Bree's Story

“When you choose a doctor, you're trusting someone with your life and your baby's life. I didn’t realize how critical that was at first. It didn’t really hit me until I had complications.”

When Bree and her husband were thinking about having children, she asked her primary care provider if she had any recommendations for an OB/GYN. She told Bree to check out Women’s Care of Wisconsin.

That’s just what Bree did.

And we asked her about it.

This might take a while, and you have a three-month-old. Is this a good time?

Elsie’s not asleep, but if I need to pick her up, I will. Let’s just see how it goes:)

What was the first step you took in finding a provider at Women’s Care of Wisconsin?

I went to the website, checked out the videos, and came across Dr. Schloesser. Her statements were compelling and I thought she’d make a great doctor for me.

You said your selection was crucial. Can you explain what you mean by that?

With my first, Aubrey, I got high blood pressure around 20 weeks. Even though I wasn’t necessarily high risk, Dr. Schloesser kept a very close eye on me. I was so thankful she did because I was diagnosed with preeclampsia at 35 weeks.

Then when I got pregnant with my second daughter, Elsie, I ended up getting high blood pressure again. I always felt like preeclampsia was looming over me after having it once before, but felt safe with Dr. Schloesser.

Along the way, at some point during my pregnancy with Aubrey, she told me something that has always stuck with me. She said, ‘I know this is not your normal; this is not your every day. And so it is scary to you. But this is my every day. I got you.’ That allowed me to sleep a little bit more soundly at night, and definitely again during my pregnancy with Elsie.

With Dr. Schloesser, I felt very safe and cared for—most importantly, she always helped calm my nerves. If there's anyone who has high blood pressure or preeclampsia, I feel like Dr. Schloesser is definitely the right one.

You had a C-section with Aubrey. Tell us about that.

Aubrey was Frank breech, which means that she was not facing the right direction for a safe, regular delivery. Kind of folded like a taco, bottom down and legs up by her face. Anytime a baby is breech, it's not safe to have a vaginal delivery. My hope was always that Aubrey was going to flip around. If she didn’t, it was going to be a C-section. But in my mind, I just didn't want to believe that that was going to happen. I didn't want to have a C-section.

We had decided we were going to do a version at 36 weeks, a procedure basically where Dr. Schloesser pushes on my stomach to rotate the baby. But then I went in for my 36-week appointment. I had unfortunately gotten really sick the night before and didn't feel well, which was an indication my preeclampsia had gotten worse. And she was like, ‘Yeah, Bree, it's time. We’ve got to go have the baby.’  So we went upstairs, and after doing some additional tests she said, ‘It's your choice if you want to do the version, but there are risks involved with it.’ We decided to go with the unplanned C-section.

And it went well?

Yes, it went really well; however, I wasn’t thrilled with being awake for a major abdominal surgery.  Although every doctor and nurse in the operating room was incredibly calm and caring, I felt terrified. I’m truthfully just afraid of blood and surgeries. Thankfully, Dr. Schloesser really got to know me well throughout my pregnancy, so she came in beforehand and helped me stay calm. And prior to that when I was diagnosed with preeclampsia, she called me personally and let me know that pretty much moving forward, at every appointment, I’d need to have my bag packed. She let me know what to expect so I could be mentally prepared.

Did you have any anxiousness that you’d experience high blood pressure with your second pregnancy?

Dr. Schloesser let me know I was likely to get high blood pressure again, and it could be earlier (and she was right). Though I was nervous about getting preeclampsia again, I felt safe with Dr. Schloesser, who kept an extremely close eye on me throughout my pregnancy with Elsie. With the help of medication to help stabilize my blood pressure, Dr. Schloesser’s expertise, and a healthy(ish) diet, I was able to make it to 38 weeks when I delivered Elsie.

And you didn’t have to have another C-section with your second baby?

With a toddler at home and a C-section requiring a longer recovery, I wanted to experience a natural birth for my second child. Obviously I was going to do whatever was safest for us, but my preference was a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). I was thrilled it worked out that way and was so happy Dr. Schloesser was there to deliver our baby. My experience was so empowering and she was such a great cheerleader.

I remember being so scared right before, especially when she said, ‘Hey, it's time.’ I'd been waiting all day in the hospital, it was taking so long, and I was convinced that we were going to end up in a C-section. Despite all the mental preparation, I started crying and said, ‘I'm so scared.’ And she was like, ‘Why are you scared? You got this! You're gonna do great!’ My doctor, my cheerleader, my friend.

Anything else you’d like to share about the experience?

Just to say that Dr. Schloesser definitely brought the calm. And not just the calm, but she really knows her stuff. Very fact-based, very up to date on research. For instance, the research regarding high blood pressure changed from when I was pregnant with Aubrey to when I was pregnant with Elsie. She was all over it, letting me know that they were going to intervene sooner to keep my blood pressure at a normal rate. She tested me throughout, getting the information we needed to help us make good decisions. She really helped me get through everything.

One final thought?

Yes! Pregnancy is wild. The hormones and emotions. Growing a life inside of you. It is amazing and incredibly special. However, having someone who you can trust and who you know actually cares makes all the difference.

Meet Caitlin Timmers MD

“I truly enjoy working through complex medical issues with my patients, as well as the typical day-to-day health questions," she began.

Meet Dr. Caitlin Timmers, Women’s Care of Wisconsin’s newest provider.

From a young age, Caitlin Timmers had a passion for caring for others. She anticipated going into nursing and was working as a certified nursing assistant by the time she was 16. Later she would work closely with a physician assistant and told her father that she had decided on her future.

“I’m going to be a PA! And I get to assist in the OR!” she told him.

His response, knowing his daughter’s fascination with anatomy and all science-related subjects, was immediate: “Well, why don’t you just be the surgeon?”

“What a concept!” she said. “I had no real clue what I wanted to do exactly, but just like that it all made sense.”

Caitlin entered med school thinking she was going to be a trauma surgeon and felt that way for a long time. That is, right up until her final rotation, which happened to be OB/GYN.

“That’s when I found my people,” she said. “I found where I needed to be.”

The field satisfied her two passions: first, that she could do procedures, and second—more importantly—that she would be able to form relationships with patients.

A board-certified OB/GYN, Caitlin cares for patients in all phases of life, from adolescents struggling with menstruation cycles, women of reproductive age requiring annual exams or obstetric care, and post-menopausal women dealing with a variety of concerns.

“I get to work with women and take care of them for their entire lives,” she said.

Caitlin relishes the development of deep relationships with her patients, who appreciate her wide-ranging expertise—which includes robotic surgery for complex cases—and her innate ability to create a warm and comfortable space where open conversations are the norm.

That begins with listening.

“I think it's really important to really listen to patients to get an idea of where they're coming from, to let them tell me what's going on, any factors that are contributing to their issue, how it's impacting their life, and what their goals are,” said Caitlin. “That’s how to start if you want to build a relationship. And that’s the most rewarding part of my profession.”

Caitlin shared something from her personal history that she said helped her greatly as a provider.

“I had a pretty major surgery in my early 20s, had complications from it, and had to stay in the hospital for a longer period of time than expected. That really put me in the patient's shoes and made me see just how difficult that can be, to not necessarily know the outcome, if I was ever going to be myself again, and what that may have looked like,” said Caitlin. “I understand how scary uncertainty can be, and I make sure my patients know I am there for them.”

Coming back to the area she called home (Caitlin is from Black Creek), Women’s Care of Wisconsin’s newest provider is hitting the ground running and accepting new patients immediately.

“I feel so honored to be in this profession. Obstetrics and gynecology has allowed me to develop lasting relationships with women and assist them through some of the biggest milestones in their lives."

Dr. Caitlin Timmers sees patients at Women’s Care of Wisconsin’s Appleton location.