On our end, Amy is waiting on results from her most recent egg retrieval and continuing forward with surrogacy (stay tuned for a big episode on these updates very soon). I’ve just returned from a much-needed vacation with my family and our first trip with our IVF daughter. As summer approaches, we’re also thinking about the future of our family and if we should do more retrievals this year before I turn 36 (we have one remaining embryo).

If this month feels like a lot, you’re not imagining it. Hang tight and keep going in whatever way makes sense for you right now. Resilience doesn’t always look like pushing through. Sometimes it looks like opting out or doing the bare minimum to get through the day.

And if you need it, here is your permission to uninvite yourself from every Mother’s Day plan on your calendar and spend the day in bed with takeout and a show. I was so proud of a friend who recently told me she did this. She and her husband were invited to a big potluck with a bunch of family, and, after having two miscarriages and struggling to conceive, she decided to set a boundary for herself and opt out of going to the potluck. Do this if you need to.

Sending love xx

Kayti & Amy

🎧 new on the pod:

We’re excited to share our latest episode with one of the most prominent voices in fertility care right now. Dr. Lucky Sekhon is a double-board-certified OB-GYN and reproductive endocrinologist, fertility expert, educator, and author of The Lucky Egg. She is also the cohost of the Call Your Doctor podcast and is doing incredible work to combat online misinformation about fertility care and women’s health.

We talked about her new book, how she manages to do it all, and even had a brief discussion about New York vs. LA fashion (a reminder to swap our sweatpants for a pantsuit every now and then).

💜 small “j” joys:

• Egg freezing parties? We’re all ears.

• This weighted sleep mask is on sale for less than $20.

• A recipe we’re going to try out this weekend b/c we forgot to eat the bananas and now they’re brown.

• A beautiful illustration about the healing process.

• My husband gifted me this candle recently and it’s soooo good (and on sale) - Kayti

• This book for tracking our cycles (the writers will be coming on the pod this summer!)

new week, new mood:

Because let’s be honest: the internet is loud. And not all of it is helping.

🥚 What this episode will help you do:

• Spot misinformation fast: why anecdotes aren’t evidence and how to tell what’s actually legit

• Focus on what matters: what AMH, IVF, and egg freezing really mean (no fluff, no fear)

• Navigate your care better: what your doctor should be explaining and how to advocate for yourself

• Stay grounded in the process: how to make smart next moves without chasing every “solution”

The takeaway? Fertility isn’t just about biology — it’s about information. And most people are navigating this without the full picture.

Resources:

📘 The Lucky Egg: your fertility roadmap https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/lucky-egg-9781250408716/

🌐 theluckyegg.com: expert guides + calculators
https://theluckyegg.com/

Instagram (@lucky.sekhon)
https://www.instagram.com/lucky.sekhon

🎧 Call Your Doctor: podcast on women’s health, hormones & fertility, no fluff

The FriedEggs Podcast is hosted and produced by Kayti Christian and Amy Salke.

Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized care.

Enjoy the episode here on Substack at friedeggspod.com. Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

🎶 Show music by the magical Clayre:

🎥 Photography by 20Twenty Productions https://20twentypro.com/

Listen on Spotify

Listen on Apple Podcasts

After a 2 month-ish “break” (read: planning, recording, and recording some more), we’re finally back at the mic for a long overdue catch-up!

In episode 50 of the pod, we’re sharing about all the things that have been happening for us this spring, e.g., Amy’s egg retrieval and ongoing insurance saga, Kayti’s plans for an IVF cycle later this summer, and Amy’s progress toward finding a gestational carrier match.

Since this episode is dropping during National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW), we also want to share a few organizations we love that are doing incredible work in this space. This community is the reason we’re here — your stories, your honesty, your resilience, your willingness to keep showing up for yourselves and for each other.

If you’re listening, you’re likely living this, or loving someone who is. And we want to say this clearly: the more stories we share, the louder we become. The louder we become, the more we normalize these conversations. And the more we normalize them, the closer we get to better access, better care, and better systems for all of us. We all deserve comprehensive, proactive, and compassionate fertility and women’s healthcare. Be sure to check out these organizations—and give them a follow for more education and to show your support.

• RESOLVE: The National Infertility and Family Building Association empowers people navigating their fertility journey through trusted information, community support, and grassroots advocacy that make family-building options accessible to everyone.

• Sunfish: an LA-based organization helping self-pay IVF patients with transparent pricing, bundled discounts, and a partial money-back guarantee.

• Cofertility: an LA-based company reimagining a more ethical and transparent egg-freezing process, and providing a ton of education around the process.

• Babyquest Foundation, BabyList IVF Grants: Providing financial assistance through fertility grants to support the high costs of IVF (in vitro fertilization), gestational surrogacy, egg and sperm donation, egg freezing, and embryo donation. ✨BONUS✨ research astronaut and IVF warrior extraordinaire, Kellie Gerardi, has generously funded a grant to help more families welcome their own space baby.

• Paid Research Opportunity: If you’re about to start an IVF cycle, you may be eligible for a research study led by Auburn University and Purdue University on how treatment affects work and daily life—and how organizations can better support women during this process. The study involves completing short surveys at key points in your IVF cycle, with compensation up to $70. Participation is fully online and confidential. Learn more and see if you’re eligible: tinyurl.com/workandIVF

Got an organization supporting and advocating for fertility and women’s health care? We’d love to share it! 🧡

And finally (but certainly not least!!) we have to shout out our wildly talented, magical, all-around iconic friend Clayre for our new show music. Check her out on Spotify. We’re obsessed. 💫

Surprise! Ahead of our Season 3 premiere next week (April 24, mark your calendars and hit follow), we’re dropping a very special bonus episode today. We’re talking about the Costco fertility news everyone’s been buzzing about and how this offering actually works for IVF patients.

We first sat down with David Goldhill, the Co-Founder and CEO at Sesame, and then spoke to Lynn Mason, the CEO of IVI RMA North America. Both of them helped us to unpack the three-way partnership between Costco, Sesame, and IVI RMA North America, and how it’s working to bring more transparency and lower costs to fertility care and IVF treatment this year.

And because yes, this involves Costco: no, you don’t need to buy IVF meds in bulk. No, there aren’t free samples (unfortunately). And yes—you can still grab your rotisserie chicken, paper towels, and snacks while picking up your prescriptions.

We get into why Costco is entering the fertility space, how this model is designed to reduce one of the biggest barriers in IVF (cost) and what it looks like to simplify a system that’s traditionally been expensive, gatekept by insurance, and nearly impossible to navigate.

We also talk about how this partnership actually works, who it’s for (currently and how they hope to expand it in the future), and what it means for the future of reproductive healthcare. It’s IVF, Costco-style. 🤪

Have you used Sesame, IVI RMA, or Costco yet for fertility benefits? Let us know in the comments x

Leave a comment

Today’s guests:

David Goldhill (Co-Founder & CEO, Sesame) is a nationally recognized healthcare reform advocate and the co-founder and CEO of Sesame, the leading cash-pay healthcare platform connecting patients directly with top-rated doctors at transparent, up-front prices.

His journey into healthcare transformation began in 2009 with his groundbreaking Atlantic cover story, “How American Healthcare Killed My Father.” The piece sparked a national conversation and led to his bestselling book, Catastrophic Care: Why Everything We Think We Know About Health Care Is Wrong, establishing David as a leading voice in rethinking how healthcare is financed and delivered in America.

Today, those ideas power Sesame’s mission to expand access to affordable care for millions of Americans shut out of the traditional system — from primary care to specialty services.

David previously served as Chair of The Leapfrog Group, the nation’s leading advocate for healthcare transparency and patient safety, a role closely aligned with Sesame’s mission. He termed off the board two years ago. He currently serves as a Senior Fellow in Health Care Policy at the Manhattan Institute, where he remains deeply engaged in efforts to reform how care is delivered in the United States.

Prior to his work in healthcare, David built a distinguished media career as President and CEO of Game Show Network and President of Television at Universal Studios.

*

About Sesame: Sesame is the only cash-pay healthcare platform connecting patients directly with top-rated doctors at transparent, up-front prices. By removing insurance, Sesame unlocks lower cost, more convenient access to high-quality clinicians for everyday care. Sesame has served over 1 million patients to date, offering more than 380 services across all 50 states. Learn more at sesamecare.com.

Lynn Mason (Chief Executive Officer, IVI RMA North America) is leading a revolution in reproductive medicine—one built on science, scale, and deep compassion. As CEO of IVI RMA North America, Lynn oversees one of the largest reproductive health networks in North America with 27 labs and 73 locations across the U.S. and Canada. This vast network has helped deliver more than 220,000 babies over the last 20 years to loving families using groundbreaking IVF techniques and compassionate, patient-centered care. But her mission is far from complete.

Under her leadership, IVI RMA North America has expanded access to world-class fertility care for millions of Americans pursuing their fertility preservation and family-building goals, adding 13 labs and 37 new locations and setting new standards in outcomes, innovation and equity. Lynn is a trailblazer redefining what fertility care looks like at scale: more inclusive, more accessible, more research-driven, and more personalized.

A seasoned healthcare executive, Lynn has spent her career driving systemic change in complex care environments. At Broadstep Behavioral Health, Lynn doubled the company’s size and expanded care delivery across seven states. Her leadership at DaVita Kidney Care, DaVita RX, ChenMed, and United Allergy Services also reflects a consistent theme of her strength at building bold, patient-first models that scale nationally, grow rapidly and close critical gaps in care.

Lynn is President-Elect of Fertility Providers Alliance and contributes to the boards of ConvenientMD, Stella Behavioral Health, Shoes That Fit and the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women initiative. She is also an active member of Stanford Women on Boards and the Stanford Black Alumni Association and holds degrees from Washington University in St. Louis, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and a Doctorate in Healthcare Administration (DHA) from Virginia University of Lynchburg.

*

About IVI RMA North America: IVI RMA North America, comprises Reproductive Medicine Associates, Boston IVF, and Toronto-based TRIO. It spans 27 IVF laboratories and has helped women and couples achieve pregnancies which have led to the birth of over 220,000 babies to date. Pioneers in innovative care, including PGT-A, single embryo transfer, fertility preservation, LGBTQ+ care, and more, the network has published over 1,000 papers which have pushed the fertility industry forward. IVI RMA North America is part of IVI RMA Global, the world’s leading reproductive medicine group committed to providing evidence-based fertility solutions to patients seeking treatment anywhere in the world. IVI RMA Global employs more than 6,000 people across 200+ locations in 15 countries. Learn more at rmanetwork.com and https://www.bostonivf.com/

All this to say: we can’t wait for Season 3 (Episode 50!!!) to drop on April 24. Make sure you’re following us on Spotify & Apple so that you get notified as soon as it’s live.

As we are gearing up for some big and exciting pod things (merch!? new intro song!? the most inspiring doctors and experts!?), we are keeping this week’s newsletter short and sweet and fun. And what’s more fun than a little emotional support shopping (from bed, no less) while preparing for your next round of IVF? We’re calling it retail therapy, but make it fertility-core.

Here’s everything we bought this week for our upcoming retrievals this summer.

xo Amy & Kayti

🪩 We love this simple caboodle because it feels more minimal and elevated than the bright pink ones we used in past IVF cycles. Plus, how cute is the little flower detail, & it has so much storage space for needles, Band-Aids, etc. Stay organized, friends!

🪩 We both restocked our supplements this week, which felt equal parts triggering and satisfying (iykyk). We love WeNatal for their science-backed ingredients and thoughtful formulas, but also because we’re lucky to call the founders friends & they’re doing so much for the fertility community, especially in Los Angeles. The gorgeous glass jars and easy subscription refills justify the investment, especially with how stressful and depressing IVF can be.

🪩 I (Kayti) splurged on these pants to feel a bit more put together during retrievals in spring/summer. It’s also hot in Los Angeles, so it’s hard to get away with sweatpants when it’s 100 degrees out, and you feel super bloated. I have another pair of LOF pants that I’ve worn into the ground, so I know I will get my money’s worth out of these. Alternatively, these are my favorite $30 drawstring jeans that I wore through IVF & pregnancy in 2024 (and will be adding to the rotation again).

🪩 (Amy) Not a purchase but a download! This album feels like it was written for someone going through infertility. It’s giving hope, badassery, women banding together and resilience. I’ll have it on repeat while driving to monitoring appointments.

🪩 Boring but necessary: the best bone broth and electrolyte powders for pre and post retrieval.

🪩 These Allbird slides are 50% off and perfect for feeling a bit more chic yet still comfortable on monitoring, retrieval, and transfer day.

🪩 Do not - we repeat, do not - forget stool softeners (obvs chat with your doc about anything you’re taking though)

🪩 Likewise, make sure you have a heating pad! Our favorite one is this cute floral print (it has 12 heat levels and is machine washable). It’s currently on sale.

🪩 (Kayti) This may sound silly, but it’s a life hack I love: I bought myself a gift card to my favorite coffee shop in Los Angeles (shoutout, Stereoscope). This way, I can get a treat after IVF appointments or on hard days, and it feels like a “gift” because I already paid for it 😂

🪩 (Amy) My treat to myself was booking a facial! 🧖‍♀️ If I’m going to be poking myself with needles and riding estrogen waves all summer, I deserve a little spa day.

🪩 We just added these to our Amazon carts because, as you all know, we lovvveee our cooling undereye patches for early morning monitor drives.

🪩 (Kayti) I’m trying to be more intentional about my scrolling habits and stay off my phone in waiting rooms. I even got a Brick to help with setting social media boundaries, especially because I like to doomscroll and get on Reddit once I start getting results in. All this to say, I’m keeping books in my bag for appointments. Amy Gallo Ryan’s memoir about infertility and IVF is keeping me present and helping me to process big emotions during this journey (she may or may not be on the pod for season 3 👀), and, when I want fiction, it’s The Dream Hotel.

weekend mood:

Alternatively, I held out until the afternoon and waited to test until after we returned from Easter brunch, spending the whole day instead, wondering if I could finally be pregnant. I skipped the mimosa because what if, and cradled my three-month-old niece, the third baby for my sister-in-law. I stared out the window during our drive home, hoping, praying, and also knowing deep down the test would be negative. Still, I ran from the car to the bathroom after having purposefully held my pee for hours to get the strongest sample. You know how the rest of the story goes.

It never gets easier to revisit these memories or watch the videos of myself from that time. I recorded them because I told myself I’d want to remember. And yet I keep them in a hidden folder on my phone so they don’t catch me off guard when scrolling through my albums.

This year, Easter will look very different from 2023. I’ll be dressing our nine-month-old IVF daughter in a pastel jumper, and no one will remember how much it cost me to get here. I won’t even remember myself, not really. It’s only in quiet moments like these, when I sit down to write and force myself to open that box, that the sharpness of infertility resurfaces. Because we don’t ever truly forget, not really. Not even when we “beat it.” Not even when it’s “over.” How could we?

Wherever you are in your journey this spring — whether you’re staring at a negative test or anxiously awaiting retrieval results, whether you’re exploring new pathways to parenthood or changing the diaper of the miracle baby that cost you everything — we see your pain, and we carry it, too. It’s one of the things Amy and I love so dearly about this community and the relationships we’ve found through infertility and IVF. No one truly gets it like the person who is also carrying around a negative pregnancy test in their purse at Easter brunch, hoping and praying that maybe there is a faint line and “just test again in a few hours, and you’ll see it.” You’re not alone.

xo Kayti (and Amy)

🪩 Big changes for the pod

We’re so excited to announce what we’re calling the “pod hub,” a permanent home for the podcast via Substack and for community offerings like this newsletter. As a Substack subscriber, you can expect to get emails with:

• new pod episodes (season 3 dropping on April 24)

• the Friday newsletter (what you’re reading now)

• listener stories & access to the full archive of Everyone’s Getting Pregnant Without Me

• The option to upgrade to “The Broody Club” for bonus episodes, first dibs on merch drops + special promo codes from our favorite fertility support brands, and first access to community support groups (coming soon)

  Show me The Broody Club 👀

Alternatively, you can still listen to the pod on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube when new episodes drop if you’d prefer to opt out of the newsletter and offerings + just listen at your leisure - no hard feelings!

💜 small “j” joys:

• We love caboodles for organizing our IVF meds & these ones are under $15.

• A great read on prenatal vitamins (what you need and what you don’t).

• Because it feels like we’re all getting sick right now: high protein chicken noodle soup.

• Our favorite Good Hangs episode thus far.

• The most underrated and actually affordable water bottle that isn’t “trending”.

• This gentle guide to IVF from

weekend mood:

We Should Cut This is a bonus segment of the podcast for our paid subscribers and our way of saying “thank you” for supporting the show and helping us grow. We want to bring these conversations about infertility and IVF to more people, and this is a chance to sit with us in a more personal, behind-the-scenes way. Expect bonus content to drop sporadically (but frequently) so you can tune in whenever you wish. 🩷

Subscribe now

Read more

We Should Cut This is a bonus segment of the podcast for our paid subscribers and our way of saying “thank you” for supporting the show and helping us grow. We want to bring these conversations about infertility and IVF to more people, and this is a chance to sit with us in a more personal, behind-the-scenes way. Expect bonus content to drop sporadically (but frequently) so you can tune in whenever you wish. 🩷

Subscribe now

Read more

Elizabeth’s Story

*transcript provided for accessibility, but we recommend listening to the voice memo

I just listened to the episode about sex and infertility, and I realized I do have some things to tell you guys. I really identified with the part of the podcast when we were talking about how purity culture really messed up your sex life.

When my husband and I met, we were in college, and I wasn’t necessarily following the teachings of Christianity anymore, not really subscribing to purity culture anymore, and so we actually had a really great healthy sex life for the first part of our relationship.

And then I came back to the church. I was involved with the youth ministry, and I was having some open conversations with my youth pastor, and he made it very clear that we were sinning and needed to stop having sex, or I wouldn’t be able to work with the youth group anymore. And so we said okay fine, you know, let’s not have sex anymore. So for the last two years of our engagement before we got married, we were trying to not have sex.

And so we went from having this really vibrant, healthy, awesome sex life to “can’t even look at you because it might lead to sin.” Now we got married, and imagine that: it didn’t magically solve itself when we got married. There’s nothing magical that happens between I’m committed to you today, or I’m committed to you tomorrow, and now we’re married. So we had a really hard time turning that back on.

And then my husband went through a really hard time the first couple of years of our marriage, and that made it even harder. And so I wouldn’t say our sex life was doing great before infertility, but oh my goodness, we had no shot once we started to deal with trying to get pregnant. All of the ovulation strips and all of the timing and all of the “we have to have sex this night and this night and this night,” it was exhausting. And it killed any vibe that we possibly had left.

We tried all kinds of things. We had one of those inside-out octopuses, where if it was on the happy side, my husband knew that I was in that ovulation window and I would welcome any advance at any point. And you know, then I would turn it to the frowny face the rest of the cycle.

So that took some of the, you know, I’m doing all the initiating out of it. But we definitely struggled with his pressure to perform. He was such a trooper and so positive about everything and always willing to drop everything and have sex. But definitely that pressure to perform started to cause some problems, and then that stressed him out and that stressed me out.

So by the time we were starting our first cycles of IUI, it’s been such a relief to not have to have sex at any particular time. We’ve really happily handed that part over to the clinic and said, “Okay, we are all in on them getting me pregnant, and we’re not gonna worry about my fertile window at all, and we’re just gonna take the meds and do what they tell me to do.” Which, imagine that, has not magically turned our sex life back on. But it has given us a fighting chance again, I think.

The other thing that’s been really helpful is therapy. Obviously you guys talk about therapy a lot, but my therapist has kind of an Eastern medicine mentality, and she thinks in all of this my second chakra is blocked. And I’m still a little, you know, from a conservative Christian household. I’m not really sure how much I... I don’t know. I don’t know what to think about the chakras. But anyway, she told me I needed to do something flowy to get into my body and to be more comfortable in that pelvic chakra.

So in trying a few different classes, I’ve ended up taking pole dancing for the past year and a half, which has been the most life-changing and healing thing I have ever done for myself. It has changed the way I feel about my body on the days where I feel like my body’s not even mine to be able to show up and fully be present in my body, be proud of what I can do, feel sexy even when it’s not about having a partner. It’s just about me getting to feel sexy.

It’s been the best and most healing and strengthening experience for me personally as far as our sex life goes. And some of that has translated back home, and sometimes I come home and I do some of the tricks and show him some of the stuff. And, you know, some weeks I don’t. And it just translates into how I feel about my body and myself and my pelvic chakra, whatever that means.

And so, yeah, I mean, I think both purity culture and infertility have been really, really hard in our sex life. But we are doing the best we can, and I’m really lucky that my partner is really, really supportive. And, you know, we’re just kind of rolling with it. We’re trying to figure out, you know, what to do next and open to all the creative solutions. But, yeah, I hope this helps.

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Listen to "We Should Cut This"

Housekeeping: Last week, we announced paid subscriptions on Substack, but the Spotify integration got complicated, so we’re keeping all newsletter content free. The paid option is still available on Substack if you’d like to support FriedEggs and our work, but bonus episodes are available by subscribing on Spotify for $5/month (note that your $5 supports the podcast, not Spotify).

🛍️ What we’re wearing: sweatpants, duh

We don’t care that the weather is getting warmer. Crank that AC and let us live in our oversized fleece. Seriously. Anyone going through IVF knows: the jeans get packed away. And the shorts? Well, just, no.

Since we both take sweatpants matters very seriously and a too-tight leg cuff is enough to send us over the edge when we’re riding waves of estrogen, we want to share our tried-and-true, tested, and most-loved sweatpant brands with you all. Bookmark them for the next time you need some cozies.

• These classic jogger sweatpants are high-waisted, super soft and only $20. Love that they come in so many colors and different height options too.

• These wide-leg sweatpants don’t have cuffs if you prefer breeze and flow. And they are only $20.

• These mid-weight sweatpant joggers have a thick waistband and are perfect for colder weather (and cold doctors’ offices).

• If organic fabric is important to you, Pact is superior in quality and has bundle options (because we need more pairs!).

• These easy barrel pants aren’t sweats, but they are as comfortable as sweats and perfect for when we have a meeting or need to look presentable despite the IVF bloat. Currently more than 50% off.

• Another more elevated sweatpants option for when you need to go to the office.

weekend mood:

For one, you’re never fully okay, even when you convince yourself you are. You can be strong and struggling at the same time. I used to think struggling meant I was failing. Eventually, I realized it was the feeling that kept me going.

I also learned that asking for help feels hard because it is hard. Even though humans are wired for empathy, many of us are raised to believe we should be able to handle things on our own. But help carried me through those years. Sometimes it looked like calling a friend when the voice in my head insisted I was being a burden. Other times it meant therapy, or the quiet comfort of strangers online who understood infertility in a way most people couldn’t.

After a miscarriage one summer—six weeks of bleeding that eventually ended in the emergency room—something in me shifted. I reached out to a doctor for help managing the anxiety. I still remember sitting on the edge of our bed, the small pill in my hand, crying while my husband held it with me. I wanted relief, but I hated that I couldn’t just power through on my own.

At the time, IVF was still ahead of us. I had no idea how the story would end. What I did know was that telling the truth helped. Saying out loud that I wasn’t okay didn’t change the circumstances, but it made the weight a little easier to carry.

In some ways, when I can step back and see the bigger picture, which I’ll admit is very rare, I recognize how beautiful and complex infertility is. Each of us has our struggles, valleys through which we must walk. But it’s when we admit the truth—that we are not okay—that we learn how to keep living amidst the pain.

This was the hardest lesson for me during that time: waking every morning with grief by my side and still getting out of bed. Infertility was not a season of my life but a daily companion. I had to learn to live alongside it, just like I had to learn how to rely on my community and loved ones to carry me when I couldn’t carry myself.

Sending you all so much love this weekend 🩷

Kayti

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🎧 Coming soon: bts episodes

We’re so excited to share that starting next week, we’ll be launching mini behind-the-scenes episodes, available exclusively on Substack for paid subscribers. These episodes and video clips are in addition to our regular podcast (season 3 drops this spring!) and will feature just the two of us, bantering about infertility, IVF, life, women’s health care, and more. We’ll also share more real-time insider details about where we both are in our journeys—more than what’s shared on the public podcast. Basically, all the things we want to say but don’t, because of, well… internet trolls.

Paid subscriptions are $7/month or $75/year. Of course, if payment is ever a barrier, please please please reach out. We’ll gift you a paid comp, no questions asked.

💜 Everyone’s getting pregnant without me:

We are so grateful to Cathryn for sending us her story about recurrent loss and trying to conceive with balanced translocation:

Note: We’ve turned on paid subscriptions for our listener stories because they’re so personal and sensitive. You can upgrade here. If cost is a barrier, just reach out—we’re happy to offer a free subscription, no questions asked.

💜 Amy’s small “j” joys:

• I got my hair cut and a root gloss for the greysss baby for the first time in like seven months and oh my god I feel like a new person!

• I introduced Nima’s 92-year-old grandma to red light therapy, and she loves it (love this mask + it’s HSA/FSA eligible). For a mask closer to $100, we’ve heard good things about this one, but haven’t tried it ourselves!

• We’re caught up on Shrinking and I could not stop crying about the gay couple finally being able to adopt a baby!

• We spent Wednesday evening with Nima’s fam eating incredible home-cooked Persian comfort food, talking about what they love about Iran and what places they hope to show Ken (his step-dad) and me one day.

• weekend mood:

  

*Parts of the intro essay were originally published in The Good Trade in 2023. I’ve reworked it for this newsletter and relevance.

Let me start by saying I carry a balanced translocation—this is a unique and brutal factor that can lead to infertility that I don’t see much awareness for, so I’m hoping my story can shed some light and help others feel less alone. For those who don’t know, there are many types of balanced translocations, and each type has a different “success ratio.” Having a balanced translocation means I have a chromosomal rearrangement, but no missing or extra DNA, which is why I’ve fortunately been able to live a healthy life. However, it also means that every time an embryo is created with one of my eggs—whether through natural conception or IVF—there’s a ~70% it will miscarry due to having an unbalanced translocation, meaning there is missing or extra DNA. This 70/30 ratio is specific to my translocation; other translocations have different ratios, but the gist remains the same: Having a balanced translocation makes it uniquely hard to have a successful pregnancy, in that the odds are really stacked against us.

I was fortunate to already know this before Evan and I started trying to conceive, as my mom carried this balanced translocation as well and suffered 10 miscarriages (yes, she’s amazing). She also successfully gave birth to both my brother and me, proving this really is a numbers game, but it’s possible to make it to the other side. Many others in the balanced translocation community don’t learn they carry this until much later, making it a shocking and heart-wrenching diagnosis.

All that said, there’s no way you can really know how difficult this experience is until you go through it. When Evan and I started trying, we knew we’d likely have some losses before successes, but again, we figured it was a numbers game and would just ride the storm because these were the cards we’d been dealt, and we couldn’t change them.

We began trying naturally and were lucky enough to get pregnant a few months in; sadly, it ended in miscarriage at 6 weeks. Several months later, I got pregnant again—only to again, end in early miscarriage. Another several months later, I got pregnant for the third time, which ended in early miscarriage too. Needless to say, this was soul-crushing, but I thought, “At least we’re getting pregnant. We’ll beat the odds eventually. Keep going.”

Then the pregnancies just stopped. Negative test after negative test. It was wild—why was this happening? What had changed? I did have a few chemical pregnancies, but nothing that ever implanted or made it past a super faint line for a day or two. My doctor had me do a saline ultrasound and an endometrial biopsy, and she had Evan do a semen analysis. All came back normal. She had us both start taking some supplements that could only help, but no significant issues were spotted. I was told there’s no reason I shouldn’t be able to get pregnant again.

Once a full year passed with no success, we decided it was time to try fertility treatments. We started with IUI: the first one ended in a chemical pregnancy, the second and third failed. The next logical step was to try IVF. As scary as this was, I felt an immense sense of relief knowing we’d be able to use PGT testing to spot whether an embryo was unbalanced. I truly thought, “This is it. We’ll be able to pinpoint a balanced embryo to transfer and won’t have to worry as much about miscarrying. Let’s go!” That was not how things went.

While we are very blessed to have been able to create embryos from every cycle (I know many people struggle to make it that far), we haven’t been able to make more than two embryos at a time. And with the balanced translocation being such a hard numbers game, it was quickly apparent that IVF wouldn’t be as easy a solution as we thought. Across three cycles, we created five embryos, all of which came back unbalanced.

Our fourth cycle gave us two embryos that were graded as high quality, and that made us quite optimistic. We waited a grueling two weeks for the PGT results (that wait is more painful than any injection, if you ask me), which finally arrived yesterday, as I mentioned at the top of my story—those embryos came back balanced (!!), but with other chromosomal issues that made them unusable. I literally couldn’t believe what I was hearing. We finally created not one, but two balanced embryos, only for them to both have other abnormalities? I couldn’t hold myself back from crying as I responded to the genetics counselor. I was in shock and disbelief. Would this ever work for us? Is there yet another issue on top of the translocation that hasn’t been spotted, or is this just seriously terrible luck?

Sadly, these results were a reminder that just because we have this awful challenge with the translocation doesn’t mean we’re immune to other, more “random” chromosomal issues that can happen to anybody. And that is a cruel, tough pill to swallow. I sobbed in pure agony for about an hour right after that, while Evan, the incredible gem he is, held me the entire time as he processed and grieved the news himself.

So here I am today, still processing this insane news and grieving. I can’t believe how much we’ve been through. I can’t believe we haven’t caught a break yet. I can’t believe how many other women have gotten pregnant and had babies (some more than once) in the time we’ve been trying for one.

And yet, I still have hope. It’s getting harder and harder to see the light, but somehow I haven’t lost my hope. Maybe it’s because of my brother’s and my very existences. Maybe it’s because my balanced translocation has a ~30% success rate. Maybe it’s because we finally did create balanced embryos this past cycle. Maybe it’s because my doctor has told me multiple times she believes this is possible for us, but just doesn’t know how long it’ll take. Or maybe it’s because I feel deep in my gut that I’m meant to be a mom. I believe this is meant for us. I know we deserve and can do this.

Every time I’ve started miscarrying or gotten that dreaded “Unfortunately, I don’t have good news…” phone call, I’ve sunken into a deep sadness where I feel utterly hopeless and ready to give up. But not less than 24 hours later, I always find myself ready to try again, knowing it’s possible for it to work. I’m sure many women in the infertility community can relate to that, and I think that’s pretty incredible. We’re a special breed. While I know none of us would wish this upon anyone or ourselves, I believe we are all so much stronger because of it. Our patience, resilience, and courage get tested in ways we never could have imagined, and that many other people will never know. This has made my marriage unbelievably stronger as well—our love and support for each other have grown exponentially, and we’ve learned that we can truly go through the trenches together. For that, I am eternally grateful.

So while I don’t currently have a successful pregnancy or live birth to end this story with, I’m sharing other successes that I hope others can see in their journeys as well: learning that I can give myself hundreds of injections; discovering how brave I really am; a genuine recognition of all I have in my life to be grateful for; and most importantly, my ability to keep fighting and never lose hope.

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Then the year turned. January came, and suddenly we were by the ocean, the sun beating down as yellow flowers dotted the cliffsides. We held our breath, trusted a new doctor, and tried again. It was one of the scariest and bravest things I’ve ever done—to hope again after that same hope had been crushed months earlier. We ended up with two PGT-normal embryos. One of those embryos is now my eight-month-old daughter.

Something I think about a lot with infertility is how many places hold memories. I walk through the world with my baby and keep running into older versions of myself. Coffee shops where I journaled. Streets I walked the dog while waiting for phone calls. Restaurants and stores where I watched other moms and thought, that might never be me.

This week, a friend surprised me with her pregnancy announcement. She held up her ultrasound on FaceTime and I immediately started crying. No one had ever surprised me before, because I was always the friend who needed to be told gently. It was something I didn’t even realize I had lost because of infertility — and in that moment, I felt it come back.

With spring just a few weeks away, I keep thinking about how fast things can shift. I know how empty those words feel when you’re in the middle of infertility and IVF treatments. But I think about the long drive I made twice in late 2023 and early 2024, almost six months apart. The first time was after an email from our clinic saying none of our embryos had made it. I had a panic attack and barely remember driving back to Los Angeles. That was October. By March, I was driving that same stretch of highway when our new clinic called to say we had two healthy embryos. Same drive. Same playlist. My hair only barely longer.

And yet.

If you’re in it right now, I know how heavy the waiting and wondering is. Will it ever change? When will it change? Will I ever recover from this? You don’t need to feel hopeful. You don’t need to stay positive. That’s not what this is about. Rather, it’s about putting one foot in front of the next. That’s all we can really do, I think. Getting through the day is enough. It’s brave and hard, and it’s enough.

But if I can offer you this — an offering to you and for an older version of myself. Know that it can change. The sun does come out. And suddenly it’s spring.

xx Kayti

🎧 and that’s a wrap!

We’ve officially wrapped season 2 — can you believe it?! ✨ You can catch up on all the episodes on Spotify and Apple. We’ll be back later this spring for season 3, and we have such a beautiful, stacked lineup of guests. We can’t wait for you to listen and share these conversations with us!

💜 small “j” joys:

• With concerns about data collection and the pull to get off our phones, we are loving this book for tracking our hormones analog-style

• One of our favorite woman-owned brands for prenatals, protein, CoQ-10, and more is offering 15% off for FriedEggs listeners - use code FRIEDEGGSPODCAST15

• this social media trend (can you tell who is who?!)

• an important conversation about men’s fertility that gives us so much hope

• the cutest little egg pan to get our choline 🥹

  weekend mood:

  

It’s Friday. I’m sitting in a coffee shop trying to survive the “cold” in LA (which is 50 degrees and windy, for anyone keeping score). It still amazes me that I grew up in the mountains, where winter meant single-digit temps, then went to grad school in what might be the greyest city on earth (London)… and now 50 degrees feels borderline unbearable.

It’s made me think a lot about adaptability — how we adjust to wherever we are, and whatever we’re moving through. I think that’s part of how so many of us survive years of infertility and IVF. It becomes the only climate we know, so we learn how to exist inside it. Not because it’s easy or painless, but because we have to. And then, maybe one day, when we finally reach the other side, we realize just how heavy it all actually was. Maybe this is a terrible analogy, but it’s been sitting with me lately as I relearn how to exist as a new mom and as someone now navigating life after IVF.

A few updates from our end:

• Amy shared some stories on Instagram about insurance issues she’s dealing with during her current IVF cycle. If you’ve been through something similar, send us a DM or comment — we’d love to crowdsource advice and experiences.

• Today’s episode was our season 2 finale (episode 49!). We’re taking a short winter break, but we’ll still be around on social and in your inbox. Season 3 drops in April, and we cannot wait.

• We are THREE reviews away from hitting 100 on Apple Podcasts. If you haven’t left one yet, we’d be so grateful. (Leave a review here.)

• One of our listeners sent us a video of her eggs being fertilized and gave us permission to share it. It’s so incredible and makes us emotional!

Sending you all so much love this weekend 🤍

Kayti (and Amy)

🎧 new on the pod:

Today, we’re joined by Dr. Sarah Oreck, founder of Mavida Health and a reproductive psychologist specializing in infertility, IVF, pregnancy, and postpartum mental health. We talk about the emotional impact of infertility and fertility treatments, why mental health care is such a critical — and often missing — part of reproductive healthcare, and how therapy and emotional support can improve the fertility journey.

Listen on Apple

Listen on Spotify

💜 small “j” joys:

• The search for the greatest eye patches continues, and we just got our hands on these ones / are giving them 4 out of 5 stars

• I just swapped my beige phone case for a bright yellow one, and I think it’s helping my mental health. (also I am not losing it as often 😂) - Kayti

• This Citizenry organic duvet cover dupe that I just bought - cozy vibes!!! - Kayti

• We are not okay in Los Angeles

• These cute little picture frames that we want to use to frame our embryo scans

• weekend mood (credit)

  

Dr. Oreck shares expert insight from her clinical work, common struggles she sees in patients going through IVF, and practical ways to support mental health during fertility treatments.

Follow Dr. Oreck on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahoreckmd

Learn more about Mavida Health: https://www.mavidahealth.com/

⭐️ If the pod has helped you feel less alone in infertility or IVF, please follow and rate us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts — it helps more people find support!

💌 Join the worst club with the best members: friedeggspodcast.substack.com

🎶 music by Fog Chaser
🎥 photography by 20Twenty Productions

Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized care.

If you’re in the thick of IVF and infertility, today can bring up a lot. Sex and intimacy are already complicated, but infertility takes everything to another level. Maybe you’re bloated and bruised from treatments. Maybe meds and upcoming procedures mean sex is totally off the table. Or maybe you’re ovulating (godspeed), feeling all the hope, pressure, and everything that comes with another cycle of trying.

It’s hard to feel sexy when your body feels like a science experiment. It’s hard to feel playful and romantic when everything feels so serious and heavy. And it’s hard to celebrate love when so much of your relationship energy is going into just getting through the day.

As we always say on the pod and in this newsletter: you are not alone. We are with you. Intimacy is hard, and infertility and IVF make it harder.

One thing we’re clinging to today: sometimes intimacy means going back to basics. A coffee date with your partner. A walk together. Holding hands on the couch (actually sitting close!). Putting on lipstick and perfume (we won’t tell your RE). Laughing. Remembering you’re on the same team.

And sometimes intimacy looks like skipping Valentine’s Day entirely and wearing sweatpants. It’s okay to admit that today feels heavy. Be bah humbug about it! There will be seasons for romance, and it’s okay if this isn’t one of them. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your relationship is simply say: This is hard. Let’s not fake it.

However today looks for you, we’re right here with you.

With love,
Amy + Kayti

🎧 new on the pod:

Let’s talk about sex, bb — minus the babies. Today’s episode starts a conversation we hope to keep going: how infertility and IVF impact sex and physical intimacy. When everything is timed to ovulation and driven by pressure, how do you keep romance alive?

Listen on Apple

Listen on Spotify

💜 everyone’s getting pregnant without me:

Jenny’s story is one of fight and optimism despite setbacks, bad news, and miscommunication from her medical team. We’re so grateful to share it with this community. Follow more of her writing at .

🌶️ a Valentine’s Day discount for subscribers:

We love how chic LBDO makes pleasure and intimacy feel. The little vibes are so cute, and the bath salts and massage oils are perfect for bringing back romance and connection. Our favorite pelvic floor doctor is a big fan, too, and has a discount for listeners!

Use code RACHEL15 for 15% off.

After experiencing two chemical pregnancies in our first year of trying to get pregnant, I had a feeling that something wasn’t quite right. Even though my periods were regular, they had been very light for a few years. Combined with the losses, it was enough for me to decide to investigate further.

I asked my OB for a referral to a reproductive endocrinologist, AKA a fertility doctor.

We agreed to move forward with a basic fertility workup, which includes fertility hormone testing, a semen analysis, and a uterine cavity evaluation — or a physical assessment of the uterus to test for any mechanical barriers to fertility. Think fallopian tube blockage, polyps, scar tissue, and structural abnormalities.

Together with fertility hormone blood tests (more on that later), one of our first steps was a hysterosalpingogram, or HSG, an X-ray dye test that allows a clear view of the uterus.

The test is quick, but more intense than I was anticipating. The provider inserts dye into your uterine cavity, which shows an outline of your uterus and fallopian tubes that stands out clearly on an X-ray. And it hurt. In some cases, including mine, the cervix needs to be dilated with a catheter to allow for the insertion of the dye. Deep breaths and pain meds are your best friends here!

However, it was illuminating — literally and figuratively. I immediately saw on the screen the solid outline of scar tissue around my cervix, along the walls of my uterus, and partially blocking my right fallopian tube. My doctor told me that I likely had Asherman Syndrome.

Asherman's Syndrome is characterized by the presence of scar tissue (you might hear it referred to as adhesions) in the uterus. These adhesions can be a physical cause of infertility: they can prevent uterine lining from growing, block the fallopian tubes or cervix, and stop an embryo from implanting or growing. It is considered rare, and the causes of the development of the tissue aren’t really known. It can lead to menstrual issues, pain, and infertility.

Asherman Syndrome is usually preempted by something that caused physical trauma to the uterus, such as D&C following a miscarriage, a surgery, or childbirth. But none of these applied to me.

My doctor believed it could have been caused by the insertion of my IUD. I say this not to freak out anyone with an IUD — even after this experience, I am still generally a proponent — but in case it validates anyone with a similar experience. You won’t find IUD insertion listed as a cause on any websites about Asherman; it’s incredibly rare, but it can happen.

As a next step, my doctor recommended a hysteroscopy, a minimally-invasive surgery that involves inserting a hysteroscope (tube with a light and a camera) through the cervix to examine and diagnose uterine issues, and in many cases like mine, using other tools to physically remove abnormalities like polyps, fibroids, and, of course, scar tissue.

I felt frustrated but hopeful. On one hand, I struggled to believe that we were facing such a difficult (literal) barrier to getting pregnant. On the other, the optimistic side of me believed that this would be our fix: after the hysteroscopy, our issues would be solved and I would get pregnant easily.

The procedure was frankly a piece of cake compared with the HSG. I was placed under deep IV sedation for less than an hour, not unlike an IVF egg retrieval, I would come to understand later. When I woke up, my doctor confirmed they removed the adhesions and that the procedure was successful.

Recovery was quick, with one day on the couch and some mild cramping.

The most unpleasant surprise of the experience was the post-procedure protocol. I was told after the hysteroscopy — not before — that I was to begin a month-long daily dose of oral estrogen. The goal was clear and understandable: estrogen supports the growth of the uterine lining and aims to prevent the recurrence of any scarring.

It wasn’t the protocol itself that I was so taken aback by, but the side effects of the estrogen. For the month I was taking it, I had severe mood swings, cried at the drop of a hat, and was emotionally knocked sideways by things at which I wouldn’t normally bat an eye. My experience, I came to learn later, is quite a common one.

If I had known beforehand that this was coming, I would have been able to better prepare myself for it emotionally.

On to the fertility hormone blood tests -- likely what you think of when “testing your fertility” comes to mind. My doctors conducted these hormone tests at two different points in my journey. The first time, the lab report I received showed nothing outside the “normal” range for my age. I saw a lot of green on the charts and took that as a good sign (green means go, right?).

Importantly, I would come to find later, my doctor didn’t sit down with me to review them.

The second time was when I established care with a new doctor after we moved to Los Angeles the following year. Given my first results, I approached the testing as a simple formality, assuming we would go through the motions then go on our merry way.

I will always remember it: Matt and I got the results through my clinic’s portal one evening when we arrived home from a dinner. The message showed our results: “AMH = 0.7. FSH = 20.1. Consistent with diagnosis of low ovarian reserve.” That’s it.

We hadn’t heard that term before, so naturally we began to Google. At first glance, the results appeared devastating. We panic-scrolled past phrases like “older biological age”, “poor response to treatment”, “premature ovarian failure”, even “early menopause”. Various resources showed that expected numbers for my age were around 1.5-2.5 AMH and <10 FSH.

We sobbed. We questioned our future.

But we quickly found that the information online about ovarian reserve is confusing: one article is strewn with shocking phrases like the ones we saw, and the next the reader is assured that AMH is not a measure of one’s natural, immediate fertility. We were terrified but also stumped.

When we were finally able to talk with my doctor about the results, she was surprised that we were so surprised by the results. Her assessment of my previous results from my other doctor (lots of green!) was that I was on the very low end of normal ovarian reserve levels: I was on the precipice of a low ovarian reserve diagnosis even then. No one had told me.

She explained that my low ovarian reserve might not impact our fertility in the next couple of years (again, that AMH alone isn’t a measure of your natural fertility), but it would make the feasibility of childbearing beyond that uncertain. In other words, I had fewer eggs remaining, and my timeline was likely shorter than others my age.

She shared that if Matt and I had a goal of having multiple children — which we do — that she strongly recommended IVF to bank embryos. I recall her saying we “didn’t have a lot of time”. However, she also said that my low reserve might make treatment more difficult. The fewer eggs you have, the fewer you tend to retrieve in IVF. It could be a difficult journey, but it could also provide us with more time.

We decided on the spot to move forward with IVF.

We were stunned at first — we never expected we would end up here. At the same time, we were eager to get started and optimistic about our chances.

My doctor walked me through what would happen next: we discussed the necessary medications, the cadence of appointments, the potential timeline of my retrieval. I have a hazy memory of her mentioning that there is, on average, a 5% chance of an IVF cycle yielding no fertilized eggs. But what we didn’t discuss, and I didn’t think to ask, was what my expected outcome was given my diagnoses.

In fact, I remember sheepishly confiding that we were really hoping to only have to undergo one cycle — we don’t have IVF insurance coverage and the budget was going to be a stretch. She said, “OK”.

My antral follicle count (AFC) at the start of the cycle was 8 — low for my age at the time, but not devastatingly so. But as the cycle went on, my ultrasounds showed disappointing results. Only 3 follicles were growing as expected; the others trailed far behind. My retrieval date was incrementally, painstakingly pushed out a day at a time in hopes of coaxing more follicles to grow (which is to say, daily appointments and a nightmare of a work schedule).

In the end, we retrieved 4 eggs.

I felt a confusing mix of disappointment and hope. I was crushed we didn’t retrieve more and knew this likely meant a longer road ahead. But I was glad we had something.

Then came (what I now know as) the gauntlet of the fertilization process. Initially, 3 of the 4 eggs showed signs of fertilization. A couple of days later, we got word that all 3 had stopped growing.

None of them developed into blastocysts.

We had pushed through the retrieval cycle, shelled out more money than we ever expected to spend, and had zero embryos to show for it. I hung up the call with the clinic and sobbed on the bathroom floor, the weight of it absolutely flattening me. We questioned our future, questioned if we truly would be able to have biological children. But we kept going.

Our journey is far from over. A new clinic, three more (thankfully successful!) egg retrievals, two canceled embryo transfer cycles, and a second hysteroscopy (yep, the scarring came back) later, we’re not out of the woods. But we’re hopeful -- we don’t know when, or how, we will hold our baby in our arms, but I know we will.

Learn more about ’s story on her Substack, The Two Week Wait.

Leave a comment

share your infertility story with us

Thank you to our listeners who vulnerably shared their stories — listen through the end of the episode to hear from the community.

⭐️ If the pod has helped you feel seen, please follow and rate us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps others in the infertility community find us.

💌 Join the worst club with the best members: friedeggspodcast.substack.com

🎶 music by Fog Chaser

🎥 photography by 20Twenty Productions

Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized care

While the gravity of everything happening in the world hasn’t magically disappeared because the calendar flipped, we’re still glad to be in a new month and inching our way closer to spring. Also, does anyone know if the groundhog saw his shadow? (Pause for a Google search…😑 he did.)

Something interesting happened on the internet this past week, and while it wasn’t a new trend by any means, it feels worth noting since it was one of those rare moments when social media actually felt good.

If you watched the Grammys, you saw Bad Bunny win Album of the Year, and also that clip of him getting emotional. It turned into an instant meme, and almost immediately, the infertility corner of the internet jumped on the trend. IVF accounts, reproductive endocrinologists, clinics, us — everyone was posting the same image with captions that were painfully accurate.

We didn’t expect to love this trend so much, but after everything we witnessed on social media in January, it felt good to see moments of joy again. For many of us navigating infertility, social media is a refuge and a place to find connection, understanding, and community (when we’re not dodging pregnancy announcements).

At the same time, these same spaces carry the very real and necessary coverage of what’s happening in our nation and across the world. Holding both can feel heavy. Some days we come here to stay informed and speak out. Other days, we come here to breathe, laugh, and feel less alone after getting another negative pregnancy test. Often, it’s all of those things at once.

And so seeing something familiar and relatable — even just a viral meme — brought a little levity back into the mix. It was also a reminder that this community is funny as hell.

Seeing thousands of you all like, share, and comment on the same images featuring all the same tropes we loathe made the world feel a tiny bit lighter. It definitely made us feel less alone. It was a tiny and much-needed reminder that other people are here, too.

Anyway, if you’ve seen it, you get it. If you haven’t, you have now. We loved it, and we loved what it brought to this community in a moment when things felt especially heavy, both in the world and in the fertility community.

Here’s to hoping February brings more lighthearted moments, a whole lot of healing, and weather that suggests winter is on its way out.

Sending you all so much love,
Amy & Kayti

🎧 new on the pod:

In the latest episode of the pod, we chatted with Rosie Nestingen, co-founder of Rebloom Health, a space for families navigating infertility, pregnancy loss, and adoption loss. Rosie shares her personal journey—from late-term pregnancy loss to having her daughter to navigating secondary infertility—as well as some major health challenges along the way, including a brain aneurysm and surgery. Watch our conversation on YouTube and be sure to follow Rosie on social media to learn more about Rebloom Health and everything they plan to offer for this community in 2026. x

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

💜 everyone’s getting pregnant without me:

This week, we’re sharing an essay from and . Aliza joined us on the podcast last summer to talk about her experience with loss, secondary infertility, and surrogacy, and her essay feels like an extension of that conversation. It captures the nuance of infertility in a way that feels deeply personal, devastating, and beautiful all at once.

platonic love

Issue #127: An infertility update

Hi, friends. Aliza here. A few weeks ago, after an early Sunday yoga class, I sat down to write in a quiet café booth. Those uninterrupted moments are precious and rare — and this essay poured out of me. It’s about New Year’s resolutions. It’s also about what’s going on with my fertility…

Read more

3 months ago · 238 likes · 43 comments · Aliza Sir and Platonic Love

Small ‘j’ joys:

✨This lip oil we put on every single night before bed! It makes us feel so fancy and pampered.

✨ Alec’s ice cream YUMMM

✨ A weekend DIY project kit to keep us off our phones

✨ Farmer’s market strawberries 🍓

✨ A new coffee shop that opened up two blocks away from my (Kayti’s) house, so I can spend even more money on iced lattes. #treats

✨ a reminder that brighter days are ahead

⭐️ If the pod has helped you feel seen, please follow and rate us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps others in the infertility community find us.

💌 Join the worst club with the best members: friedeggspodcast.substack.com

🎶 music by Fog Chaser

🎥 photography by 20Twenty Productions

Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized care