Episode 6: Nicola & Mandi

The Family Circle

Content Warning: This episode features a conversation about a miscarriage and how to share the news of pregnancy loss with intended parents. This may be triggering for some listeners, so if this is something you'd like to avoid hearing about, please be advised to skip over 24:30-32:09
We're halfway through season one of The Family Circle and this episode is the perfect heartwarming episode to carry us into the back half of the year!
Episode 6 is hosted by Circle Surrogacy & Egg Donation Director of Marketing, Kristin Marsoli. She hosts our two incredible guests, Nicola and Mandi. Nicola is a parent through surrogacy after giving birth to her own son, and Mandi was her gestational carrier. You may know Mandi as a Surrogate Advisor on the Circle Surrogacy team!
In this episode, Nicola and Mandi share about their beautiful bond, why they both chose surrogacy, why they chose each other, and how they overcame obstacles to bring baby Squish into this world. They are both open, honest, and vulnerable about their journeys and what has kept them close in the five years since their journey together ended. You won't want to miss it!

Thank you for listening!
If you'd like to learn more about surrogacy, you can visit our website. If you'd like to chat with one of our team members, please reach out:

• Become a surrogate (email: [e-mail])
• Become a parent (email: [e-mail])
• Become an egg donor (email: [e-mail])

We'd love to hear your story and see how we can support you.

Chapters

1. Episode 6: Nicola & Mandi (00:00:00)

2. Hello & Welcome - Kristin Marsoli (00:00:14)

3. Introducing Nicola and Her Journey to Surrogacy (00:01:37)

4. Introducing Mandi and What Brought Her to Surrogacy (00:06:14)

5. Nicola's Vision of Who Her Surrogate Would Be (00:09:10)

6. Mandi's Vision of Who Her Intended Parents Would Be (00:11:54)

7. What Was the First Video Call Like for Nicola? (00:13:04)

8. What Was the First Video Call Like for Mandi? (00:15:01)

9. When Did You Both Decide You Wanted to Move Forward? (00:16:36)

10. How Did You Strengthen Your Bond and Relationship? (00:17:54)

11. The Two Week Wait (00:24:30)

12. The First Appointment and Getting Bad News (00:25:35)

13. Mandi Sharing the News with Nicola and Tyler (00:26:50)

14. How to Move Forward After Pregnancy Loss (00:28:30)

15. Were You Able to Visit One Another During the Journey? (00:32:09)

16. Nicola, How Did You Stay Connected to the Pregnancy? (00:35:52)

17. Mandi, How Did You Include Nicola in the Pregnancy? (00:37:26)

18. What Was Delivery Day Like, Mandi? (00:38:35)

19. What Was Delivery Day Like, Nicola? (00:40:38)

20. Labor & Delivery at the Hospital (00:45:01)

21. After Birth and Keeping the Relationship Strong (00:49:41)

22. Mandi's First Time Seeing the Family of Four (00:50:32)

23. How Long Ago Was This Journey? (00:52:14)

24. What Has the Relationship Been Like Between Nicola & Mandi Since the Birth? (00:52:35)

25. What Would You Say to Someone Who Doesn't Agree With Surrogacy? (00:56:00)