The Unplanned Parent

Dr. Angel's Health and Wellness Coaching/Arcbound
  • 5.0 (1)
  • PARENTING
  • SERIES

The Unplanned Parent is a podcast about what it actually takes to bring a child into the world: the decisions, the health prep, the weird legal conversations, and everything your doctor doesn't have time to explain. Hosted by pediatrician Dr. Angel Rampal and her free-spirited nomadic brother, Raman, the show follows Raman's real-time journey into platonic co-parenting with his longtime friend, Ashley, who is currently pregnant via IVF. Angel brings the science. Raman brings the chaos. Together they cover the questions most parents don't know to ask, from preconception health to the stuff no one puts in a birth plan. Whether you're expecting, considering it, or just curious about what modern family-building actually looks like up close, this is the show for you. New episodes drop every week.

Episodes

  1. 18 MAR

    Introducing The Unplanned Parent

    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.

    1 min

  2. 25 MAR

    He Said I'm In — Over Text

    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

    36 min

  3. 1 APR

    Everything That Happens Before IVF Co-Parenting: Psych Evals, Sperm Testing & Legal Contracts

    Saying yes was the easy part. In Episode 2, Raman walks through the six months between his "I'm in" text and the actual embryo implantation — and it was a lot more than just showing up to a clinic. Psychological evaluations. Lawyers. A legally binding document covering everything from vaccines to what kind of car the kid can ride in. And one sperm sample that, in his own words, could have been better. Dr. Angel weighs in on what she found surprisingly refreshing about the whole process, when to tell a child they were conceived non-traditionally, and the science behind why all of Raman and Ashley's viable embryos came back male. Thorough, candid, and occasionally very funny.

    40 min

  4. 5 DAYS AGO

    Raman Quit Vaping for His Sperm. It Worked.

    Raman thought the hard part was over after the yes text. Then Ashley called from the doctor's office. The recommendation: quit vaping for 90 days to improve sperm quality. Raman's first reaction was to hang up and vape ten times in a row. Episode 3 is the story of how he actually did it — the addiction, the logistics of quitting, the dismantled vape that ended up in a dumpster at 1:30am, and the before-and-after sperm analysis that made it all worth it. Dr. Angel covers the science behind nicotine and sperm health, what men should be doing in the preconception window, and how to talk to teenagers about vaping before it becomes a problem. Plus: ChatGPT as a surprisingly effective quit coach.

    48 min
  • 4 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

About

The Unplanned Parent is a podcast about what it actually takes to bring a child into the world: the decisions, the health prep, the weird legal conversations, and everything your doctor doesn't have time to explain. Hosted by pediatrician Dr. Angel Rampal and her free-spirited nomadic brother, Raman, the show follows Raman's real-time journey into platonic co-parenting with his longtime friend, Ashley, who is currently pregnant via IVF. Angel brings the science. Raman brings the chaos. Together they cover the questions most parents don't know to ask, from preconception health to the stuff no one puts in a birth plan. Whether you're expecting, considering it, or just curious about what modern family-building actually looks like up close, this is the show for you. New episodes drop every week.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Angel's Health and Wellness Coaching/Arcbound
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Dr. Angel's Health and Wellness Coaching/Arcbound
  • Show Website
    The Unplanned Parent

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