Twiniversity Podcast with Natalie Diaz

EXPLICIT LANGUAGE WARNING! (you may want to use headphones if kids are in earshot) In the premiere episode of season 9, Nat chats with twin mom Elizabeth Agostino, mom to 4-year-old twin girls, about her tension-filled, negative relationship with her mother and how it's affecting her and her parenting. Lizzie also shares what she's doing now to try to break the negativity cycle with her own girls....

In our final episode of season 8, Nat chats with Maura Downing, mom of twins and Twiniversity mentor (and previous mentee) about why it's so important to get 1-on-1 support from another parent of twins during pregnancy and the first few years with twins. Learn how you can sign up to be a mentor or get a mentor with our Twin Parent Mentor Program (p.s. it's free!) Today's podcast is sponsored by Tu...

Nat chats with Dr. Carolina Giacobone, a twin mom and general psychiatrist specializing in perinatal psychiatry, about her personal experience with her mother's declining health during her pregnancy and losing her mother a few weeks after her twins were born. They also discuss the importance of mental health during pregnancy and parenthood and advocate for reaching out for help if you need it. Tod...

Nat chats with Sarah Beth Moreau, mom of infant twins + 2 singletons, about how raising her infant twins on a wiggly schedule has helped her state of mind as a twin parent, plus if Nat should finish the last 2 episodes of Bridgerton. Today's podcast is sponsored by Toddleroo by North States. Take 10% off with code TWINS10 at northstatesind.com . Toddleroo by North States makes safe and stylish bab...

Nat chats with Lindsey Ison, pediatric speech pathologist of 13 years and mom of 3-year-old twin girls, about starting solid food with your babies, how your baby's core strength makes a difference with eating, and the benefit of letting your babies do more of the work. Today's podcast is sponsored by Dr. Brown's . Be sure to check out Dr. Brown's full line of infant solid feeding products and tran...

Nat chats with Katie Booms Assarian, mom of 23-month-old twins, about her experience with postpartum anxiety (PPA).  Katie's twins were born at 30 weeks and spent 52 days in the NICU. Katie managed her postpartum anxiety with the help of an excellent partner, counseling, medication, very long walks with the double stroller, and narrating her babies' daily life in song or funny accents. Katie Booms...

Nat chats with Michelle Carroll, a mom of 21-month-old boy/girl twins, about the things the internet and social media don’t tell you about having twins, including possible birth trauma, how to prepare yourself if your twins come early, and the struggle of breastfeeding twins. This episode is sponsored by oogiebear . Visit  oogiebear.com  and use code TWINS for 30% off your entire purchase (expires...

Nat chats with mom of multiples Phoebe Kannisto, mom of 7, including twins, triplets, and two singletons. Phoebe shares her journey of conceiving, both spontaneously and through IVF, not finding out the sexes of her triplets, what kind of help she had with no family in the state, and teaching her kids to be independent at a young age. This episode is sponsored by Dr. Brown's . Phoebe Kannisto is a...

Nat chats with Amanda Blankenship about learning at 25 weeks gestation that her mo/di identical twins had Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) in utero and needed emergency laser ablation surgery. Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome is a rare condition that can occur when abnormal blood vessel connections form in the twins’ shared placenta, creating an uneven blood flow between the babies.  This...

Nat chats with Carlos Ortiz, father of twin daughters, husband, and sales professional, still learning to balance career and family in this new normal of working from home. They talk about the evolving role of fathers in our society and how being a dad to twins is truly a game-changer.  This episode is sponsored by Dr. Brown's . Carlos Ortiz is a father of 4-year-old twins, husband, southern Calif...

Nat chats with Rachel Ernst, a twin mom who lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand with her husband, 4-year-old twin boys, and a 2-year-old singleton boy. Her twins were born in Seoul, South Korea, when the family was with the U.S. military. She and her husband started taking the twins on trips when they were five months old and never looked back! Hear how she is doing it away from family and the benefits/...

Nat chats with Tiffany Zarone, a mom of 2-year-old twins, who lives on Staten Island, NY. Tiffany contracted COVID-19 in mid-March 2020, just as the outbreak in the tristate area was getting into full swing. This is the story of what she learned when she was quarantined away from her then 15-month-old twins for 2 weeks. Tiffany Zarcone is the mother of 2-year-old fraternal twins and works as a phy...

In the season 6 finale of the Twiniversity Podcast, Nat chats with Fran Pitre who had 3 sets of twins in 12 years, one set of girls, one set of boys, and one set of boy/girl twins. Fran shares her initial experience with infertility, followed by hyperovulation, a triplet pregnancy that turned into twins, an irritable uterus, and how each of her pregnancy experiences were different.  Make sure to S...

Nat chats with Julie about her son's ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) diagnosis at 7 years old; how she saw the early signs, the steps to get a diagnosis, and the IEP process to get services in school. Julie is Twiniversity’s “Wizard Behind the Curtain”, serving as Editor-in-Chief of  Twiniversity.com , Account Manager, and Instructor for  Chicago Twiniversity expecting twins classe...

Nat chats with Bryn Huntpalmer, founder of The Birth Hour podcast, about her new book, The First-Time Mom's Pregnancy Handbook , what to ask on your hospital tour, creating a birth plan, what to pack in your hospital bag, and more delivery day prep tips for first-time moms. Today's episode is sponsored by Cord Blood Registry . Use the code DUO2 for a special twins cord blood and cord tissue bankin...

Nat chats with Megan Loden, Twiniversity's COO (“Chief of Other” Stuff No One Wants to Take Care Of) and mom to 16-year-old identical twin girls, about the struggles of raising teenagers, how they are planning for two college educations at once, and how being a twin is affecting their kids' teen experience.  Megan Loden is a stay at home mom to 16-year-old identical twin girls and a 12-year-old bo...

Nat chats with longtime Twiniversity Mom Squad member and postpartum doula Lauren Oak about how to plan for your first night home with twins. Today's episode is sponsored by Dr. Brown's . Lauren Oak is the mom of 4 daughters (including a set of twin girls) and grandma to Ben. She is married to Dan, the best UPS delivery guy on Long Island, NY. In her spare time, she loves to go to the beach. Conne...

Nat chats with Ashley Laracey, twin mom and prima ballerina with the New York City Ballet, about her reflections on the first year with twins on the eve of their first birthday.  Today's episode is sponsored by Manhattan Toy and   Step2 . Learn more about Ashley's Nutcracker ballet performance that's live streaming this December! Click here for details Ashley Laracey was born in Sarasota, Florida....

Nat chats with Crystal Duffy, teacher and twin mom extraordinaire, about how she's juggling teaching high school English and ELA classes online while managing her kids' remote learning schedule. Crystal is a mom of three, including a set of identical twin girls, and our Twiniversity Houston Expecting Twins class instructor. Today's episode is sponsored by Manhattan Toy and Mabel's Labels . Crystal...

Nat chats with interior design Kathy Kuo about twin nursery design tips for expecting and new parents of twins. Kathy is the founder and CEO of Kathy Kuo Home, an online home furnishings retailer and interior design company where you can find some of the best baby and kids' brands on the market, as well as book top-tier interior designers to help you love where you live.  Today's episode is sponso...

Nat chats with Hannah Zeller, the Programs Manager at the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance , about the importance of talking to your kids about their feelings. DBSA's new program, the Mood Crew , a fun, free program for kids ages 4 - 10 to help them better understand their emotions through engaging activities, games, and a parent guidebook. These tools help kids and their grownups recognize...

In the season premiere of season 6, Nat chats with Twiniversity favorite Dani Parris -- a single, working mom of three -- about how virtual learning is going (not well), what she's binge-watching (when she's not working), and other random topics where they almost go off the rails.  This episode is sponsored by Manhattan Toy Company and Step2 . Daniele Parris is a work-from-home mom to an upbeat 13...

In the final episode of season 5, Nat and Julie hash out all their anxieties over an upcoming second COVID wave and share their tips for how they are planning to keep their families sane with the cold weather coming. Season 6 will premiere October 28th! Make sure you're subscribed so you know when it drops! In the meantime, we'll be posting NEW episodes of the Twins Tale Podcast so make sure to su...

Nat chats with twin mom Anna De Souza about how she advocated for herself in her twin pregnancy when many things went wrong. Anna had a very rocky pregnancy and she shares advice on how to stand up for yourself when something isn't right, how to get the most out of your doctor's appointments, and how to have positive contact with office staff and nurses. This episode is sponsored by Dr. Brown's an...

Nat chats with Aleksandra Gold, a mom of 14-month-old twin boys, about how she was able to keep her twin pregnancy a secret from her extended family and friends. Sponsored by Cord Blood Registry . Use the code DUO2 for special twins pricing through Twiniversity.  Need more support? Start your Twiniversity Membership today here . Aleksandra Gold , LCSW lives with her husband and twin boys in Brookl...