see her every day was really medically necessary, but doing that was going to make my heart happy, every day knowing that Sophie’s heart was still beating and that we’re one day closer . . . one day closer.”

Melodie closes her story with a profound statement that is both uniquely personal and unconditionally universal.

“I just look at Sophie and can’t even believe she’s here. She’s ours. She’s perfect.”