Twiniversity Podcast with Natalie Diaz

Nat chats with Lesli and Umang Desai who became parents to twins through adoption. After 6 years of infertility and loss, Lesli and Umang shifted their family plans to adoption. After 3 broken adoption matches and a disrupted adoption in 2019, they were chosen to be the parents of girl-boy twins. They had 6 weeks' notice before meeting their newborn twins in person and they returned home with thei...

Nat chats with Rebekah Robinson how she's raising her toddler twins using gentle parenting. Rebekah shares her approach and all the details on how she manages her twin toddler boys to keep the peace and avoid time-outs, and Nat plays Devil's advocate to find out how this actually works.  Sponsored by Mabel's Labels . Use the coupon code TWIN15 for 15% off sitewide (excluding stamps, sales, and mas...

Nat chats with Jenna Morton about learning at 19 weeks gestation that her identical twins had Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) in utero and needed fetoscopic 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.  Sponsored by Ba...

Nat chats with pediatric physical therapist and twin mom Becky Meachum about why tummy time is essential, when you should start your twins with tummy time, the best way to do tummy time, and how often you should be doing it. Today's episode is sponsored by:  Larktale (coupon code TWIN20 for 20% off)  Mabel's Labels (coupon code TWIN15 for 15% off sitewide, excluding stamps, sales, and masks) Becky...

Nat chats with Rebecca Huls, a twin mom, Licensed Professional Counselor, and Certified EMDR Specialist about types of trauma, symptoms of trauma, and how trauma can affect you for years if you don't deal with it. Rebecca explains how trauma is a spectrum that can be related to one-time big events or small events that keep recurring over time. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) i...

Nat chats with Michelle Haire about her quest to get her twin boys an early intervention assessment for speech delays after pushback from her pediatrician. Sponsored by Gerber Childrenswear. Today's podcast is sponsored by Gerber Childrenswear .  Twiniversity Tip: Please note that Early Intervention (EI) programs are run by the state governments across the US and programs vary from state to state....

In the Season 5 premiere, we meet Gerald and Kiley, parents of 3-month-old twin girls. Gerald contracted COVID-19 and had to quarantine just days before Kiley went into labor at 34 weeks and delivered her twins without Gerald there.  Sponsored by Cord Blood Registry . Use the code DUO2 for special pricing on cord blood and cord tissue banking for twins exclusive to Twiniversity families. Gerald Fa...

In the Season 4 finale of the Twiniversity Podcast, Nat chats with Alejandra Bautista, mother to a 6-year-old daughter and 7-month-old twin boys, about the unique challenges of raising twins without a partner. The father of Alejandra's children left when she was 6 months pregnant with her twins and she's been raising her children ever since with the help of her close family.  Make sure you're subs...

Nat chats with twin mom and pediatrician Carly Dulabon about the serious guilt she felt from having to deliver her preemie di/di twins at 30 weeks gestation.  Carly Dulabon is the mom of 8.5 month old twin boys, Micah and Gabriel, who were born at 30 weeks. These are her first babies. She lives outside of Cleveland, Ohio with her twins and her husband, Rob. She works as a pediatrician in the area....

Nat chats with Mike Ciccotello, a twin dad who is finding time for his passion for writing children's books while raising his 5-year-old twin boys. Nat and Mike discuss the difficulty and importance of finding the time to explore your passions in life as a parent of twins. Sponsored by Cord Blood Registry . Use the code DUO2 for special twins pricing through Twiniversity. Mike Ciccotello received...

Nat chats with twin mom Katie Snyder about her experience with torticollis, flat head syndrome, baby physical therapy, and corrective baby helmets in the first year of her twins' life.  Sponsored by Dr. Brown's . Katie Snyder is a SAHM who has two-year-old twin boys, Henry and Barrett. Katie, her husband, Joe, the twins, and their two Chihuahuas live in Pennsylvania. Currently, they are living day...

Nat chats with twin mom Kirsta Ahmad about her "double whammy" birth story with a twist: her twins were born two ways (baby A vaginal, baby B C-section) on two different days! Listen to her experience with infertility, twin pregnancy, and an (extended) delivery day to remember. Today's episode is sponsored by Cord Blood Registry . Use the code DUO2 for special twins pricing for cord blood and cord...

Nat chats with Mary Hanson, a mom of 14 year old twin boys (Matt & Chris) who lives and works on her farm in east central Nebraska with her twins and husband Jeff. Mary shares what life is like with teen twin boys in a rural community, including raising twins in a small town, her twins learning to drive, and the support she's received as a twin mom. Sponsored by phil&teds Mary Hanson was raised on...

Nat chats with Mary Chiesa, founder and CEO of Saplacor. Mary is the creator of the AEGIS neonate medical wrap, an FDA approved medical device that's known as the "seatbelt of maternity" and a product that we feel is essential to all new moms and dads (and is usually covered by insurance). AEGIS helps facilitate safe hands-free skin to skin bonding to reduce the risk of infant falls, help increase...

Nat chats with an adult twin, Stacy Erickson-Pesetski, about 5 things you should never do when raising twins, including birthdays, dressing your twins, and classroom placement.  Sponsored by Gerber Childrenswear and Baby Trend . Stacy Erickson-Pesetski is an identical twin, college professor, marathoner, and crazy dog lady. She has strong opinions about things like dressing twins alike. Being a tw...

Nat chats with Dr. Meghan Hamwey, a twin mom and human development researcher, about sibling rivalry between twins, including the myth that you can treat your children all the same.  Sponsored by Phil&Teds .  Dr. Meghan Hamwey is a mother of 12 month old twins, Malia and Grant. She has her PhD in Human Development and Family Studies from Purdue University. Her research focuses on family relationsh...

In our Season 3 finale, Nat chats with twin mom Karlie Watkins about her experience with postpartum preeclampsia, a condition that a lot of pregnant moms don't know to look out for after delivery. Learn the symptoms and get educated on this life-threatening postpartum condition.  Sponsored by It's You Babe and Cord Blood Registry . (Use the code DUO2 for special twins pricing through Cord Blood Re...

Nat chats with Twiniversity's "Wizard" Julie Burt Nichols about her plans to take her twin boys to Disney World next year (at age 8) with the help of her parents. Nat shares her best tips for going to Disney on a budget, where to spend, and where to save.  Sponsored by phil&teds . Julie is Twiniversity’s “Wizard Behind the Curtain”, serving as Editor-in-Chief of  Twiniversity.com , Account Manager...

Nat chats with twin mom Dani Parris about why she decided to not allow her 12-year-old son and 6-year-old boy/girl twins to have access to social media or tablets. Sponsored by Table for Two Daniele Parris is a work-from-home mom to an upbeat 12-year-old boy and 6-year-old boy-girl twins. She lives in the suburbs of New York City and has degrees in Fine Arts and Philosophy from New York University...

Nat chats with Dr. Susan Wenze, a twin mom and clinical psychologist specializing in perinatal mental health (especially among new parents of multiples). They discuss postpartum depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders in parents of multiples. Susan explains the research study she is currently recruiting for (as of Feb. 2020) and how you can participate. To apply to participate in Susan's stu...

Nat chats with Brittany Ross, a mom of twins plus a singleton, about her past as a functioning alcoholic until a battle with infertility made her realize it was time to go sober. Sponsored by Colgate Mattress Brittany Ross is a mom of 2-year-old twins and a 7-month-old boy and has been married to her husband Christopher for 8 years. Brittany resides in the greater Cincinnati area and is currently...

Nat chats with Jenny, a mom of two-year-old twins and a finance professional, about the struggles between opting to go back to work or stay home full time.  Sponsored by Dr. Brown's . Jenny Bynes is a mom of two-year-old boy/girl twins who splits her time from being a stay home parent as a finance professional in Chicago. Resources Mentioned in the Podcast The Mom Project Chicago Super Sitters CON...

In the Season 3 premiere of the Twiniversity Podcast, Nat chats with twin mom Darragh about her battle with infertility that ultimately led her to the Czech Republic to get pregnant when her US health insurance wouldn't cover IVF treatments. Sponsored by Dr. Brown's . Darragh Worland is a full time working mom of identical twin 2-year-old girls living on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Resources ment...

In our season 2 finale, Nat chats with twin dad and author Mike Ciccotello about the importance of creating a strong team with your partner when you're raising twins. Make sure you're subscribed when SEASON 3 drops in January! Sponsored by Cord Blood Registry . Use the code DUO2 for special twins pricing through Twiniversity. Mike Ciccotello received a BFA with a concentration in painting from Mas...

Nat chats with Megan Loden, a mom of 15-year-old identical twin girls, about her twins starting to drive, dating, dances, and other stressful teen twin moments to look forward to.  Sponsored by Colgate Mattress . Megan Loden is a stay at home mom to 14-year-old identical twin girls and a 10-year-old boy. Megan, her husband, and kids live just outside of Phoenix. Her writing can also be found on Bl...