Multiple rounds of IVF (Emily's story)

"I think it’s really hard for those of us that have to go through multiple rounds of IVF because a lot of the time all we’re seeing is that first IVF cycle and first transfer work for so many people."

Hi friends,

As we move into November and the start of the holiday season, we know how heavy this time can feel for anyone navigating infertility or IVF. The questions at family gatherings, the pregnancy announcements tucked into holiday cards, the small talk that hits harder than people realize — it all feels different when you’re still waiting, still hoping.

Today’s story comes from Emily, who has been through multiple rounds of IVF, full of numbers, hope, heartbreak, and trying again. Her story reminds us that IVF doesn’t always go as planned, and that sometimes resilience means simply continuing, even when the outcome is uncertain.

After reading/listening to her story, scroll to today’s episode where we also sit down with our favorite senior embryologist to talk about what to look for in an IVF clinic, so you can feel informed and empowered as you navigate this journey.

x Amy & Kayti

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Emily’s Story

I’ve gone back and forth a couple of different times on whether or not I really wanted to open up again and share about our journey, but I hear so many brave people come onto the podcast and talk about this, and if I can help somebody else, then why not?

Our first IVF cycle I opened up to family and friends because we were being constantly bombarded with questions. “When are y’all having kids?” Or, “Have you thought about having kids soon?” Or, “You’re getting older — do you think that you’re ready to settle down and have some kids?” No one understood what we were going through.

At that point, I decided to go ahead and rip off the bandaid and share with everyone about our journey after talking with my husband. We thought, should we just go ahead and share this with close friends and families? And so we did.

The first IVF round we got 24 eggs but only one embryo. We thought, or I thought, this is gonna work. Everyone who I had seen go through IVF, it was always successful.

And so I thought, oh my goodness, I’m coming out on the other side with a baby, but wow, was I wrong. This was three years ago and we still don’t have a baby.

I think it’s really hard for those of us that have to go through multiple rounds of IVF because a lot of the time all we’re seeing is that first IVF cycle and first transfer work for so many people. And oh my goodness, what a blessing. But for those of us that have to continue this fight, it’s hard. It’s difficult to see that and just know, gosh, here we go again on our next round.

For our second round, we ended up getting 26 eggs and ended up with five embryos. We transferred and it worked. We got pregnant. We were so excited. I don’t think that I could believe my eyes but then I found out on February 14th that not only was I losing my baby, but I was also getting a job promotion. So talk about a wild range of feelings. It was so difficult. I am so grateful that I got that job promotion on the same exact day because I was able to throw myself into that.

And now here we are going into our third round, going in for more embryos. So we’ll see what happens. I am crossing my fingers and toes that the third time is a charm.

*audio transcript edited slightly for print

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New episode: Allison Anderson is here to kick off a new real-time IVF series as Amy begins another cycle. We’re starting at square one: how to choose the right clinic, doctor, and embryology lab, and how to communicate with the team who will be caring for your embryos.

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

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Small ‘j’ joys 💜:

• we’re feeling very tempted to decorate our tree with disco balls this year

• a laugh to kick off the weekend

• the ivf book we’re preordering for 2026

• our favorite kind of reddit thread 🥹

• weekend mood:

  

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