The Unplanned Parent

From AMH to Embryo Transfer: The IVF Process Nobody Fully Explains

IVF gets thrown around as a catch-all term. Most people — including most patients — don’t actually know what it involves. Dr. Rhea Chattopadhyay, reproductive endocrinologist and IVF specialist, joins Angel and Raman to walk through the whole process: AMH testing, ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, embryo grading, PGT-A, expanded carrier screening, embryo transfer, and what the body still has to do after the clinic’s work is done. She also covers the ethical questions that don’t have clean answers yet — what happens to unused frozen eggs and embryos, how many IVF cycles is too many, and what it’s like to have the crystal ball conversation with patients who want to know if it’s going to work. A lot of people go through fertility treatment completely alone. This episode was made for them.

The SIDS Episode: What Every New Parent Actually Needs to Know

The baby is a few months away. Angel decides it’s time to talk about SIDS. Episode 10 is the safe sleep episode — what SIDS actually is, what parents can control, and what the data says about all the things new parents worry about: belly sleeping, swaddling, co-sleeping, pacifiers, reflux, over-bundling, and breathing patterns that look alarming but are completely normal. Angel also shares a Rutgers study on Indian American SIDS rates that complicates the co-sleeping conversation in really interesting ways. And confirms that your baby can sleep in a cardboard box if you’re in a bind. It’s AAP-endorsed.

Lessons from a divorcée : A story about decisions, kids, and new norms

Masha is back, and this time she goes all the way in. This episode is Masha’s divorce story — why she ended a marriage that looked fine from the outside, how she and her ex navigated separation during COVID with her mother in the house and two kids under seven, and what she’d do differently if she could go back. She also talks about introducing Raman to her kids, how her son handled learning that his dad was dating, and the decision to stop drinking that she credits with finally helping her move forward. Dr. Angel covers adverse childhood events, what buffers them, and what the research says about how kids from non-traditional households actually do. Plus: the surprising stats on how today’s 12th graders feel about marriage and kids.

When Your Boyfriend Says He’s Having a Baby With Someone Else

Masha is finally here. In this episode, Raman’s girlfriend joins the show to tell her side of the story — how they met, how she found out about Ashley’s proposal, and what it’s actually been like to be the partner in this particular situation. She’s an economics professor with a PhD, a mom of two navigating 50/50 shared custody, and someone who has consistently shown up for Raman throughout all of this. Her take on his decision to become a dad is worth hearing in her own words. Dr. Angel covers postpartum mental health (it’s not just for moms), shared custody statistics, and the research on divorce rates by education level. Plus: Masha coins the title Fanti, and it’s sticking. This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your treating physician for guidance specific to your situation!

Early Childhood Vaccines: What New Parents are Wondering

Dr. Samantha Johnston is back for round two. This time: early childhood vaccines. This episode covers every question new parents actually ask — why hep B is given at birth, whether the ACIP changes affect anything right now (they don’t, thanks to an AAP lawsuit), what the autism data actually shows, why spacing out vaccines backfires, what aluminum in vaccines means in context, and why giving Tylenol before shots is no longer recommended. Plus: kids today get exposed to 130 antigens through vaccines. Kids in the 1980s got over 3,000 — for fewer diseases. The episode reframes almost every common concern about childhood vaccines. Angel admits the autism thought crossed her mind when vaccinating her own kids. She vaccinated on schedule anyway. Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your treating physician for guidance specific to your situation!