Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: Fluffy, Sticky & Thick
Date: September 12, 2025
Host: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode centers around Katie’s deeply personal and often humorous recounting of her ongoing IVF (in vitro fertilization) journey. With honesty and candor, Katie shares the physical and emotional ups and downs of fertility treatment, including her recent embryo transfer procedure. The hosts discuss the science, the surreal clinical experience, and the life changes that IVF brings, punctuated by signature Armstrong & Getty banter.

Key Discussion Points

1. Katie’s IVF Journey – Updates & Process

• Katie’s Absence: Katie explains her recent two-week absence was due to IVF treatment.
  • [00:26] Katie: “I'm going through the IVF process where my husband and I are trying to have a baby.”
• Egg Retrieval and Embryo Transfer:
  • Started IVF in May; underwent two egg retrievals, yielding six embryos.
  • This week, the strongest embryo (a boy) was implanted via a transfer procedure.
  • [01:15] Katie: “They put the strongest of the embryos into me, and it’s a little boy.”
• The Transfer Procedure:
  • Katie was surprised to be awake (not sedated like prior retrievals), making the process uncomfortable and invasive.
  • Describes the sensations and emotions, including involuntary fear reactions.
  • [02:54] Katie: “They’ve been calling me fluffy, sticky and thick.”

2. Medical Details and Bodily Realities

• Describing the Procedure:
  • The transfer involves inserting a catheter through the cervix into the uterus, similar to (but more intense than) a Pap smear.
  • [01:51] Katie: “They go in through the Yoohoo… It’s the same process as having a Pap smear.”
• Physical Aftermath:
  • Katie nearly passed out after the procedure due to stress and discomfort.
  • She struggles to describe the line between pain and discomfort.
  • [03:29] Katie: “I can't tell if it was so uncomfortable that it was painful.”
• Emotional Reactions:
  • Katie’s bodily tension was so strong the doctor had to repeatedly remind her to relax her legs.
  • [04:19] Katie: “My whole legs, my whole [body]…”

3. The Science and Surrealism of IVF

• On the Atmosphere in the Clinic:
  • Attempts to distract Katie (funny faces, music, house beats, jokes) occurring as the embryologist enters with the embryo.
  • Embryo placed on a "silver platter" and displayed on a screen before implantation.
  • [06:11] Katie: “She’s holding it like a silver platter, you know, and Dr. Amy goes, thank you. And they put it up on the big screen...”
  • Dr. Amy even made a “wee!” sound as the embryo was transferred.
    • [07:09] Katie: “As he went into my uterus, she went, ‘wee!’”

4. Next Steps & Medical Hurdles

• Hopeful Progress:
  • First pregnancy test scheduled for next week; big genetic testing at 18 weeks to check for polycystic kidney disease.
  • Slight dread for the 18-week amniocentesis (possible needle procedure).
  • [07:35] Katie: “It's going to be kind of a waiting game until eighteen weeks.”
• Lifestyle Changes:
  • No alcohol, vaping, coffee, sushi, or deli meats—making daily life a (humorously) greater challenge.
  • [08:33] Katie: "Let me tell you, I have had to quit all of my vices... which has made me a joy."
  • [09:19] Katie: "Nope. That's some coffee-less days."

5. IVF Costs, Accessibility & Social Impact

• On Expenses:

  • IVF is expensive and not always covered by insurance.
  • Amazon is cited as an example of a company that does offer infertility coverage.
  • [10:17] Katie: “It's quite expensive. But there are certain places... Amazon actually covers infertility.”

• History and Growth of IVF:

  • First IVF birth was in 1978 (Louise Brown). The procedure became common and efficient in the early 2000s.
  • [10:44] B: “Dr. Robert Edwards won the 2010 Nobel Prize... millions of babies have now been born worldwide through IVF since 1978.”

• Embryo Donations:

  • Katie and her husband plan to donate unused embryos to families who can’t conceive.
  • [11:42] Katie: “The remaining embryos are going to be donated to families that can't.”

6. Connecting With Listeners & Candid Reflections

• Listener Support:

  • Many listeners reached out in response to previous IVF discussions, sharing solidarity.
  • Katie stresses the importance of openness about the IVF experience.
  • [11:12] Katie: "I've never really been a closed book about anything, so I have no problem talking about this stuff."

• Humor & Empathy:

  • The hosts use playful banter to process the strange, vulnerable aspects of the experience.
  • Running jokes about “fluffy, sticky, and thick” uterine linings and male lack of empathy for stirrups.
  • [12:14] A: “Just one time... can I just one time [try the stirrups]?”
  • [12:27] B: “Exactly. To help your empathy there, tough guy.”

• Memorable Closing:

  • Michael jokes, after hearing the ordeal, about opting for a foreign exchange student instead of doing IVF.
  • [12:39] B (Michael): "My wife is going to do that, but after hearing this, we're just going to do a foreign exchange student this summer."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the clinical language:
  • [02:54] Katie: “They use all the adjectives no female ever wants to be described as. They've been calling me fluffy, sticky and thick.”
• On the blurred line between pain and discomfort:
  • [03:29] Katie: “I can't tell if it was so uncomfortable that it was painful.”
• On the surreal science of it all:
  • [06:11] Katie: “She’s holding it like a silver platter... And they put it up on the big screen, and it was this whole thing...”
• On going through it while awake:
  • [01:32] Katie: "I was going in there all, you know, chest puffed out, like, I got this... No, no. Was awake for the transfer process, which is invasive."
• On forced empathy for men:
  • [12:27] B: “Exactly. To help your empathy there, tough guy.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:26-02:54 – Katie details IVF status and physical/medical experiences
• 03:25-04:44 – Discomfort, bodily reactions, and stress management during procedures
• 05:05-07:23 – Description of the embryo transfer procedure, surreal clinic atmosphere
• 07:24-08:33 – Next steps, medical testing, and genetic concerns
• 08:34-09:41 – Adjusting lifestyle, quitting vices, maintaining humor
• 09:42-10:17 – IVF history and cost, insurance challenges
• 10:44-11:42 – Support, embryo donation, social impact
• 12:14-12:39 – Banter about stirrups, empathy, and comic relief

Episode Tone

Candid, empathetic, and self-deprecatingly humorous. Katie brings honest vulnerability about her IVF journey, while the Armstrong & Getty team balance the science and seriousness with accessible, lighthearted commentary.

Summary Takeaway

A heartfelt, detailed account of the modern IVF experience, from the clinical weirdness and bodily realities to the emotional highs and hurdles. Conversational yet informative, the episode demystifies fertility treatment, fosters empathy, and reminds listeners they're not alone in their struggles for family.