12: DIY ICI, Round 2!

Meredith doesn't like talking finances, but she's going to for your benefit! This week is all about the frustration of not being as prepared as she'd like to be, the privileged position she's in because she's raising this baby with her mother, the cost of each medication prescribed for the upcoming egg retrieval, and a quick rant about the state of the entertainment industry (her given profession).

In this episode, Meredith covers:
00:18 - Personal Finance Woes
04:47 - Privilege & Fertility Stipends at Work
05:58 - Using Health Insurance for Fertility Benefits
10:04 - Cost of Fertility Drugs
13:30 - Frustration with the Entertainment Industry Post-Strike

Read the full blog post for this episode.

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CONNECT WITH MEREDITH
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WORK WITH THE BACKUP PLAN
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Support the show
Created, produced and hosted by Meredith Kate, co-produced by Julian Hagins.

@backupplanpod on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube.

backupplanpod.com for show notes, transcripts, partner links, and our newsletter.

Created, produced and hosted by Meredith Kate, co-produced by Julian Hagins.

@backupplanpod on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube.

backupplanpod.com for show notes, transcripts, partner links, and our newsletter.

In this episode, Meredith quickly shares that she made it through Morton's neuroma surgery! Prepping for IVF is imminent...

Read the full blog post for this episode.

Articles mentioned:

• Big News: Lala Kent Is Conceiving Her Second Child on Her Own via IUI, and She’s Ready to Destigmatize It, Cosmopolitan

CONNECT WITH THE BACKUP PLAN
Website: https://backupplanpod.com
YouTube: https://www.www.youtube.com/@backupplanpod
Instagram: https://instagram.com/backupplanpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@backupplanpod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backupplanpod

CONNECT WITH MEREDITH
Instagram: https://instagram.com/meredithk8

WORK WITH THE BACKUP PLAN
Visit https://backupplanpod.com/work-with-me for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Support the Show!

Created, produced and hosted by Meredith Kate, co-produced by Julian Hagins.

backupplanpod.com for show notes, transcripts, partner links, and our newsletter.

Created, produced and hosted by Meredith Kate, co-produced by Julian Hagins.

@backupplanpod on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube.

backupplanpod.com for show notes, transcripts, partner links, and our newsletter.

It’s a wild time to start IVF right now, so Meredith’s got a stream of consciousness for y’all this week, from rage about Tommy Tuberville’s thoughtlessness to Backup Plan listener reactions.

In this episode, Meredith covers:
00:39 - Where she’s currently at in her conception timeline
05:09 - Personal Feelings on the IVF Ruling in Alabama

Read the full blog post for this episode.

Articles about the ruling...

• The science of IVF: What to know about Alabama's 'extrauterine children' ruling, NPR
• Doctors and patients fearfully proceed with IVF after Alabama court rules embryos are children, NBC News

CONNECT WITH THE BACKUP PLAN
Website: https://backupplanpod.com
YouTube: https://www.www.youtube.com/@backupplanpod
Instagram: https://instagram.com/backupplanpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@backupplanpod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backupplanpod

CONNECT WITH MEREDITH
Instagram: https://instagram.com/meredithk8

WORK WITH THE BACKUP PLAN
Visit https://backupplanpod.com/work-with-me for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Created, produced and hosted by Meredith Kate, co-produced by Julian Hagins.

@backupplanpod on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube.

backupplanpod.com for show notes, transcripts, partner links, and our newsletter.

Michael has officially frozen sperm for Meredith's impending IVF! The two pals talk about the donation process and the litany of doctor's appointments they had across Los Angeles this week while he was in town.

Created, produced and hosted by Meredith Kate, co-produced by Julian Hagins.

@backupplanpod on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube.

backupplanpod.com for show notes, transcripts, partner links, and our newsletter.

Gabi Garland joins this week to share her single mother journey - from being in an abusive relationship, to losing her partner, to ultimately finding the best version of herself. Gabi is an authenticity coach and podcast producer who provides incredible advice to Meredith as she prepares to start IVF.

This episode is available on YouTube!

-INFO ON GABI-

• Instagram
• The Resilient Heart Podcast

-INFO ON FOOT STUFF-

• Dr. Ebonie Vincent
• Lapiplasty
• Cryosurgery

Created, produced and hosted by Meredith Kate, co-produced by Julian Hagins.

@backupplanpod on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube.

backupplanpod.com for show notes, transcripts, partner links, and our newsletter.

I didn't mean to take another hiatus, but curveballs were thrown! This week you'll hear about my birthday, an attempted break-in, triangulated travel from LA to Orlando to NYC, and my latest fertility updates: revised sperm results, fluctuating AMH levels, and a timeline for cryopreservation and egg retrieval.

Created, produced and hosted by Meredith Kate, co-produced by Julian Hagins.

@backupplanpod on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube.

backupplanpod.com for show notes, transcripts, partner links, and our newsletter.

Meredith's Mom joins this week to talk about her previous and current ideas about IVF, and how she's feeling about Meredith's decision.  Talk turns to what could  be happening in other multiverses, including the career and passions of Meredith's would-be Orlando spouse.

MENTIONS:

• The Single Greatest Choice Podcast - Season 5 Episode 1 with Kiara Rae Schuh
• Chosen Family: A Donor-Conceived Woman’s Journey to Redefining Family by Kiara Rae Schuh

Created, produced and hosted by Meredith Kate, co-produced by Julian Hagins.

@backupplanpod on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube.

backupplanpod.com for show notes, transcripts, partner links, and our newsletter.

Meredith is making a big choice about IVF and is turning to her friend (and artist extraordinaire) Carla Furey for advice and guidance. They recap meeting under the dark shadow of Scandoval and how their friendship has blossomed since then.

This is the first episode simultaneously released on YouTube! Check it out here.

Carla's Art: WHITE SHADOW ART
Doctors Worth Checking Out: Dr. Marc Kalan (Fertility) & Dr. Larry Lin (Urogynecology)

Created, produced and hosted by Meredith Kate, co-produced by Julian Hagins.

@backupplanpod on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube.

backupplanpod.com for show notes, transcripts, partner links, and our newsletter.

WE'RE BACK! Whitney joins this week to ring in 2024 and make sure that Meredith adequately recounts everything that happened in December. This episode has it all: genetic test results, learning the origins of cuckoo clocks, and shifting ideology regarding fertility treatments. What more could you ask for??

A parting note - remember to👆☝️✌️, y'all.

Created, produced and hosted by Meredith Kate, co-produced by Julian Hagins.

@backupplanpod on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube.

backupplanpod.com for show notes, transcripts, partner links, and our newsletter.

Joy of Life Surrogacy founder Joy Millan joins Meredith this week to explain the role a surrogacy agency can play in a conception journey.

Follow Meredith's travel adventures on her YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@msmeredithkate

Created, produced and hosted by Meredith Kate, co-produced by Julian Hagins.

@backupplanpod on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube.

backupplanpod.com for show notes, transcripts, partner links, and our newsletter.