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We all want our friends to be happy ... but how far would you go to help? Tiny Huge Decisions follows two best friends, Mohsin and Dalia, as they make a possibly relationship altering choice – will she be the gestational surrogate for Mohsin and his husband? Mohsin grew up in a devout Muslim family where being gay was inconceivable. He couldn’t imagine living the life he dreamed of—to create his own family. He’s now met the love of his life, Matthew, and they want a child. When Mohsin’s best friend, Dalia, said she’d consider being a surrogate for them, he couldn’t believe it—she already has a child of her own and had serious complications with her pregnancy. Eavesdrop in on their conversations, their processing, and their choices, as they grapple with the real question: is this the worst idea in the world, or the greatest gift a friend can give?
16 Episodes
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This is a story about two people – best friends Mohsin and Dalia. And one potentially life-changing decision: will she carry his baby? It’s emotional, intimate, and more than a little complicated. This is Tiny Huge Decisions.
When Dalia said she could carry her best friend Mohsin’s baby, she was… half-joking? But now, they’re talking about it for real. Mohsin and his new husband want a child, and Dalia could be the one to make it happen. So, will they? Won’t they? They’ve committed to exploring the possibility together, before reaching a final decision. But who are these two? Why are they even considering doing this? They reflect on their friendship origin story – how they met, and the turbulent years that bonded them together for life. And then, they look forward, dreaming about how a surrogacy could work, and sharing their hopes and fears.For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.tinyhugedecisions.org.
So... how does this all work? Mohsin's done some research, and he’s ready to guide Dalia through some of the fine print of the surrogacy process. There are different approaches in the US and the UK – with financial and legal implications. But these complex technicalities come back to emotional realities - why does Mohsin want to go through this with Dalia? And what's her motivation?For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.tinyhugedecisions.org.
What is it really like to be pregnant with someone else’s child? Dalia shares some of her anxieties from the difficult experience she had with her first pregnancy. Then, she shares some of her own research with Mohsin. She’s spoken to surrogates, finding differences, similarities and common emotional ground. As she learns more about surrogacy, which way is she leaning?For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.tinyhugedecisions.org.
There's someone we haven't spoken with so far... Mohsin’s husband, and the other intended parent, Matthew. Together, Mohsin and Matthew speak about the journey of their relationship. It’s an intimate insight that takes some surprising turns – through identity, race, and guilt. What does Matthew think about all this? Who’s going to be the biological father? And what happens if Dalia says no?For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.tinyhugedecisions.org.We want to hear what you think about Tiny Huge Decisions! Please help us out by filling out a short audience survey: tinyhugedecisions.org/survey
This decision won’t just affect Mohsin and Dalia, but everyone around them. Now, it’s time to open up the conversation to friends and family. When Mohsin first came out, there were times his mother wouldn’t even speak to him – but now, they’re having a heart-to-heart about the importance of family, with a few parenting tips thrown in. Meanwhile, Dalia opens up to her friend Emily, who provides insight from her own experience – and asks some challenging questions.For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.tinyhugedecisions.org.We want to hear what you think about Tiny Huge Decisions! Please help us out by filling out a short audience survey: tinyhugedecisions.org/survey
Is a vague idea between friends about to become a reality? A year into the process, and on the verge of a decision, Mohsin and Dalia sit down with a dozen pages of a surrogacy agreement, and hash out the details of exactly how this could work. There’s little decisions to make about conception, pregnancy and birth – and these old friends don’t always agree. Then, Mohsin drops a bombshell that could change everything.For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.tinyhugedecisions.org.We want to hear what you think about Tiny Huge Decisions! Please help us out by filling out a short audience survey: tinyhugedecisions.org/survey
It’s all been leading up to this: Dalia has made her decision. Mohsin and Dalia prepare for the life-changing reveal.For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.tinyhugedecisions.org.We want to hear what you think about Tiny Huge Decisions! Please help us out by filling out a short audience survey: tinyhugedecisions.org/survey
1So… what do Mohsin and Dalia do now?For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.tinyhugedecisions.org.We want to hear what you think about Tiny Huge Decisions! Please help us out by filling out a short audience survey: tinyhugedecisions.org/survey
In “Episode 4: Meet Matthew”, Mohsin played Matthew clips from an interview he conducted with Paul Morgan-Bentley, a journalist and author who has had a child through a surrogate. In this first bonus episode, here is an extended cut of Mohsin’s conversation with Paul, where they discuss the shape of the relationship between parents, surrogates and children.For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.tinyhugedecisions.org.We want to hear what you think about Tiny Huge Decisions! Please help us out by filling out a short audience survey: tinyhugedecisions.org/survey
In “Episode 1: Are they serious?”, Mohsin and Dalia discussed his struggles at university. At this time, Mohsin saw a university counselor named Maureen. The pair developed a friendship outside of their counseling relationship and have been close for 20 years – Maureen even came to Mohsin and Matthew’s wedding. Mohsin put the producers in touch with Maureen when they were conducting research for the series. While the interview didn’t make it into the show, in this bonus episode, you can hear the conversation between producer Louise Mountain and Maureen, where they discuss Mohsin’s journey over the years.For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.tinyhugedecisions.org.We want to hear what you think about Tiny Huge Decisions! Please help us out by filling out a short audience survey: tinyhugedecisions.org/survey
Thank you to everyone who's been listening to Mohsin and Dalia's story. Now, we'd love to hear yours! Send us your experiences of decision-making — starting a family, building a family, helping a friend, or any other life-changing decisions. Visit www.tinyhugedecisions.org/submit to send us your story. You may even appear in a future episode.
In “Episode 3: Where does the love start and end?”, Dalia played clips for Mohsin of calls she'd had made to Michelle – who had been a surrogate for her sister-in-law. This bonus episode is an extended cut of that interview. Michelle talks about her motivations and her experiences during and after the pregnancy, and gives some useful advice to Dalia.For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.tinyhugedecisions.org.We want to hear what you think about Tiny Huge Decisions! Please help us out by filling out a short audience survey: tinyhugedecisions.org/survey
It's been a year since the decision was revealed. In this bonus episode, Mohsin and Dalia catch up on everything that's happened since.For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.tinyhugedecisions.org.We want to hear what you think about Tiny Huge Decisions! Please help us out by filling out a short audience survey: tinyhugedecisions.org/survey
We have a special episode to share this week from the podcast, The Best Advice Show. The Best Advice Show is your twice-weekly reminder that there are weird, delightful and effective ways to make life slightly and sometimes profoundly better. In every (very short) episode of the show, a different contributor offers their take on making life more joyful, healthful and livable and it's likely gonna be something you can try today, if you want. Zak Rosen is the host and creator of The Best Advice Show. He also co-hosts Slate's parenting show, Mom and Dad Are Fighting and he co-created and produces Pregnant Pause, How To Survive the End of the World and Freedom Dreams. ---Nell Wulfhartis a decision coach. Learn more about her coaching practice here.
We have a special episode for you today. We’re excited to share an episode from another podcast at American Public Media called This Is Uncomfortable. This is Uncomfortable, is a podcast from Marketplace about the unexpected ways money can shape our relationships, identities and the choices we make. In this episode, you’ll meet Kashy Keegan, an aspiring popstar who poured everything he had into making it big. When his self-imposed deadline arrived and his dream hadn’t become reality, he hung up his mic for good. However, a few years later, an unexpected email from halfway around the world changed everything. If you’d like to hear more episodes from the host, Reema Khrais, and the team, you can find This is Uncomfortable wherever you get your podcasts.
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