My Boyfriend Has a High-Conflict Baby Mama – Help!

"Have both people stated that they want a long term marriage? Once you've said that, timelines now, the clock has started in a certain way." This piece of advice, offered by co-host Jared Fried during a rapid-fire relationship Q&A, cuts to the heart of a recurring theme in this episode of U Up?: the difference between having a problem and having a conversation about it. The episode, hosted by Jordana Abraham and Jared Fried, tackles a series of listener-submitted relationship questions, using role-play and personal anecdotes to unpack the mechanics of everything from engagement timelines to household chores. The throughline is that most relationship conflicts are not about the surface issue—the baby mama, the lack of sex, the holiday schedule—but about whether both partners can have a clear, curious, and non-defensive dialogue about it.

The Engagement Timeline: A Role-Play in Communication

The most substantive segment of the episode is a detailed role-play between Jordana and Jared, designed to illustrate how a conversation about engagement should—and shouldn't—go. They set the scene: a couple in their early 30s, dating for two years and living together. The woman wants to know when they will get engaged; the man is not ready. The key, they argue, is not to demand a date but to ask specific, non-accusatory questions.