Twiniversity Podcast With Natalie Diaz

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 Baby Trend and CBR (use the code DUO2 for special CBR twins pricing) Jenna Morton is a Canadian journalist with more than two decades of work in print, broadcast, and digital media. She’s been featured nationally by Today’s Parent, the Globe and Mail, Global TV, CBC Radio, and extensively throughout regional media. Her parenting resource, Pickle Planet Moncton, has been connecting families with each other and their community for five years. She is the contributing editor of Family 1st/Famille en premier, New Brunswick’s free, bilingual parenting magazine, and co-host of the Pickle Planet Podcast, aired daily on RogersTV

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 Meachum is mom to 9-month-old crawling, squealing, teething, sleep-regressing, trouble-making, growing, giggling, loving boy/girl twins who are the world's LOUDEST blessing! They make Becky better at her job as they have made her appreciate what families with young ones go through every day, and they made her realize how difficult and soul-sucking things like tummy time can be! For babies and mamas alike. Becky is a pediatric physical therapist who works in an early intervention setting, meaning she provides physical therapy services to children ages 0-3 in the comfort of their homes (when COVID-19 isn't rearing its ugl

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) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. Today's episode is sponsored by CBR (use coupon code DUO2) and Dr. Brown's.Rebecca obtained her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Kennesaw State University, and her Master of Science in Mental Health & Psychological Therapies from Queen Mary University of London. She has over 7 years in the field of mental health and held previous roles as an Assistant Psychologist in the UK, a Behavior Data Analyst with the Marcus Autism Center, and Lead Assessor with Willowbrooke Behavi

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. You do not need a referral from your doctor to get a free evaluation through EI. Costs of services vary from state to state as well -- in some states it's free and in other states it's billed on a sliding scale based on your income. Google "early intervention [your state]" to find information on what your state offers (typically through the Dept. of Health & Human Services.) Services through EI typically end at 3-years-old. However, therapy often doesn't end there. After age 3, therapy may continue through your local school district or through private practice or hospital pediatric rehabilitation services.Michelle

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 Fadayomi serves as the Founder and President of the Stello Initiative, a 501c3 organization that mobilizes young adults to serve through service based conferences (For God So Loved Tour). Gerald’s passion for the next generation is best expressed by preaching biblical truth to students and adults around the globe. This passion has positioned him as a trusted voice for multiple organizations including North Point Ministries, Bigstuf Camps, Passion City Church, Calvary Chapel, Newsprint Church, Orange Conference and many more. Gerald is the author of “Before You Go,” a resource designed to help students follow Jesus and gro

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 subscribed to our podcast so you are notified when SEASON 5 drops on July 22nd!Join the Twiniversity Can't Resist List Facebook GroupTwiniversity Online Breastfeeding Twins ClassCONTACT USVISIT Twiniversity.com for tons of free twin tips!FOLLOW us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter.SUBSCRIBE to our email newsletter!Subscribe for FREE to our other podcast, the Twins Tale Podcast, giving you an inside look at feeding schedules, sleep struggles, and all the highs and lows of raising twins from birth to college age.

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. You can follow along with her journey on @Dulatwins Instagram page and her blog.CONTACT USVISIT Twiniversity.com for tons of free twin tips!FOLLOW us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter.SUBSCRIBE to our email newsletter!Subscribe for FREE to our other podcast, the Twins Tale Podcast, giving you an inside look at feeding schedules, sleep struggles, and all the highs and lows of raising twins from birth to college age.

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 a BFA with a concentration in painting from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. His debut picture book, Twins, was recently published by FSG/Macmillan. He is also the author-illustrator of Beach Toys vs. School Supplies (FSG/Macmillan), the illustrator of Treemendous by Bridget Heos (Crown/Penguin Random House) and Cheese and Quackers by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen (Aladdin/Simon&Schuster)—all forthcoming. Mike’s clients also include Scholastic, Highlights magazine and CNN. He has also exhibited at Johnson & Johnson headquarters and the NY Design Center. Mike is an active member of the Society of C

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 by day in the splendor and darkness of twin toddlers and really enjoying the sweetness when it appears. Before twins, Katie was a preschool teacher for 5 years and a curriculum director.Contact UsEMAIL community@Twiniversity.comVISIT Twiniversity.com for tons of free twin tips!FOLLOW us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter.SUBSCRIBE to our email newsletter!

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 tissue banking.Kirsta Ahmad is a working mom with fraternal baby girls, who recently turned one in January. Kirsta and her husband, Hasen, both work full time and learning every day how to better balance their careers with raising their two amazing little love muffins! Kirsta, who works in eCommerce marketing, gains back as much time as she can doing all her shopping, and sourcing organization and twin guidance online. While barely one year old, Kirsta’s twin girls are two fraternal spitfires, who have been each other’s yin and yang from day one. Kirsta likes to say, “they came into the world on different days, in dif

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&tedsMary Hanson was raised on a farm in southeast Nebraska, graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in Animal Science. She now lives on a farm in east central Nebraska with her husband Jeff and twin sons Matt and Chris. They raise 2,100 acres of corn and soybeans with Jeff's brother's family. Mary also owns her own home based business. Find Mary on Instagram at @twinsmum2005CONTACT US!EMAIL community@Twiniversity.comVISIT Twiniversity.com for tons of free twin tips!FOLLOW us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter.SUBSCRIBE to our email newsletter!

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 successful breastfeeding rates, and standardize proper infant positioning as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. AEGIS can hold newborn twins at the same time (up to a total of 14 lbs) or a single baby from 4 - 14 lbs.COUPON CODE! Buy two (2) Aegis Neonate Medical Wraps and take 45% off your total order with the code TWINS2020. Click here to buy.Today's episode is sponsored by It's You Babe and Cord Blood Registry. Use the code DUO2 for special twins pricing through Cord Blood Registry.Mary Chiesa, Founder CEO of SAPLACOR has 15 years of operating room, labor and delivery, and ambulance transport expe

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 twin is the best part of her life. Stacy is originally from Oshkosh, WI and now lives in Fort Wayne, IN and is an English professor. Her identical twin lives in the Chicago area and is also an English professor. Stacy lives with her non-twin husband, a 13-year-old singleton, and their rescue dog. In her free time, Stacy runs marathons, teaches Shakespeare in prisons, and volunteers with rescue dogs and service dogs in-training.CONTACT US!EMAIL community@Twiniversity.comVISIT Twiniversity.com for tons of free twin tips!FOLLOW us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter.SUBSCRIBE to our email newsletter!

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 relationships, but especially those between siblings, including jealousy and the parent's role in it. She currently resides in New York City and loves spending time her kids, husband, and dog, Indy.CONTACT US!EMAIL community@Twiniversity.comVISIT Twiniversity.com for tons of free twin tips!FOLLOW us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter.SUBSCRIBE to our email newsletter!

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 Registry.)We'll be back with Season 4 on April 15th!Karlie Watkins is a teacher and mom of 3 under 2 from Ontario, Canada. In July 2019 Karlie welcomed fraternal twins, Maxton & Kennedy. After being discharged from the hospital she returned two days later due to a spontaneous loss of sight. She was diagnosed with her second episode of post partum preeclampsia. Not sure if you want to mention info about post partum preeclampsia here. Postpartum preeclampsia is a rare condition that occurs when you have high blood pressure and excess protein in your urine soon after childbirth. Preeclampsia is a similar condition that

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, and Instructor for Chicago Twiniversity expecting twins classes. Julie is a full-time working mother to twin boys, born on Halloween. She loves serving as a resource and support for new parents, soon-to-be parents, and we-want-desperately-to-be parents. Julie is proud to be a child passenger safety technician and the Twiniversity Resident Songstress/Jingle Writer.RESOURCESTravels with Walt Disney: A Photographic Voyage Around the WorldCONTACT USEMAIL community@Twiniversity.comVISIT Twiniversity.com for tons of free twin tips!FOLLOW us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter.SUBSCRIBE to our email new

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 TwoDaniele 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. She makes her living in the Healthcare industry and spends most of her time with her boisterous Italian family, trying to get a word in edgewise. Her hobbies include cooking and baking, an unholy knowledge of 80’s hair-metal bands and trying, albeit almost always in vain, to guess the monetary value of the items on Antiques Roadshow. Find Dani @danisayswhatnow on Instagram here.CONTACT USEMAIL community@Twiniversity.comVISIT Twiniversity.com for tons of free twin tips!FOLLOW us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter.SUBSCRIBE to our email newsletter!

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 study (which will be done from your home), click here.Sponsored by Baby Trend.Dr. Susan Wenze is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Lafayette College. She is also a mom to 9-year-old identical twin girls. Dr. Wenze primarily teaches courses related to psychopathology and clinical/counseling psychology. Her research interests center broadly on the assessment and treatment of mood disorders and related concerns. She is particularly interested in cognitive and emotional processing in mood disorders, perinatal mental health (especially among new parents of multiples), and the development of psychosocia

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 MattressBrittany 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 a stay at home mother, but will be going back to work full time soon as an academic advisor at a small college. Brittany considers herself as an alcohol-free mother and is three years sober. Brittany talks about motherhood, mental health, and her sobriety on her blog Exhausted Mom of Twins.RESOURCESAlcoholics AnonymousAl-AnonCONTACT US!EMAIL community@Twiniversity.comVISIT Twiniversity.com for tons of free twin tips!FOLLOW us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter.SUBSCRIBE to our email newsletter!

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 PodcastThe Mom ProjectChicago Super SittersCONTACT US!EMAIL community@Twiniversity.comVISIT Twiniversity.com for tons of free twin tips!FOLLOW us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter.SUBSCRIBE to our email newsletter!