SELLEST OSAST
You've been told fertility is a birthright. It isn't. And the sooner you understand that, the more power you have to actually do something about it.
This week, we sat down with Dr. Jaime Knopman, double board certified OBGYN and reproductive endocrinologist at CCRM New York, national director of fertility preservation for the entire CCRM network, and author of the new book Own Your Fertility. Dr. Knopman is also the medical director of Chick Mission, a nonprofit providing grants to young adult cancer patients so they can preserve their fertility before treatment. Ashlee worked alongside her at CCRM, and this conversation feels exactly like that history, honest, funny, and unguarded.
We covered a lot of ground, including:
- Why Dr. Knopman shifted from calling herself an "infertility doctor" to a "fertility doctor," and why that distinction matters
- The truth about egg freezing attrition, and why comparing it to a Hail Mary versus a modern day high percentage play changes how you should think about your numbers
- Egg freezing versus embryo freezing, and the one scenario she says is worse than not knowing if your eggs are healthy
- Major misconceptions she debunks constantly, including birth control and infertility, IUDs, atresia, and whether egg freezing depletes your future fertility
- Why she calls ovarian rejuvenation and "trimester zero" narratives a setup for disappointment
- The reality of physician burnout, why she only personally calls patients with bad news, and what it means to grieve a cycle that didn't work
- Chick Mission's mission to close the access gap for cancer patients who need fertility preservation but don't have coverage
This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like a number in this process, anyone considering egg freezing and wondering if they're doing it at the right time, and anyone who just wants to hear a physician talk about this work with real honesty.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Dr. Jaime Knopman at CCRM New York: https://www.ccrmivf.com/ccrm-fertility-doctors/jaime-knopman/
Chick Mission: https://www.thechickmission.org/
Dr. Knopman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjaimeknopman/
Dr. Knopman's website: https://drjaimeknopman.com/
