PODCAST RECOMMENDATION: Race to 35 

Podcast: Race to 35 (can be found under the umbrella of Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” Podcast Series)

Hosts: Monica Padman & Liz Plank

Year: 2022

Tags: Fertility, Egg-Freezing, Parenting, Women’s Health

Trigger Warning: 18+, Rated R

• Episode: Day 6 + Christina Perri – this episode covers the topic of miscarriage, pregnancy loss, suicidal ideation, and substance use. Christina Perri takes listeners through her personal experience with miscarriage (at 11-week gestation) and pregnancy loss (at 34-week gestation). While the episode may offer validation for some, and is packed with incredibly valuable information, if the content feels too heavy at this time please take care of you first. Visit this content only when it will benefit you most.
• If you’re in crisis and need immediate support in Ontario, Canada, remember we have 24/7 crisis services at 9-8-8 (text or call), or by calling 9-1-1 if you’re in immediate danger. 

What’s It About?

This 10-part (+bonus episode) series follows two incredible young women along their journey of egg-freezing; a process that has grown in popularity over the last several years as women explore options available to them to protect their reproductive rights and futures. Historically, there has been limited information available for women as they consider embarking on this journey but this podcast truly serves as an invaluable resource for any and all women – especially those who are seeking options for protecting their futures and opening more doors than ever before in terms of fertility and reproduction.

As each episode unfolds, listeners are provided in-depth updates on the egg-freezing process and the personal experiences of each co-host (Monica and Liz). They explain in detail which medications they are prescribed, for what purpose, and the impacts overall. If you are considering egg-freezing, have a loved one who has/is going to freeze their eggs, or are simply interested in the process – you will learn SO much from the series and the hosts’ real-time experiences.

In addition to following their (personal) egg-freezing journeys, the co-hosts interview a myriad of INCREDIBLE guests throughout the series. Many topics are covered beyond egg-freezing, including: various parenting/reproductive journeys, choosing a childless life, adoption, and more! Whether you’re LGBTQ2S+ and interested in alternative ways into parenthood (invigorated by detailed discussions of parentage laws!), women who have considered single-parenthood by choice (via sperm donor), someone who has experienced grief and loss in reproduction/pregnancy, or someone who has chosen to remain childless – there is something for everyone!

This quote by Canadian/American co-host Liz, sums up the podcast so beautifully:

“[This is about] women, seeing women, really being women…we see very sanitized stories about women and particularly very sanitized stories about our reproductive health, and that is part of the reason why we live in this weird world where we don’t know anything and people think they can take things away from us, and make decisions for us. This is real. This is it. And I think it is so powerful.” – Episode 10: Post Retrieval (timestamp: 53:45-54:47)

Highlights

We know we say this every time – because, let’s face it, we aren’t giving out recommendations unless we love the content! – but truly, picking just ONE portion of this podcast to highlight was nearly impossible! Every episode offers so much insight, rich discussion, validation, humour and more. Most of all, the series (when taken as a whole) empowers and emboldens women to band together, explore their options, and take control of their own beautiful futures.

Here, we will highlight a handful of episodes that stood out to us most, but please know that picking just 4 was incredibly difficult. We strongly encourage you listen to the whole series – in sequential fashion – in order to take in the full journey. We promise, it’s worth it!

Episode 5: Day 5 + Andrew Huberman

This episode is riddled with all thing’s fertility – for both the man and the woman (or more specifically: the egg and the sperm). Andrew Huberman (neuroscientist and tenured professor) takes listeners to school with his in-depth explanation of hormones, what happens during the fertility process, what factors contribute to high egg/sperm quality, and other recommendations for improving your health as you embark on your fertility journey.

Another aspect we loved about this episode was the rich discussion regarding a “man’s perspective” and experiences with fertility, along with the recognition that men have a biological clock to be considered too! If you are someone who is contemplating having children someday (whether that’s tomorrow or ten years down the road), the content in this episode is absolutely for you. 

Photo Credit: https://x.com/hubermanlab

Episode 6: Day 6 + Christina Perri

For this episode we offer the trigger warning above, as it discusses pregnancy loss/miscarriage, substance use, and suicidal ideation… but this episode is truly remarkable! Monica and Liz are joined by extra special guest (singer/songwriter Christina Perri) who graciously offers her personal story of pregnancy loss and miscarriage. Perri walks listeners through a detailed recount of her experience with both a miscarriage (in her first trimester) and a subsequent late term pregnancy loss (in her third trimester). The episode gifts us conversations that we need to hear more often – that of miscarriage experiences and pregnancy loss! Hearing stories like these normalizes the experience, offers validation, and also opens doors to greater change and future growth for our medical system. We think this episode is a must-listen for all.

Photo Credit: https://theposterdepot.com/en-ca/collections/black-and-white-posters/products/zsgn16xbwchristinaperriposter01201101

Episode 9: Day 9 + Andrew Solomon

Day 9 gifts us with the presence of Andrew Solomon! Monica, Liz and Andrew break down and dismantle the prevailing narrative that the ‘nuclear family’ is the gold standard for creating family. They explore topics related to parenthood and the many, many roads one may take to create a modern-day family. Andrew walks listeners through his experience into parenthood and the various ways in which he has become a father.

They also break apart different experiences and realities of parenting, including topics such as: parenting children with disabilities, being a “good enough” mother vs. the “perfect” mother, experiencing anxiety/depression in new parenthood, experiences with surrogacy, whether you want your child to be kind or smart, and more. This episode is truly amazing for anyone who is currently on, or about to embark on, their own parenting journey (and is representative of those in LGBTQ2S+ families).

Photo Credit: https://www.ted.com/speakers/andrew_solomon

Bonus Episode! Esther Perel

Truly, if we had to select just one episode to highlight, it was always going to be anything with Esther Perel! This episode takes the cake in so many ways – without negating the gold to be found in the 10 episodes that precede it. In this bonus episode, Esther, Liz and Monica debrief the experience of egg-freezing in general, and unpack the emotional side of a woman’s fertility journey. The episode does a phenomenal job exploring the inherent sense of grief and loss that is tied to almost every fertility experience.

Esther highlights the unfortunate reality that reproductive experiences tend to be highly medicalized (read: cold and clinical) in nature, and often fail to acknowledge the complex emotions that are associated with each of these journeys. She goes on to explain that when a woman chooses to freeze her eggs, there is already a sense of grief and loss tied into the story as this isn’t the usual narrative a woman dreams of. (In other words, there’s rarely a yearning to “someday freeze your eggs” so much as a dream/hope of birthing and raising children with the love of your life in the linear and seamless fashion).

Likewise, when the egg-freezing process doesn’t go as planned (e.g. low follicle count, trouble with hormones, small number of eggs retrieved/matured) there is even more grief and loss to be processed, but rarely the space or support to do so! The trio engage in rich and meaningful discussion around “failure”, disappointment, and moving forward when fertility interventions do not produce the results that we so desperately wish they would. The episode ends with some wonderful tips and considerations for caring for yourself as you move through this process, and how to find hope when faced with the reality that fertility and reproduction are truly out of your control.

Photo Credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/dittmar–496662665180781953/

Caveats:

As you could have guessed, we are obsessed with this series! But if we were to give any caveats it would be these:

• Some legislation and public policy referenced throughout many episodes may be specific for American citizens and less relevant to those living in other countries, such as Canada. Likewise, many episodes speak of the medical landscape, including prescribed medications, hospital procedures, and so forth. While the information may pertain to you directly, we encourage that you research applicable policy and legislation in your area as it pertains to you.
• It is possible that some of the information is dramatized, or enhanced, for sake of good entertainment. Please remember that this is a very individualized experience. Your experiences may (and likely will) differ, and that is okay! As is explained in the series, even the hosts experiences differ – and they are walking the journey together. We encourage that you take the general information and overarching messages and hold these, while not focusing on the nitty gritty details of experiences and stories. The broad takeaways are where greater value is held.
• 2022 was not that long ago, but in the current political climate, seems like a lifetime ago. Some of the details of what has been reported (as relates to public policy, law, medical procedures, and so forth) may have changed in the last three years. As stated in the first caveat, we encourage that you research and are aware of policy/legislation and the like, as relates to you today.

Rating:

DISCLAIMER: All content produced by Northern Therapy Collective is intended for general knowledge and entertainment purposes only. This information does not constitute official clinical advice, and should not be considered a substitute for formal treatment.