Twiniversity Podcast With Natalie Diaz

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 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.Asurion Home+ insurance for your devicesSimpl Dimpl fidget toy from Fat Brain ToysTwiniversity Mentorship ProgramFun and Function sensory toys and products for kidsEmail Julie julie@twiniversity.comCONTACT USVISIT Twiniversity.com for tons of free twin tips!FOLLOW us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter.

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 banking discount through Twiniversity.Bryn Huntpalmer is the founder of The Birth Hour podcast which has been featured as 'New & Noteworthy' on the front page of Apple Podcasts and has over 8 million downloads to date. She is passionate about helping women prepare for childbirth through the sharing of empowering and informative birth stories as well as her online evidence-based childbirth course called Know Your Options. She lives in Austin, TX with her husband, Richard, and their three kids, Adelaide, Darwin, and Harvey. She considers it her most important job to raise her children to be kind, aware, and courageous human

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 boy. Megan, her husband, and kids live just outside of Phoenix. Her writing can also be found on Bluntmoms, sammichesandpsychmeds, scarymommy, and of course, Twiniversity.Contact Nat's finance guy Dan Paikin with Strategies for WealthSign up for a Twiniversity Membership to access our monthly Zoom twin club.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 o

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. Connect with Lauren Oak Doula Services on Facebook. You can hire Lauren for a virtual 1-hour session to help you get through your first week - click here for details.Twiniversity NICU ResourceBook Your Twins Post-Delivery Strategy Session with Lauren OakLittle Folks Twin Bassinet by DeltaBaby Trend Twin Nursery CenterTwins Daily Log – Portrait Orientation and Landscape OrientationFirst Year with Twins TimelineCONTACT 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 Pod

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 detailsAshley Laracey was born in Sarasota, Florida. She began her dance training at the age of five with Cheryl Carty and Christine White at the Carty Academy of Theater Dance in Bradenton, Florida. At age 12, she began training with Pavel Fomin, Diane Partington, and Isabel and Javier Dubrocq at Sarasota Ballet of Florida. She continued her studies at age 15 with Victoria Schneider, Olivier Pardina, and Svetlana Osiyeva at the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida. Ms. Laracey entered the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, in the fall of 2001. In October 2002, Ms. Laracey became an apprentice with New York City Ballet, and i

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 Duffy is an author, teacher, speaker, and mother to three little girls including a set of identical twins. She’s the author of the book, Twin to Twin, which is a memoir of her high-risk twin pregnancy and NICU journey. She wanted to share her emotional tale of empowerment to inspire other families navigating through a similar journey with a message of hope and encouragement. She teaches high school English and also teaches the Twiniversity expectant twins parents class in Houston. She is currently working on her second book about teenagers and technology. She lives in Houston with her husband Ed, their three daughters,

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 sponsored by Kathy Kuo Home. Use the code KKHTWINS15 for a 15% discount - some exclusions apply. And don't miss some spectacular savings opportunities on Black Friday & Cyber Monday!Kathy Kuo is the founder and CEO of Kathy Kuo Home, a recognized TV personality, and a celebrated interior designer. Published in the press as an international guru within the home and lifestyle space, Kathy has an unmatched eye for curating, sourcing, and designing luxury furniture and homewares. Today, she continues to develop the fastest growing online platform in the home and design industry. Kathy has 20+ years of experience in the home

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, identify, and process their feelings and emotions in a fun and safe setting. DBSA provides hope, help, support, and education for millions of people who live with mood disorders. DBSA reaches an estimated 4 million people each year with education, advocacy, resources, and support offered through DBSA’s Website, dbsalliance.org. DBSA supports individuals with over 500 support groups and 150 chapters across the country.Today's episode is sponsored by DBSA Mood CrewHannah Zeller, MSW, is the Programs Manager at the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (national office). Hannah obtained her Master of Social Work in 20

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-year-old boy and 7-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 USVISIT Twiniversity.com for tons of free twin tips!FOLLOW us on Facebook, Insta

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 subscribe to Twins Tale now!This episode is sponsored by Larktale. Use the code TWIN20 for 20% off your purchase of a stroller or wagon at Larktale.com.Sign up for a Twiniversity MembershipRequest a mentor (or volunteer to become a mentor) here: Mentorship ProgramBetterHelp.comHand WarmersOutdoor Waterproof BlanketWomen's Insulated Snow Pants (Julie literally just bought these)CarhengeArk EncounterCONTACT 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, g

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 and Cord Blood Registry (use the code DUO2 for special twins pricing with CBR!)Anna De Souza is a digital and broadcast journalist, producer, and editor covering beauty, style, technology, and lifestyle. Uncovering tomorrow’s trends today, Anna is lucky enough to test wearables that calculate calories through your skin, report on the latest runway trends as they unfold, and slather on beauty innovations that may soon earn its keep in a bathroom cabinet near you.When not meandering the cobblestone streets of Old City, Philadelphia with her identical twin girls, you can catch Anna reporting for Today.com, Reader’s Digest,

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 Brooklyn, New York. She immigrated with her family from Ukraine at age 5 and was raised in Brooklyn and Long Island. She is proudly bilingual in English and Russian. Aleksandra Gold completed her MSW at NYU Silver School of Social Work and is a licensed mental health professional with experience in both inpatient and outpatient mental health and substance abuse. Aleksandra Gold produces content using observations from her life experiences and knowledge of mental health and human behavior. She is a contributing writer for The Mighty. Follow her Facebook page where you can find links to more articles and videos and find her on Ins

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 their twins right before the COVID-19 stay-at-home order came down in Seattle.Sponsored by Dr. Brown'sLesli Desai is a perinatal psychotherapist, specializing in infertility, pregnancy loss, pregnancy, and the transition to parenthood. In addition to individual and couples therapy, she teaches a small selection of parenting workshops in and around the Greater Seattle Area. Visit her website at seattle-therapy.comCONTACT 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 T

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 masks).Rebekah Robinson is a stay at home mom to three (a 4-year-old girl and 2-year-old fraternal twin boys) via IVF and gestational carrier surrogacy. From start to finish it took Rebekah, and her husband Ed, nine years, four IUI cycles, five IVF cycles, endless miscarriages, a gestational surrogate and suffering through a whole lot of hormonal crazy to get to where they are now. Which is, living life as a crazy, chaotic and fun-filled adventure with three littles under the age of three. Rebekah has a blog where she writes about twin momming, momming after infertility and just life in general, you can find her blog at b

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.