Birthstory

Radiolab

WNYC Studios

History, Science, Documentary, Natural Sciences, Society & Culture

4.6 • 44.5K Ratings

🗓️ 27 January 2023

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

You know the drill — all it takes is one sperm, one egg, and blammo — you’ve got yourself a baby. Right? Well, in this 2015 episode, conception takes on a new form — it’s the sperm and the egg, plus: two wombs, four countries, and money. Lots of money. This is the story of an Israeli couple, two men, who go to another continent to get themselves a baby — three, in fact — by hiring surrogates to carry the children for them. As we follow them on their journey, an earth-shaking revelation shifts our focus from them to the surrogate mothers. Unfolding in real time, as countries around the world considered bans on surrogacy, this episode looked at a relationship that manages to feel deeply affecting and deeply uncomfortable at the same time. “Birthstory” is a collaboration with the brilliant radio show and podcast Israel Story, created to tell stories for, and about, Israel. Go check ‘em out! (https://zpr.io/rX3DazcJiUUG) Israel Story's five English-language seasons were produced in partnership with Tablet Magazine (https://zpr.io/HxYET7psAbPh) and we highly recommend you listen to all of their work at (https://zpr.io/HD3LSqq25LEx) This episode was produced and reported by Molly Webster. Special thanks go to: Israel Story, and their producers Maya Kosover, and Yochai Maital; reporters Nilanjana Bhowmick in India and Bhrikuti Rai in Nepal plus the International Reporting Project (https://zpr.io/KxN7etFiqWHL); Doron Mamet, Dr Nayana Patel, and Vicki Ferrara; with translation help from Aya Keefe, Karthik Ravindra, Turna Ray, Tom Wasserman, Pradeep Thapa, and Adhikaar (https://zpr.io/MDyadskgwZtH), an organization in Ridgewood, Queens advocating for the Nepali-speaking community. Audio Extra: Tal and Air had a chance to meet each surrogate once - just after the deliveries, after all the paperwork was sorted out, and before any one left Nepal. As Amir says, they wanted to say "a big thank you." These meetings between intended parents, surrogate, and new babies are a traditional part of the surrogacy process in India and Nepal, and we heard reports from the surrogates that they also look forward to them. These moments do not stigmatize, reveal the identity of, or endanger the surrogates. Tal and Amir provided the audio for this web extra. EPISODE CREDITS: Reported by - Molly Websterwith help from - Maya Kosover, Yochai Maital, Bhrikuti Rai

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, Molly Webster here.
0:03.3	Last week we had a story in collaboration with NPR's Rough Translation about an amateur
0:08.1	network of strangers trying to get abortion pills into Ukraine in the early months of the
0:13.0	war.
0:14.1	Part two where we go into Ukraine, that's coming out next week.
0:18.3	In the meantime, I've got a little radio lab rewind for you.
0:21.9	I wanted to play you a story that we did in 2015, so eight years ago, because I've been
0:27.7	thinking about it a lot while I've been working on the Ukraine piece.
0:31.9	It is also a mix of border crossings and ethics and medical questions and pregnancy and crisis
0:39.0	and it just has a really big heart.
0:42.1	It's called Birth Story.
0:43.7	Here it is.
0:44.7	Wait, wait, wait, wait.
0:45.7	Okay.
0:46.7	Okay.
0:47.7	Okay.
0:48.7	Okay.
0:49.7	You're listening to radio lab.
0:53.5	Radio lab.
0:54.5	From W and Y.
0:56.5	Three, why.
0:59.5	Okay.
	...

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