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 trainee
• Why she switched IVF clinics after two failed transfers
• What it’s actually like to do daily injections, hormone surges, and constant ultrasounds while running a busy private practice
• How IVF reshaped her marriage, her sense of identity, and her mental health
• The moment she saw the faintest line on a pregnancy test after years of negatives
• How hyperbaric oxygen therapy and NAD ended up part of her “Hail Mary” cycle
• Nearly pursuing surrogacy — and why she ultimately carried her daughter
• The emotional, physical, and financial toll on female physicians navigating fertility
• Why we need to talk about infertility in medicine loudly and without shame

Dr. 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 Umstattd

Connect with Lauren: @lauren_umstattd_md

Guest: Melyssa Hancock, MD

Connect with Melyssa: @drmelyssahancock

https://drmelyssahancock.com/

Presented by:  @HippocraticCollective ​