Don't Lose Yourself in IVF | Dr. Melyssa Hancock’s 3-Year IVF Odyssey | Fem, MD

In this raw and unfiltered episode of Fem, MD, facial plastic surgeon Dr. Melyssa Hancock opens up about her 12-round, 3-year IVF journey—one that spanned multiple clinics, a cross-country move of frozen embryos, a complicated surrogacy process, canceled transfers, and more than $250,000 in out-of-pocket costs.We talk about:Fertility preservation as a surgical traineeWhy she switched IVF clinics after two failed transfersWhat it’s actually like to do daily injections, hormone surges, and constant ultrasounds while running a busy private practiceHow IVF reshaped her marriage, her sense of identity, and her mental healthThe moment she saw the faintest line on a pregnancy test after years of negativesHow hyperbaric oxygen therapy and NAD ended up part of her “Hail Mary” cycleNearly pursuing surrogacy — and why she ultimately carried her daughterThe emotional, physical, and financial toll on female physicians navigating fertilityWhy we need to talk about infertility in medicine loudly and without shameDr. Hancock also shares the birth story of her daughter, Olivia, and why the struggle made motherhood even more profound.This is one of the most intimate, vulnerable conversations we’ve had on Fem, MD — and a must-listen for anyone in medicine who’s ever wondered when (and whether) their personal life will catch up to their professional one.Host: Dr. Lauren UmstattdConnect with Lauren: @lauren_umstattd_mdGuest: Melyssa Hancock, MDConnect with Melyssa: @drmelyssahancockhttps://drmelyssahancock.com/Presented by:  @HippocraticCollective ​