Summer is officially in full swing, as is the infamous “June Gloom” in Los Angeles. The sky is gray and moody in the mornings, which I secretly love—it reminds me of the years I lived in London for grad school (a different life, when having a cigarette with my peers felt cool, and I never thought about toxins or how things might be affecting my fertility).

One of the things I found most helpful during my 4-year infertility/IVF journey was relying on nostalgia to remind myself that my life is so much bigger and fuller than needles and negative pregnancy tests. As someone who can very easily get tunnel vision, reminiscing on things like travel, pubs, and all the memories that make up my life outside of trying to get pregnant was crucial in my darkest moments.

As we shared on the podcast this past week, my daughter was born last June, so I’ve been reflecting a lot on the journey it took to get to her. While I’m not currently in the thick of infertility or IVF treatments, my life still feels very much marked by that season. Reminiscing on this past year of postpartum, and the 10 months of pregnancy anxiety before that, I’m realizing a lot of the habits I relied on during infertility treatments have also helped me regulate my nervous system and come back to myself when I feel overwhelmed now.

Sharing them here in case any resonate, or so you can borrow them if you need them. They aren’t unique, and I am sure you’ve heard them before, but they are worth sharing because they can actually be life-changing. Feel free to share your own daily habits in the comments below—we’d love to hear them.

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🩷 5 daily habits for surviving infertility

1. A simple skincare routine. When I started diving into Reddit threads to prepare myself for postpartum, one piece of advice was consistent: take a shower, brush your teeth, and wash your face (daily). This landed because these were small daily habits that could literally change my mood instantly while going through infertility. Having a face wash and moisturizer that I loved—and even a sheet mask or eye patches—made me feel like I was caring for myself despite the world crashing down around me. It helped me wake up and feel just 2% more put together. It's actually magical how two minutes in front of the sink with a good cleanser can make you feel like a different person.

   

2. Reading a physical book. I wish I had read more while going through infertility, because my headspace changes so much when I'm reading a book as opposed to scrolling on my phone. Having a good novel on hand for waiting rooms and for comfort and escape at the end of the day is one of the best acts of self-care. I even sleep better when I read instead of scrolling Reddit or social media at night (who would have thought). Here’s what I’m currently reading.

3. Walking outside. As someone who works a desk job and can quite literally survive indoors for multiple days, getting outside and going for a walk around my neighborhood is paramount to clearing my head. This is usually when I remember to breathe and drink water. Also, seeing the trees, the sky, and other people helps with the tunnel vision.

   

4. Dopamine hugs. The science shows: hugs boost our mood. And as someone who rarely slows down and forgets to breathe, pausing to embrace my husband for 15-20 seconds throughout the day calms my nervous system and helps me feel safe. Try it the next time you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed.

5. Daily treats. Of course, this is on the list! During postpartum, I never limited myself when it came to treats. This included getting a daily iced coffee, ordering takeout at the end of the week, splurging on a fancy bottle of wine, picking up fresh flowers for the house. I realized this habit came from my years of infertility and IVF, because treats were literally how I survived some days—the comfort of my favorite coffee after a hard IVF appointment, ordering sushi to eat on the couch when I got my period (again), etc. The treats help!!!

   

🎧 new on the pod:

It only took us a year, but we’re finally talking about the birth story. This is part one of a two-part episode and includes discussions of pregnancy and a traumatic birth experience. Guard your heart if needed 🩷

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube!

🪩 a special discount for listeners

This summer, we’re partnering with Tempdrop, a basal body temperature sensor with an accompanying fertility app to help you identify your fertile window. If you’ve ever used an oral thermometer to track your BBT, this is a game-changer for getting more accurate data without setting your alarm in the morning.

Today only, you can save 30% by stacking our code (AFFRIEDEGGS) with the 20% off prime deal on their site!!

weekend mood:

After we first started trying, I became obsessed with tracking my cycles and timing intercourse. When doctors gave us canned answers about “normal tests” and told us to just keep trying, I did what I do best (big firstborn energy) and dove headfirst into research. I didn’t have the vocabulary for reproductive endocrinologists yet, and our HMO required referrals for everything, so instead I spent my time arguing with nurses and OBs, begging them to run further tests to figure out why we couldn’t get pregnant.

Mostly when I look back, I feel tired. Absent. The days blur into one long stretch of time.

The same way I’ve blocked out much of my infertility experience, I’ve found myself blocking out the “before” of becoming a mother, starting with my daughter’s birth. There’s a split in my life. Not just because my identity shifted, but because the pain was too much to carry into the next chapter. So my brain decided to leave it all behind in the postpartum ward.

We’re recording the birth episode this week, and I’ve been trying to dig up memories that aren’t just doctors’ notes. The moment I was wheeled into the OR, staring up at the lights, feeling like I might not open my eyes again. Red toilet water after the nurse helped me to the bathroom. The first bite of the Chipotle burrito I’d been craving while everyone passed our baby around, wrapped like a tiny burrito herself. The way I cried for days because my uterus contracted so hard every time I tried to breastfeed and made my insides feel like jello.

Birth was my breaking point. After years of being poked and exposed and bruised, my body finally said enough. My cervix tore, I hemorrhaged, and I became completely helpless. Like so many times before, I was at the mercy of my medical team to stitch me back together. And even then, my body kept protesting through recovery. Those first weeks home came with COVID, UTIs, and loose stitches. There was no real rest. Not until late summer, though I can’t really pinpoint when I started to feel like myself again.

I’m summarizing here, getting words on the page as I begin to process ahead of our recording this weekend. I can feel myself needing to take a beat and finally breathe.

A few weeks ago, Amy and I went to a breathwork class on a Saturday, and we both sobbed through the whole thing, for different reasons and the same ones. There is so much stored in all of our bodies, no matter where we’re at on this journey.

My hope is that by talking about it, I can let some of it out, make sense of it and maybe find some closure. Or maybe, like breath itself, I can finally exhale so I can inhale again.

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🎧 new on the pod:

This week’s episode covers a lot of ground, including a conversation about when to tell your family and friends about your IVF transfer.

As a reminder, we now have extended versions of the podcast for paid subscribers if you want more BTS banter (this week’s was about Justin Bieber at Coachella, buying a house in southern CA, and kitchen dance parties/cold plunges to reset our mood)

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube!

💜 a special discount for listeners

This summer, we’re partnering with Tempdrop, a basal body temperature sensor with an accompanying fertility app to help you identify your fertile window. If you’ve ever used an oral thermometer to track your BBT, this is a game-changer for getting more accurate data without setting your alarm in the morning. Use code AFFRIEDEGGS for 10% off your order.

community note

We’re so excited to share this opportunity for women navigating infertility: a therapy-based retreat called Therapeia, taking place this October in Orlando, Florida, designed to offer structured emotional and clinical support during the fertility journey. The retreat was inspired by the founder’s own IVF journey and what she wished had existed during her care, and it includes daily 1:1 sessions with licensed therapists, a physician-created healing program focused on the emotional weight of treatment, and ongoing virtual support and community after participants return home. Learn more here.

weekend mood

If you love the pod, help us grow by hitting follow and leaving a review on Spotify and Apple. And then join us on Instagram, where we post daily memes and reels that help us get through infertility. 🩷

This retrieval round was a sort of “last call” on these ovaries, one more try before my AMH fully bottoms out and it becomes even more impossible to squeeze out any more healthy eggs from my dwindling follicles. If you’ve been here awhile, you know my road to parenthood has been long and rocky, with pregnancy loss, over a dozen procedures, a uterus that won’t play nice, and now a gracious turn to gestational surrogacy. To give ourselves the best shot at the family we dream of, I know we need options, and I’m so grateful to have been able to make these embryos while I still can before my fertility fades further. I hope they are enough to get us to baby one day.

Like past retrievals, this one became my whole personality for those few weeks. It was full of ups and downs, moments of confidence followed cliff-edge drop-offs of anxiety and fear. No matter the AFC (antral follicle count) you’re starting from, the attrition drop-off through the cycle — eggs retrieved > eggs mature > fertilized > day 5-7 blast > PGT-A (or other) results — is real. Not even 4 previous rounds can prevent the ensuing anxiety spiral. So yes, I am relieved to be on the other side of injections, surgery, the accompanying bloat. But above all else, I’m relieved to be on the other side of test results.

For those of us still in the never-ending dread of waiting, we see you and we’re holding out hope for you. With all the love, no matter the results, you will be okay. You can get through this. 💛

🎧 new on the pod:

I share all the details from this retrieval and the results in this week’s episode. Kayti also reflects on her past retrieval experiences and puts me in the hot seat with a bunch of listener questions.

One topic that came up again and again was the post-retrieval debrief, or what our IVF community affectionately calls the “what the f* appointment.” Asking your doctor tough questions can feel intimidating, but someone’s gotta do it. And the best person to advocate for you and your care is…you.

After years of navigating infertility and meeting with more doctors than I can count, I’m no longer shy about asking for clarity. The more you understand about your treatment, the better equipped you are to make informed decisions about what comes next.

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube!

💜 small “j” joys:

• (ok this is a BIG “J” joy) Kayti bought a house!!!!!!!! (pending escrow and if she can survive the stress). It has the cutest garden and office for podcasting.

• It’s watermelon season! 🍉

• We got together for a friends dinner and road bikes through the neighborhood like a kid gang, so nostalgic!

• The high school next to Nima’s grandmother’s house has an agricultural program and recently welcomed baby goats! They are the cutest!

👯‍♀️ weekend mood:

If you love the pod, help us grow by hitting follow and leaving a review on Spotify and Apple. And then join us on Instagram, where we post daily memes and reels that help us get through infertility. 🩷

It’s been two years and eight months since our first egg retrieval failed, one year and eight months since our frozen embryo transfer worked. It’s been eleven months since I gave birth to our daughter.

Time means nothing and everything when you’re going through infertility. It doesn’t slow yet the days feel impossibly long. More than anything, time can erase you. I don’t recognize who I am anymore—not since postpartum and motherhood but neither since infertility and IVF.

In the early days of infertility, I listened to music all of the time which I rarely do anymore because it feels too stimulating or too familiar of a life and person I once knew. I used to drive to Northern California from Los Angeles every two months to see my family, escaping because I could, because my husband was in a fire academy and always gone, because I worked remotely and had no one but our dog to care for.

During these trips, I’d pack the car, stop for a coffee, and drive the long stretch of I-5 while listening to playlists. I’d cry and bargain with God. I’d look for signs, like the one time a rainbow split the sky after a summer storm and I hoped that meant everything would turn out okay.

I haven’t been able to fully articulate this on the podcast yet, but I’ve been sharing with Amy how I haven’t processed or grieved IVF and infertility since becoming a mother. As soon as the transfer worked, I held my breath for ten months and blacked out most of my pregnancy because every day it felt like our daughter could slip through my fingers and be gone. When she was born, the birth left me on an emergency operating table and then in a postpartum ward, learning how to breastfeed while holding an iced coffee. It was whiplash. I didn’t even care about what had happened, about where I’d been, because she was in my arms and so why dwell on the fact that my insides had bled out on the floor?

I’d process that all later, I rationalized. But then she was here and the hormones dipped and I went back to work and all of a sudden I was a mother and there was immense joy and also I skipped the whole part where I took a beat and processed what it took to get there. Later, later, later, I kept telling myself. And now she is turning one, and it’s been five years and twenty-nine days.

When I drive in my car, I listen to silence. My emotions are on autopilot after feeling so much for too long. It’s easier to coast and pretend like the happy ending erased the pain. I tell myself I am doing this for my daughter because she needs me to be strong but I know that I’m lying to myself. I don’t recognize myself anymore, though I desperately want to. I’m just scared to reopen that box.

I don’t have an answer for where to go from here, but I guess it starts with listening to music again. At least, that’s what I told myself last night when I put on a playlist for my daughter. I picked the first one on my Spotify feed, and it happened to be a mix of old songs I used to listen to before she was born and during the depths of infertility. The memories rushed in. My body felt heavy and grounded in a way it hasn’t for so long, the fight-or-flight response fading away. I welcomed the tears. The complicated emotions. The relief and joy and rage and brokenness, all in one.

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❤️‍🩹 A few songs that have helped me process my feelings while going through different seasons of infertility, IVF, and postpartum

• Collapse by Chance Peña

• Overflow by Marianne Beaulieu

• Doppelgänger by Lissom

• Faith’s Hymn by Beautiful Chorus

• breathe again by Joy Oladokun

• Seasons by Benjamin William Hastings

• Joy In The Morning by Tauren Wells

• End Of Youth by Ed Sheeran

• Worthy by India Arie

• Someone To Stay by Vancouver Sleep Clinic

🎧 This week’s episode: Amy recaps her 5th egg retrieval (pt 1)

In this week’s episode, Amy shares the results of her 5th IVF egg retrieval. She reflects on her new STIMs protocol, insurance battles to get medications covered, and how this round compared to previous cycles. This is part one of a two-part episode as she waits for PGT-A results.

You can also listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

If you love the pod, help us grow by hitting follow and leaving a review on Spotify and Apple. And then join us on Instagram, where we post daily memes and reels that help us get through infertility. 🩷

No one knows a waiting game like someone going through fertility treatments. The waiting to get started. The waiting for lab results. The waiting rooms. The waiting for a transvaginal ultrasound while sitting on a cold clinic bed, no pants on with only a paper sheet to cover you. The waiting for retrieval day. The waiting to hear how many eggs were retrieved, how many are mature. The fertilization report, the blast report, the genetic testing results. So much waiting to hopefully, one day, get to the waiting for beta-HCG results. Don’t even get me started on the waiting that happens after that.

As I write this, I’m in the thick of waiting for genetic testing results from my fifth IVF cycle, in our fifth year of trying to make our dream of a family a reality. I thought I’d be more prepared for the anxiety that comes with waiting to hear if the two blasts we made this round are viable. But even in my fifth round, I’m still as anxious as ever, maybe even more so.

As I shared that I was undergoing another egg retrieval with family and friends, and the internet, I received the sweetest notes of encouragement, gracious reminders that I’m strong and resilient, and many cheerful “Congratulations!” And I’m so grateful for all of them. But as I’ve worked through the weeks in waiting since, I realize that unless I’m sharing each step of this arduous process loudly, most no one knows that retrieval day isn’t a destination. It’s really only the beginning.

IVF can feel like living inside suspended time. You move from one milestone to the next, but the waiting never actually resolves; it just shape-shifts. A fertilization report doesn’t guarantee blasts. Blasts don’t guarantee PGT-A results. PGT-A results don’t guarantee a transfer. And we all know transfers don’t guarantee a healthy baby. Every step forward feels like momentum but still carries the risk of starting over.

Don’t get me wrong. Retrieval day is a day to be proud of! The countless injections (at least 48 this round), the hormone rollercoaster, to be honest, the bloating and discomfort alone takes real physical and mental endurance. We should be proud.

But if you’re anything like me, you’re hedging. You’re afraid to celebrate this milestone because you know in just a week or so’s time you may have nothing to show for it. That you might very well have to start all over again, from square one but this time even less hopeful. It feels a bit like being afraid of jinxing it, but worse because you know the stats for your age, you know the brutality of the IVF attrition rate at every stage (i.e. this round: 8 eggs retrieved > 4 mature > 4 fertilized > 2 blasts > TBD PGT-A).

While I love the positivity on retrieval day, I find myself craving more realistic caution that makes me feel a little less insane for still holding my breath. For not yet feeling relieved. For waiting to celebrate.

So in case you’re in it too, I see you — It is just the beginning, and there’s still a long road to come. But you did a huge thing, we did a huge thing, and we should be proud of ourselves for getting to this point.

I don’t know what the next few weeks will bring, but I know I will get through it. And so will you.

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❤️‍🩹 A few things that helped make the last three weeks a bit more bearable

• A girls trip before the meds started. Truly nothing better to make you believe you can take on the world, and the IVF shots, like time with your best friends.

  

• Walks, and I mean lots of walks. Every day, multiple times a day. Don’t have the energy? Walk. Bloated? Walk. Sad? Walk. 10 minutes or an hour, doesn’t matter. Walk.

• Outside time. Pruning the garden, picking flowers, making arrangements. I found myself bringing so much beauty into my house during these past few weeks.

  

  

• Obvious self-care: Red-light therapy, face masks, early bedtimes, raspberry leaf herbal tea, feel-good shows (ahem: Ted Lasso), naps on naps on naps.

• Less obvious self-care: Asking for help — like asking my husband to micromanage our nutrition because when I’m stressed, I can forget to eat. Saying, “sorry I can’t make it”, because I am actually too tired and shouldn’t go, but I am also really sorry about it. Sharing the gory details with my close-nit people so they could show up for me when I really needed it.

• And treats, duh. After appointments, blood work, meds pick-up, frustrating phone calls with insurance, good news, bad news… Any way to Pavlov myself into “keeping on keeping on.”

🎧 Last week’s episode: A better way to pay for IVF with Sunfish founder & CEO

Listen to last week’s episode with Sunfish founder and CEO, Angela Rastegar. Sunfish is a fertility fintech company focused on making family building more financially accessible and a lot less overwhelming.

You can also listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

If you love the pod, help us grow by hitting follow and leaving a review on Spotify and Apple. And then join us on Instagram, where we post daily memes and reels that help us get through infertility. 🩷

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:

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:

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.

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)

  

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.

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

5 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

This month also marks one year since the LA fires. For new readers: Amy and I both live in Los Angeles. While we were grateful not to lose our homes, the constant fear of being on alert, having ash in the yard, and watching friends lose everything was devastating.

I find myself wondering how to find joy or make room for hope right now. If I’m being honest, some days it feels truly impossible and hopeless, and I just have to put one foot in front of the other.

For today’s send, we wanted to share a few tips for when everything feels too heavy:

1. Step outside and breathe some fresh air. We know it’s freezing in a lot of places, but even opening a window or door for a few seconds and taking a deep breath of outside air can help.

2. Drink a full glass of water. A therapist friend always recommends this. When you’re feeling paralyzed or stuck, put the phone down, stand up, and drink a full glass. It’s small, but it can help you feel more grounded.

3. Hug someone. A seven-second hug releases dopamine, or so we’ve heard. Physical contact matters, especially right now.

4. Donate $10 to a cause you care about. Donation paralysis is real. We often feel like we have to give a significant amount of money for it to matter. But every dollar counts. Even a small donation can make a difference, and it feels good to put energy into something meaningful.

5. Limit your screen time. I’ve been trying to live by the rule that it takes about 30 minutes to get informed, and anything after that turns into doomscrolling. Check the news, check your social feeds, make your posts, then step away. A friend of mine recently got a brick, and I’m considering getting one too for accountability (they are HSA/FSA-eligible!).

As Fred Rogers’s mom used to tell him when the world felt scary: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

Keep going. Keep your hope and your joy alive. And I say this about what’s happening in the world right now, but I also say it for your infertility and IVF journey. One foot in front of the other.

Sending you all love for the weekend x

Kayti (and Amy)

🎧 new on the pod:

In the latest episode of the pod, we’re talking about SB 729, Amy’s surrogacy journey, and the very obvious answer to whether we still pee on a stick before every period. We also share what might be on the docket for 2026, including possible egg retrievals, balancing postpartum hormones, and a roster of amazing experts and guests.

Listen on Spotify

Listen on Apple

💜 everyone’s getting pregnant without me:

Jackie sent us her story in early December. It’s a simple, honest reflection of how excruciating and devastating IVF can be, especially when carrying hope and fear at the same time. cw: Her story mentions failed transfers and loss, so if you’re about to go into an FET, protect your heart while reading this.

✨ Amy’s small ‘j’ joys list:

• Full cuddle sessions with Gwenie (my pup) every morning.

• Family dropping off dinner this week - it was such a special treat!

• Sitting outside in my yard for lunch with the sun on my face.

• The latte I made myself yesterday. Still a long way away from foam art, but it was delish.

Before diving into today’s newsletter and chatting about the most unimportant topic ever, aka sheet masks (though maybe they are important because self-care and deep breaths and small things we can control?), we need to acknowledge how heavy and awful things are in the U.S. and in the world right now.

The start of 2026 has felt extremely heavy on a collective scale and kind of like 2025 never really got the message to kick rocks. We’re doing our best to make space for small moments of quiet and joy, even when that balance feels impossible. Leaning on friends, extra rest (and water), and giving back/protesting/calling our reps helps. Here are ways to directly support those in Minnesota & here are 5 easy calls you can make today.

And to our listeners in Minnesota, we’re holding you close and sending so much love.

🎧 new on the pod:

Should you freeze your eggs in your 20s? How many rounds should you do? Why don't more OBGYNs talk about fertility preservation as health care? In the latest episode, we're asking key questions about egg freezing and getting answers from one of the field's top experts, Dr. Jaime Knopman, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and the Director of Fertility Preservation at CCRM Fertility in New York.

Plus, we chat about her brand new book, Own Your Fertility. Snag a copy now!

Watch on youtube

Listen on spotify

Listen on apple

💜 small ‘j’ joys: sheet masks

We bet you didn’t think you were getting a history lesson today, but as you know, Amy loves a good fact check, so we’ve been deep in some truly unnecessary internet rabbit holes learning about the most important unimportant thing right now: sheet masks. Their origins actually go way back—think the 19th century, when women soaked cloths or paper in herbal infusions, honey, or rice water and draped them over their faces. Then the real glow-up happened in the ’90s and 2000s with K-beauty.

In our opinion, TikTok really sealed the deal because, at this point, no GRWM or evening routine video is complete without eye patches or a sheet mask. Are they doing anything? TBD. But they make us feel calmer, cooler, and slightly more human. Which is why we’ve both made it our New Year’s resolution to do at least one sheet mask a week when the estrogen has us feeling extra weepy.

If you want to join us, here are our favorite sheet masks we’ve actually tried, genuinely love, and come from brands that prioritize clean, organic ingredients that are a bit more hormone-friendly (not “safe,” because we know that word is mostly marketing 🙃). If you have your own faves, drop in the comments - don’t hoard the recs!

1. Rael hydration masks, $16 for 5-pack

2. Loops, $26.60 (for a 5-pack)

3. Patchology chilled mask, $8 for 1

4. Orgaid organic sheet masks, $28 for 4-pack

If your week has felt like a chaotic blend of ovulation apps, holiday plans, and pretending you definitely have it together… same. ’Tis the season of doing the most and still bracing for that inevitable “soooo, when are you having kids?” chat — festive! We love that for us! (We do not, in fact, love that for us.)

Which is why we’re balancing things out with something that actually feels good: our 12 Days of Infertility Giveaway is rolling along on Instagram, and the gifts are truly made for this community. We’re talking eye masks for the nights your brain won’t turn off, sad-but-soothing books, pill organizers that make the supplement chaos feel less chaotic, claw clips for hormone-hair days, cozy puzzles, and more little things that help you breathe for a second.

And to all the new friends who subscribed for those bonus entries… hi, welcome, we fully support your strategy. Get that bag, girl.

If you haven’t jumped in yet, head over to Instagram and enter today’s giveaway. Each day has its own gift, and you can enter as many times as you want through Christmas. Winners will be announced December 29.

Here’s to small joys, soft moments, and a community that gets it. 💛

Enter the giveaways! 🎁

The latest pod episode:

In case you missed it, we had Dr. Sarah Bento on the podcast to chat about all things IVF, infertility, and acupuncture. Listen in and book those acupuncture appointments for 2026!

And if you’re not already subscribed on Apple + Spotify, hit that follow button so you don’t miss new episodes!

weekend mood 💜:

We’ve officially entered that stretch of the year where our inboxes are full of flight confirmations, where we’ve suddenly remembered we promised to bring a side dish, and where we’re mentally preparing to answer questions we never asked to be asked. It’s the season.

And for those who have pockets full of pregnancy tests and our therapist on speed dial, the dreaded “when are you having kids?” question hits differently. We know it’s coming. We know who will ask it. We know exactly which chair they’ll be sitting in.

So we thought we’d show up for each other a little in today’s newsletter with five real, usable, Fried Eggs-approved responses you can keep in your back pocket (with the pregnancy test) — perfect for getting you through Thanksgiving without flipping the table. Unless you want to. In which case… live your truth.

1. Tell it like it is

We’re doing IVF, so let’s just say it. It’s a wild ride, and we don’t have to pretend it’s not happening, ya know? Option one is to acknowledge the struggle and keep it real. We’re not hiding but we’re also diving into allllll the details (at least not before we have a cocktail). We are basically signaling that we’re open to talk but not in need of a pity party.

2. Bring a bodyguard

This is the one where we’ll have our husbands or siblings or BFFs swoop in. The second Aunt Linda asks, they’re on it, changing the subject faster than we can say “pass the menopur.” It’s like having a personal bodyguard for our eggies, fried as they may be. Problem solved.

3. Shut that sh*t down

Or maybe we’ll just act like we didn’t hear the question? No need for a long response, just a playful “Huh? Did you just ask that?” or “I must’ve misheard over my inner voice screaming ‘not today.’” Shut it down without the drama.

4. Keep it short and spicy

Depending on our mood and whether or not we’re hangry, we may also keep it simple: “Thanks for asking but I’d rather not talk about that.” Done. It’s clear, direct, and doesn’t invite more questions. Boundaries set. Conversation closed.

5. Charge a fee for answers

Our personal favorite: “Well, once I get the next round of IVF funded, I’ll let you know. Actually, do you want to contribute? Checks are welcome.” It’s slightly sarcastic and highlights the insane cost of IVF (plus raises awareness, heyo). And hey who knows, maybe a rich relative will venmo you some cash?

Sass aside, we know this season can feel heavy. Family is complicated. Fertility is complicated. Being a woman is complicated. Protect your peace at the table this year.

Whether you’re trying, pausing, waiting, healing, hoping, or just staying afloat: we love you, we’re proud of you, and we’re right here with you.

xo Amy and Kayti

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New episode:

We’re crying, we’re laughing, and we’re surviving the holidays without losing it. Amy’s egg retrieval got canceled (spoiler: insurance companies can kick rocks), and we’re talking getting lapped by friends with pregnancy announcements, plus all the messy emotions infertility brings. We get real about feeling left behind, share how we find small joys, practice self-care, binge our favorite holiday movies, and lean on each other (and you!) to get through it.

And if you’re not already subscribed on Apple + Spotify, hit that follow button so you don’t miss new episodes!

Small ‘j’ joys 💜:

• these fun experience gift ideas for friends

• the harvest salad we’re making for thanksgiving

• do we need this crewneck for holiday watch parties? (the answer is yes)

• I think we’ve finally found the best supplement/med organizer

• weekend mood:

  

It’s September (how?!) and as the seasons start to shift, we’re taking some time to rethink a few things — including the format of this newsletter. But before we make any big changes, we just wanted to pop back into your inbox with a quick update and a whole lot of love.

First up: Kayti is wrapping up maternity leave! She welcomed a beautiful baby girl in June, and both mama and baby are healthy, thriving, and soaking up all the newborn snuggles. As many of you know, getting here wasn’t easy (understatement) — and when one of us beats infertility, it puts a real pep in our step to keep going. It’s a reminder of why we share the hard stuff. It matters.

Meanwhile, Amy has been traveling a bunch, resting (as much as she knows how), and maybe avoiding her life a little. (Balance, right?) She has so much to share on the surrogacy front, and we’ll be diving deep into that in our next catch-up. For now, check out two solo episodes she recorded with incredible guests — including THE from and , Surrogacy Concierge. The episodes honest, informative, and deeply human. We think you’ll love them.

So yes — this note is a little all over the place. But so are we right now. And that’s okay. We just want you to know: we see you, we love you, and we’re so glad you’re here.

You’re doing great. Truly.

We’ll be back in your inbox more regularly this fall — with new podcast episodes, merch (maybe?!), and hopefully a newsletter that feels just right.

Talk soon,
Amy & Kayti 💛

• This video shows a human embryo implanting in real time (what!)

• We’re giving these fresh flowers to friends on retrieval and transfer days

• We’re reading Dr. Lucky Sekhon’s new book about IVF

• The best under eye masks that actually work

• Friday mood:

  

On our end, big news: Kayti has officially reached full term in her pregnancy, so the countdown to meeting her baby girl is on. Meanwhile, Amy just completed her 30 days of estrogen and will be sharing a hilarious (and slightly cringe-worthy) story about a recent procedure to open her cervix on next week’s episode. Trust us, it’s one you won’t want to miss.

A few housekeeping notes: Kayti will be going on maternity leave next week, so Amy will be steering the podcast through the summer after a little R&R and some travel in July. Show her love with your reviews, emails, and social shoutouts! Kayti plans to step back from social media for a bit—though, given her Virgo energy, that may be easier said than done (if you know, you know).

As always, we’re so grateful to have this incredible community alongside us. Life feels like a whirlwind right now, but your support is what keeps us grounded. Here’s to sunshine, growth, and stories that make us laugh, cry, and keep going.

Catch you next week!

With love,
Amy & Kayti 💛

This week, we delved into one of our favorite topics—travel and living abroad—with special guest Ali Ramos. Ali, a longtime friend of Kayti’s from high school, and her husband live in Costa Rica, where they underwent IVF—in Spanish, no less! Now well into her second trimester, Ali shares candid insights on IVF abroad, pregnancy after IVF, her long battle with chronic endometriosis, and PGT-M testing. It’s a rich, wide-ranging conversation that’s especially valuable if you’re considering IVF in another country.

Apple:

Spotify:

Youtube:

ICYMI: Our listener stories episode was one of our top episodes of the season and we’re so excited to share more in the future! In the meantime, give it a listen if you haven’t already and feel free to submit your own stories in writing or voice message to friedeggspod@gmail.com

These pants from Left On Friday are pure summer energy. Think lazy beach days, road trips with friends, or long-haul flights to Europe (a girl can dream!). Plus, they’re totally forgiving of any post-egg retrieval bloat. We’ll take one in every color, please.

add to cart! 🛍️

• A good follow 🤗

• Our favorite couple is back in the pod game & we can’t wait

• These prenatal bars for when you’re sick of all the supplements

• The ultimate summer snack hack for anyone living without AC (fill with juice, with water, with vodka, w/e)

• This new app helps with tracking IVF appointments and treatments

• Friday mood: