A pediatrician. Her brother. His platonic co-parenting journey. The Unplanned Parent follows one family's real-time path to baby, with the science, the decisions, and the conversations your doctor skips. New episodes every other week.

What does it actually take to say yes to becoming a parent — especially when it was never part of the plan?

In this first episode of The Unplanned Parent, Dr. Angel Rampal (board-certified pediatrician) and her brother, Raman, kick off the season by going back to the very beginning: the moment a running joke between friends stopped being a joke. Raman's longtime friend Ashley had frozen her eggs at 34, she was ready to have a baby at 44, and she wanted to know if Raman was in. His first answer? Hell no.

This episode traces how that hell no turned into a text message that said "I'm in — where do I go?" They cover the long deliberation process, the friends and family Raman consulted (including a Tim walk that shifted things), the lawyers and accountants who told him not to do it, and the one variable that quietly tipped the scale: everyone who knew Ashley said yes.

Dr. Angel also weighs in from a pediatrician's perspective — what the research actually says about non-traditional family structures, why platonic co-parenting can work, and the medical detail that gave her the most hope: Ashley's decision to freeze her eggs a decade ago.

No scripts. No tidy conclusions. Just two siblings sorting through a genuinely unusual situation — and a season just getting started.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

YouTube Chapters

00:00 Cold Open — 'If we end up old and want kids, just ask'

00:46 Welcome to The Unplanned Parent — Angel Introduces the Show

01:17 Meet Raman — The Nomadic Co-Host Who Said Yes to Fatherhood

02:06 The Man Who Never Wanted Kids

03:25 D-Day: The Text That Started It All

04:25 How the Joke Between Raman and Ashley Started

05:43 How Raman and Ashley Know Each Other

07:35 Ashley Gives Raman a Deadline: Answer by Thanksgiving

08:26 Raman's First Answer: Hell No

09:17 What Made Him Reconsider — The Kids on the Ski Trips

11:13 Angel's First Reaction: Also Hell No (But for Different Reasons)

13:06 Angel's 180 — Why She Changed Her Mind

15:20 The Tim Walk — The Conversation That Helped

16:12 Bobby's Advice: There Is No Wrong Answer

17:08 The Lawyers and Accountants Who Said Don't Do It

17:59 What Raman's Parents Said

19:22 The Pattern Raman Noticed: Everyone Who Knew Ashley Said Yes

20:09 What It Takes to Co-Parent With Someone — Angel's Take

21:56 The Mental Hurdles: Raman Was Dating Someone

22:35 Masha — How His Girlfriend Fit Into the Decision

23:00 The Poconos House, Gabby the Dog, and What Might Change

25:26 Ashley's Promise: Your Involvement Level Is Up to You

26:03 Angel's Pediatric Take on Non-Traditional Family Structures

27:30 What Raman Might Have Missed — Angel's Medical Concerns

28:33 Ashley Froze Her Eggs at 34 — Why That Matters

29:18 Is This Normal? Two Friends Having a Baby Together

30:01 Angel's Biggest Concern: Carrying a Pregnancy at 44

31:34 The Adverse Childhood Events Research — What Actually Affects Kids

33:38 Why This Baby Is Starting With Plus Points

34:24 Closing — What's Coming Next episode