FriedEggs Podcast

This week on the FriedEggs podcast, we’re answering listener questions like how Amy found her surrogate, what their relationship is like, and if/what Kayti changed to get spontaneously pregnant after IVF (plus so much more!).Let’s connect!If this episode resonated with you, leave a rating on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube. It helps more people navigating infertility find the support and community they deserve. 💛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.🎥 Photography by 20Twenty Productions.🎶 Show music by the magical Clayre. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.friedeggspod.com/subscribe

We’re back for part two of our big life update, and this week we’re having a conversation that’s been on our hearts for a while.After years of infertility, IVF, and countless unexpected turns, we’re both preparing to welcome babies this winter. It’s something we’ve hoped for, fought for, and dreamed about for so long. And yet, arriving at this point doesn’t mean everything we’ve been through simply disappears. We’re also talking about where FriedEggs goes from here. Because infertility doesn’t necessarily end with a positive pregnancy test or a baby in your arms. Its impact can stay with us, shaping how we experience pregnancy, parenthood, our relationships, and ourselves.We started this podcast to make space for the messy middle, and that’s exactly where we find ourselves. Our circumstances may be changing, but our commitment to honest conversations, advocacy, and this community hasn’t.Together, we have 10 years of infertility under our belts, 7 rounds of IVF, pregnancy loss, unexplained infertility, spontaneous pregnancy, gestational surrogacy, and now we’re readying to navigate new chapters while still carrying everything it took to get here. What does life after infertility actually look like? Where do you fit in the infertility community when you’re no longer actively in treatment? Do you just “get over it”, or does it alter your view of yourself and your life forever? And how do you hold gratitude, joy, grief, and anxiety all at once? These are the questions we’re interested in exploring with you all through these next chapters of our journeys. The messy middle forever. Let’s connect!If this episode resonated with you, leave a rating on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube. It helps more people navigating infertility find the support and community they deserve. 💛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.🎥 Photography by 20Twenty Productions.🎶 Show music by the magical Clayre. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.friedeggspod.com/subscribe

We are back for fall, and we have a very exciting, long-anticipated announcement to share on the podcast today. Amy gives us an update on her surrogacy journey, we talk about AOC freezing her eggs this past August, and Kayti has an unexpected announcement about their IVF timeline for baby # 2. Let’s connect!If this episode resonated with you, leave a rating on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube. It helps more people navigating infertility find the support and community they deserve. 💛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.🎥 Photography by 20Twenty Productions.🎶 Show music by the magical Clayre. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.friedeggspod.com/subscribe

What happens when your fertility doctor goes through IVF herself?We’re talking to Dr. Sasha Hakman, an OB-GYN and reproductive endocrinologist, about her own fertility journey and how being a patient has shaped the way she practices medicine.We get into what personalized fertility care actually looks like, the emotional reality of failed cycles, nutrition and lifestyle, family history, preventative care, and why finding good information online can be harder than it sounds. We also talk about access to fertility care, getting a second opinion, and the questions researchers are still trying to answer.Plus, Dr. Sasha shares her IVF rituals, favorite snacks, and what she wishes more patients knew before starting treatment.About Sasha Hakman, MDDr. Sasha Hakman is a double board-certified OB-GYN and reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) specialist with more than 15 years of experience helping patients navigate fertility and reproductive health. She practices at Beverly Hills Fertility and is also a leading voice in online women’s health education.She hosts Trying with Dr. Hakman, where she covers fertility, hormones, reproductive medicine, and patient stories, and serves as a medical advisor for BabyCenter and Bird & Be. She’s also the Vice Chair of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s Social Media Special Interest Group.Dr. Hakman brings both clinical expertise and personal experience with the fertility journey to her work — making her a particularly thoughtful voice in this space.Connect With UsIf this episode resonated with you, leave a rating on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube. It helps more people navigating infertility find the support and community they deserve. 💛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.🎥 Photography by 20Twenty Productions. 🎶 Show music by the magical Clayre. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.friedeggspod.com/subscribe

It’s our final episode of the summer with just the two of us! We’ll be back with a guest next week, and then we’re taking a few weeks off while Amy travel and Kayti works on her book. See you in October! This is part two - listen to part one of this episode here.Episode SponsorThis episode is sponsored by Tempdrop, a wearable fertility tracker that collects overnight temperature data to help identify ovulation and cycle patterns, even with irregular cycles.Use code AFFRIEDEGGS for 10% off your own wearable BBT device and a two-month premium app trial at http://www.tempdrop.com/discount/AFFRIEDEGGSPODLet’s connect!If this episode resonated with you, leave a rating on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube. It helps more people navigating infertility find the support and community they deserve. 💛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.🎥 Photography by 20Twenty Productions.🎶 Show music by the magical Clayre. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.friedeggspod.com/subscribe

What if your fertility could tell you something about your overall health? In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Natalie Crawford, OB-GYN, reproductive endocrinologist, and author of the bestselling book The Fertility Formula, to talk about fertility as a health marker—and why fertility isn’t just about getting pregnant.We get into metabolic health, inflammation, hormones, and the clues our bodies can give us long before we’re trying to conceive. Dr. Crawford breaks down what’s actually worth paying attention to, what we tend to normalize, and how understanding your fertility can give you more information and agency when it comes to your health.We also talk about the tricky line between knowing what you can influence and accepting what you can’t, especially if you’re already navigating infertility, IVF, recurrent pregnancy loss, or another complicated fertility journey.And because we love a behind-the-scenes publishing story, Dr. Crawford shares what it was like to turn her years of medical knowledge into The Fertility Formula and go from doctor to bestselling author.About Natalie Crawford, MDToday's guest is Dr. Natalie Crawford, a double board-certified fertility doctor, educator, and author of The Fertility Formula. You may know her from her podcast, “As a Woman”, social media, or the countless educational resources she's created to help people better understand their bodies and reproductive health. Dr. Crawford's work bridges the gap between fertility medicine and overall health, asking not just how we get pregnant, but how we can better understand and support our bodies throughout our lives. We’re so excited to have this conversation and dive into topics like fertility as a health marker, the power of knowledge, and what we can actually do to improve our fertility.Website: https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliecrawfordmdThe Fertility Formula: https://bookshop.org/a/126795/9780593994306Episode SponsorThis episode is sponsored by Tempdrop, a wearable fertility tracker that collects overnight temperature data to help identify ovulation and cycle patterns, even with irregular cycles.Use code AFFRIEDEGGS for 10% off your own wearable BBT device and a two-month premium app trial at http://www.tempdrop.com/discount/AFFRIEDEGGSPODConnect With UsIf this episode resonated with you, leave a rating on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube. It helps more people navigating infertility find the support and community they deserve. 💛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.🎥 Photography by 20Twenty Productions.🎶 Show music by the magical Clayre. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.friedeggspod.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.friedeggspod.comThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.friedeggspod.comIn this week’s episode, we’re chatting about Amy’s work sabbatical and upcoming voyage to Europe, plus Kayti’s book (manifestation!) and getting back into writing.We share a surrogacy update and talk about returning to the gym after years of the physical and mental exhaustion that came with infertility and IVF. Amy opens up about feeling disconnected from her body after so much treatment, and why getting stronger has become less about how she looks and more about feeling like herself again. Of course, there’s a pull-up goal involved.Let’s connect!If this episode resonated with you, leave a rating on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube. It helps more people navigating infertility find the support and community they deserve. 💛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.🎥 Photography by 20Twenty Productions.🎶 Show music by the magical Clayre.

In this week’s episode, we’re chatting about Amy’s work sabbatical and upcoming voyage to Europe, plus Kayti’s book (manifestation!) and getting back into writing.We share a surrogacy update and talk about returning to the gym after years of the physical and mental exhaustion that came with infertility and IVF. Amy opens up about feeling disconnected from her body after so much treatment, and why getting stronger has become less about how she looks and more about feeling like herself again. Of course, there’s a pull-up goal involved.Episode SponsorThis episode is sponsored by Tempdrop, a wearable fertility tracker that collects overnight temperature data to help identify ovulation and cycle patterns, even with irregular cycles.Use code AFFRIEDEGGS for 10% off your own wearable BBT device and a two-month premium app trial at http://www.tempdrop.com/discount/AFFRIEDEGGSPODLet’s connect!If this episode resonated with you, leave a rating on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube. It helps more people navigating infertility find the support and community they deserve. 💛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.🎥 Photography by 20Twenty Productions.🎶 Show music by the magical Clayre. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.friedeggspod.com/subscribe

In this episode, we’re joined by writer and author Amy Gallo Ryan to talk about her memoir, You May Feel a Bit of Pressure, and what it means to make sense of infertility through writing.We talk about the ways IVF can shape your identity, the pressure to tell a certain kind of infertility story, and why the emotional impact can stick around long after treatment ends. Amy also shares why she chose a nonlinear structure for her book and what it was like to turn such a personal experience into a story.We get into the messy reality of writing and publishing, including finding your voice, dealing with rejection, and putting something deeply personal out into the world. Amy also reads an excerpt from You May Feel a Bit of Pressure.About Amy Gallo RyanAmy Gallo Ryan is a Brooklyn-based author, essayist and former magazine editor whose personal essays have appeared in Vogue, Lit Hub, Hippocampus and Pregnantish, among other publications. Her debut memoir-in-essays, You May Feel a Bit of Pressure, was named a critic’s recommendation by Kirkus Reviews and called “a riveting examination of infertility” by The Book Life Prize.Her website: https://www.amygalloryan.com/Episode SponsorThis episode is sponsored by Tempdrop, a wearable fertility tracker that collects overnight temperature data to help identify ovulation and cycle patterns, even with irregular cycles.Use code AFFRIEDEGGS for 10% off your own wearable BBT device and a two-month premium app trial at http://www.tempdrop.com/discount/AFFRIEDEGGSPODConnect With UsIf this episode resonated with you, leave a rating on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube. It helps more people navigating infertility find the support and community they deserve. 💛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.🎥 Photography by 20Twenty Productions. 🎶 Show music by the magical Clayre. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.friedeggspod.com/subscribe

It’s been a couple of weeks since our last proper catch-up, and woah! So many fertility news headlines. Kayti shares highlights from a whirlwind family trip, her move into a new home, and the chaos of unpacking (or... not unpacking). And we dive into what they’ve been seeing in women’s health and fertility news, including IVF policy debates, teen pregnancy prevention funding cuts and why that’s critical for fertility education, testosterone screenings and menopause care, and a promising new swab test that could make diagnosing endometriosis much easier.We wander from infertility advocacy to climate change, shark sightings, ADHD vs. luteal phase energy, why both of us use home projects as emotional coping mechanisms, and back to fertility advocacy. We also tease at what’s upcoming. Thanks for joining the chaotic energy! Episode SponsorThis episode is sponsored by Tempdrop, a wearable fertility tracker that collects overnight temperature data to help identify ovulation and cycle patterns, even with irregular cycles.Use code AFFRIEDEGGS for 10% off your own wearable BBT device and a two-month premium app trial at http://www.tempdrop.com/discount/AFFRIEDEGGSPODFact CheckTeen pregnancy prevention program cuts: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) canceled 53 out of 67 grants totaling roughly $68 million under the federal Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPPP) in June 2026 in order to promote “conservative-leaning priorities, specifically emphasizing abstinence-only education and marriage.” Source: NPR and NYTBritain’s NHS Endometriosis saliva test, “Endotest”: New research into less-invasive testing for endometriosis could help women get diagnoses sooner. The average time to diagnosis is 7-10 years from symptom onset, and with endo impacting as many as 25-50% of women with infertility, we hope faster diagnosis means faster treatment. Source: BBC and World Health Organization: EndometriosisUnited States’ DOD policy introducing mandatory testosterone screening for servicemen and women, and “optional” treatment for “low” testosterone. This news was particularly surprising since at the same time, women continue the uphill climb to get much-needed, evidence-backed HRT support during perimenopause and menopause, and gender affirming care for trans people continues to be under attack. Side note: for those of us worried about infertility — testosterone supplementation is a preventable cause of male factor infertility. Sources: PBS, New York Times, NIH and PubMedCorrection: More great whites in our SoCal oceans may be a good sign that Southern California’s coastline is healing from years of DDT contaminants. Source: LA Times But the oceans are warming and warming faster than historically observed, which is impacting oceanic animal life, and climate warming is the primary driver. Source: AP NewsAnd super El Niño “winter is coming” (queue GOT) with warmer-than-average conditions across portions of the northern tier of states, and Kayti needs to install gutters ASAP. Source: Newsweek and The Weather Channel More FriedEggs episodes you’ll loveEp 59: How to advocate for your fertility and recognize hormone imbalances with Sam Diamond, Co-Founder. We could all use a little encouragement on advocating for our health and care! And tons of good info on PCOS/PMOS. Ep 60: How to track your cycle when trying to get pregnant. With women’s health care under attack and fertility education getting cut in favor of abstinence-only programs, it’s more important than ever to understand our unique cycles. Coming up on the pod:Dr. Natalie Crawford on our fertility health as a biomarker, the uniquely powerful role of our metabolic health, PCOS/PMOS. Dr. Sasha Hakman on becoming the IVF patient herself and setting yourself up for success. Author of You May Feel a Bit of Pressure, Amy Gallo Ryan, joins us to talk about her memoir. Deep-diving into Amy’s surrogacy journey so far, from finding a match to medical clearance and legal to what it takes to finally get to transfer! 👀Let’s connect!If this episode resonated with you, leave a rating on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube. It helps more people navigating infertility find the support and community they deserve. 💛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.🎥 Photography by 20Twenty Productions. 🎶 Show music by the magical Clayre. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.friedeggspod.com/subscribe