Hurdle with Emily Abbate

In this episode, Emily sits down with her own fertility specialist, Dr. Michelle Kappy, a board-certified OB/GYN and reproductive endocrinologist at Spring Fertility. After undergoing her own egg freezing journey under Dr. Kappy's care, Emily opens up about the intimate, often overwhelming logistics and physical realities of the procedure. Together, they pull back the curtain on the entire process—demystifying everything from medication protocols and managing your physical movement during stimulation, to understanding the biological changes to egg quality and quantity as women head into their mid-30s.

Whether you are actively considering preserving your fertility, are currently in the middle of a cycle, or simply want a better grasp of reproductive health and science, this deep dive offers a comforting, text-book level understanding of the choices available to you. Dr. Kappy brings a patient-centric, empowering approach to the conversation, explaining that information-gathering is the first and most critical step to taking control of your reproductive autonomy.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Emily's personal recovery timeline, physical side effects, and how she safely modified her strength training and running habits post-procedure.

• Why scaling back physical movement—and avoiding high-stress abdominal workouts—is medically critical to prevent safety risks like ovarian torsion as follicles grow.

• Demystifying the "35-year-old cliff" and looking honestly at how egg quality and quantity naturally shift as women age.

• Step-by-step breakdowns of standard stimulation medications, the daily purpose of monitoring appointments, and what actually happens during a 15-minute extraction procedure.

• Managing expectations around the natural "attrition rate"—from the initial follicle count visible on an ultrasound to the final number of mature, genetically viable eggs that make it to deep freeze.

• Navigating the intense financial and emotional burdens of the process, and the unique mental load of choosing to freeze your eggs independently.

QUOTABLE MOMENTS

• "It's okay to just get information and just to make a consult and talk to an expert and then decide from there." 

• "Information gathering is one of the biggest goals that I have for patients... so they can feel armed with that empowerment." 

• "The ominous 'cliff' is this biological clock that unfortunately really is a thing. It is a biological change... but you don't fall into a black hole where you are no longer fertile." 

• "People do hang their hats on a number... but it really doesn't define someone. You could have a high number and have done everything wrong in your life, or you could have a low number and have done it all right." 

• "Don't let the number define you... [Egg freezing] is the only thing that you can do to protect your reproductive autonomy and to give yourself optionality." 

SOCIAL
@springfertility
@michellekappymd
@emilyabbate
@iheartwomenssports

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ASK ME A QUESTION: Email hello@hurdle.us to with your questions! Emily answers them every Friday on the show. 

Listen to Hurdle with Emily Abbate on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

 

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