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.”