#2: You need tomato slippers
plus a 5-minute meditation for resilience
Happy Friday, friends,
This week, our hearts are with our LA community as the fires continue to impact so many. If you’re in the thick of it, we’re thinking of you and hoping you’re safe.
On the TTC front, we’re sending love to everyone navigating this wild IVF ride. Whether you’re feeling hopeful, frustrated, or just plain exhausted, you’re not alone. Truly.
On our front, Amy had surgery earlier this week to remove some scar tissue (more on that in next month’s pod), and Kayti has some updates about her transfer and IVF journey that we’ll share very, very soon. Stay tuned, hit subscribe, rate the pod, and share with your friends!
As always, thank you for letting us be a small part of your week. We’ll see you back here next Friday, and in the meantime, keep showing up for yourself. You’re stronger than you think. 💌
xo Amy & Kayti
There is no new episode this week — a reminder that season 2 will drop Feb 4 (save the date!!). In the meantime, catch up on season 1 and help us get the pod out there by giving us some stars and sharing with your TTC friends <3
Emily in Your Phone published a great piece on fetal personhood laws and how IVF is being threatened by the new administration. It’s an essential read—here’s a quick snippet from the free portion of the post:
“The way IVF became temporarily inaccessible in Alabama was because of a state constitutional fetal personhood amendment that was interpreted to make fertility clinics legally liable for wrongful death if anything happened to an embryo. No fertility clinic was willing to engage in IVF under this type of legal liability. In response, the Alabama legislature amended their laws to say, essentially, murder is excusable in this instance. Originally, that bill included a sunset clause, publicly admitting that it was only a temporary reprieve. Due to public pressure this was removed in the legislation that was passed. However any legislative bell rung can be unrung.
And fundamentally if the position of the Republican party is that a fertilized egg is a living human being, how could IVF be allowed to continue? It will be considered murder.”
We love this short meditation for keeping us grounded during the most challenging days of IVF and infertility. Take a few moments right now if you need it, or bookmark it later when you feel exhausted and overwhelmed.
This winter, I’ve barely taken off these Bombas slippers (color: bright tomato)—they’ve been a small comfort on the really hard days. If IVF has taught me anything, small comforts are key to staying sane. Cozy feet = slightly less unhinged me. That’s a win for all of us. - Kayti
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A weekly column of stories from listeners to remind us all that we’re not alone.
Our first round of IVF felt like such a fresh start—I mean, finally, we had a plan, right? After being stuck with the whole "unexplained infertility" nonsense, we were so hopeful. We thought we’d get at least a few embryos, but none of our fertilized eggs made it to blast. None. I just sat there staring at the screen like, "Wait, WHAT?" It hit me so much harder than I thought it would. The only thing keeping me from fully losing it was knowing we’re lucky enough to have insurance options to try again. But even with that, this whole thing is way tougher than I expected.
No one tells you how much IVF will wreck your body and your brain. This second round has been brutal—I’ve gained weight, I’m always tired and cranky, and my skin is breaking out like I’m 15 again. Like, seriously, can we not? I know it’s all worth it in the end (at least I hope it is), but sometimes it just feels like my body is constantly reminding me that it can’t do this without a medical team and a million hormones. Ugh. But honestly, I’m so grateful for the people out there who get it. It makes me feel a little less alone when everything feels impossible. — A. R.
We’re looking to feature more stories from readers highlighting the highs and lows of IVF and infertility. Send us your stories via email or on social DMs!
A great read on prenatal vitamins (what you need and what you don’t).
High protein chicken noodle soup for the win.
Verified GoFundMe pages for victims of the LA fires.
The novel we both plan to read this year.
Friday meme:
