Podcast Episodes | Twiniversity #1 Parenting Twins Site

The Struggle of Eating Disorders and Twin Motherhood

Natalie Diaz — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000

A twin pregnancy can bring all sorts of unique complications. From the simple fact of carrying two humans inside of you to preparing your home with baby essentials for not one, but two babies. But what about your self-image and mental health while gaining pregnancy weight and taking care of your body postpartum? A brave twin mom shares her reality of dealing with an eating disorder while having her twin boys. Trigger warning: This transcript discusses eating disorders and mental health. If you or someone you know suffers from an eating disorder or mental illness, we encourage you to seek help from a licensed therapist. “You can’t you can’t be good at your eating disorder and be a good mom. You just can’t. You have to let go and not be perfect in one of those realms, and it’s really difficult if you’re in the grips of an eating disorder to accept that you’re going to be a good mom.” Alex P. Meet Alex, a twin mom courageously navigating the challenges of motherhood while battling an eating disorder that began at age 16. Alex’s story delves into the intricate layers of her journey, highlighting the added pressure of wanting to be a good mom amidst her ongoing struggle of an eating disorder and having twins. Through her candid storytelling, we gain insight into the profound impact of societal pressures and personal insecurities on mental health. Alex’s bravery in sharing her experience challenges the stigma surrounding eating disorders and inspires others to seek help. Join us as we honor Alex’s journey toward healing and strive to create a culture of empathy and support for all mothers. Listen or watch here, or read the full transcription below. Show introduction with Lauren Oak: Nat: Hey everybody it’s me Natalie Diaz and I am here with Miss Lauren Oak. Hi Lauren how are you today? Lauren: Good, I’m good. Nat: Let’s be like real podcast people “Hi Lauren, great to have you” Lauren: Oh thank you for having me. Nat: Listen it’s our pleasure. I’m glad that we literally could be light-hearted because today we actually have a really heavy episode. If you guys don’t know out there about how we find our guests, we basically just put a call out into the twin world, right through Twiniversity, through our Instagram, through everything, and we say like, “If you have a story that you want to share or if you have advice that you think could be great for other people let’s do it.” I really want to make sure that we have a nice variety of topics for you guys. We got this one response back from a mom Alex, who actually lives in Europe, and so she’s taping this, I believe, she was in Germany. While we were taping this it was fascinating because Alex has an eating disorder. So now her twinnies are getting bigger, and she has basically been really struggling with her eating disorder through her pregnancy and now that they’re here. It’s so interesting because it really goes to show that it is a disease, like any other mental illness is a disease. Lauren: No matter what people say like, “Oh you could get over it” or whatever, but just because you can’t see something, doesn’t mean that they’re not struggling exactly. Nat: That’s truthfully something that I’ve taught the kids since they were little. Right? Because the thing is like if, let’s say, somebody was mean. Or somebody was like abrupt. Or somebody was like super rude. Even when they were little, I would always say, “You don’t know what happened right before now”. Lauren: Yes, you don’t know what they’re going through exactly, and I try to give everybody, all of humanity, the benefit of the doubt. Because sometimes, you’re going to meet somebody like Alex, that is really struggling, but is certainly not going to wear it on their sleeve. Nat: It’s another episode that we went a little bit long, and I also realized that this is one of the first episodes where I barely speak. Oh Lauren, I could not. I just, I didn’t know what to say, you know. I’m usually full with questions. I’m going to tell you, before you listen to this, like trigger warning level 10. If you know somebody that has any eating disorders or any type of mental illness you may want to consider not listening to this episode. I will still love you, and Lauren will still love you. Will you still love them Lauren? Lauren: Yes, always. Nat: I don’t want to speak for you, of course you’re right there. This episode is really, really heavy and it’s very serious. If you go to the YouTube video (watch here), you’ll see that I am like wide-eyed and I just I don’t know what to say. It happens a like a bunch on the podcast where want to figure out how, to like, teleport because I just want to like hold the guest. So when we were taping this she was actually at her sister’s house. She went to her sister’s house for some extra support. It’s just a lot. I don’t even know what to say other than like trigger warning. But you know, if you’re out there and you’re suffering with an eating disorder, despite whatever type it is, really listen to Alex’s story. She’s still in the eye of the storm. Interview with Alex begins: Nat: Alex, hello. Thank you for being a part of this. I can’t believe that you’re speaking to me on a break when you could be in a bubble bath getting a cup of coffee and you’re choosing to play with us. Thank you so much. Alexandra: No worries. It’s just a treat that my sister’s putting my twins to bed for me, so you know I love my holiday. Nat: Oh, that is definitely. Any day that somebody could take your twins from you is kind… Continue Reading The Struggle of Eating Disorders and Twin Motherhood

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Twin Language and Resenting the New Baby

Twiniversity — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 18:25:22 +0000

In today’s episode, Nat chats with Brittany Bezore, mom to 3-year-old twin boys and a 9-month-old boy, about the trials of the twins resenting the new baby, understanding twin language, getting her twins into speech therapy, her twins’ bedtime chit chat, and the mistake of comparing herself to moms of singletons. Got Alexa? Just say “Alexa, play the Twiniversity Podcast” to listen to the most recent episode of our podcast. Take a class! Twiniversity offers online expecting twins classes, a breastfeeding twins class, and a baby safety class including CPR, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing. Click here to check out our online classes. Click below to stream the podcast directly on this post, or click here to subscribe and download to your phone on iTunes. Please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts to help other twin parents find us! Twin Language and Resenting the New Baby | Twin Mom Brittany Bezore Need more support? Start your Twiniversity Membership today here. Brittany Bezore is a stay-at-home mom to three boys, 3-year-old twins, Maverick and Murphy, and 9-month-old Major. She lives in Savannah, Georgia where she was born and raised. She is married to a Captain in the Georgia Air National Guard. Brittany loves to lift weights, take the boys on walks, visit state and national parks, and spend time with her family. She is currently studying to be a Certified Personal Trainer so she can help other moms feel better about themselves and reach their health and lifestyle goals. Find her on Instagram @brittanyl.bezore Know a twin parent who’d like to be a guest? Have them apply at Twiniversity.com/podcast. On-Demand Breastfeeding Twins Class Twiniversity YouTube Channel The Complete Baby Safety Course: Learn about infant CPR, choking, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing Twiniversity Memberships: Includes Zoom Twin Club Top 3 Pieces of Advice for Other Parents of Twins 1. Do Not Compare Yourself or Your Twins Do not compare yourself or your twins to other mothers and kids. It is so different with more than 1 baby at a time and it’s so easy to look at another mother who has it all together and wonder what you are doing wrong. Don’t even go there, just know that you are doing your best, doing what it takes to survive! 2. Socialize Your Twins as Soon as You Can I wish I would have done this sooner because they are so dependent on each other and struggle with being around other kids. This might help with twins resenting the new baby. 3. Let Them Play Let them go into their playroom (or an area of the house that’s safe) and play alone or with each other while you take a minute to yourself and decompress. It’s easy to get caught up in just catering to all the little people but it’s ok to let them play so you can have a minute to yourself. Top 3 Things You Wish You Had Done Differently 1. I Wish I Would Have Started My Twins in Speech Sooner They have their own language and by age 3 they get extremely frustrated when we can’t understand them. Save yourself a lot of frustration and just get them in speech! 2. I Wish I Would Have Asked For More Help. I have an issue where I think that no one else can take care of my kids the way I do, but let them go with grandma or grandpa so you can get things done or take time to yourself and ask for help with groceries or chores! 3. Don’t Stress About the House! Let it be dirty! Enjoy the time with your twins sometimes instead of worrying about cleaning because it goes way too fast. Forget about the chores occasionally! Subscribe Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to A Twins Tale for more awesome stories of twins at ages and stages from birth to college, from the creators of Twiniversity. If you liked this podcast, check out the Twiniversity Podcast with Natalie Diaz! Classes Expecting twins? Check out our twin pregnancy and breastfeeding twins classes here! Membership Sign up today for a Twiniversity Membership! Choose from 2 levels starting at $6.99/month to connect with other parents of twins in a monthly Zoom twin club, build your twin parenting community in our private Facebook group, and expand your twin parent knowledge with our video learner library. Click here for details. First Year With Twins Are your twins in their first year? Check out our free First Year with Twins resource to learn tips, advice, and ideas for getting through your first year with twins! Baby Safety Course Offered on-demand, the Complete Baby Safety Course includes 30 instructional videos on infant, toddler, and child CPR, a variety of first aid techniques you may need with kids, a full explanation about different kinds of car seats and how to install them, and a room-by-room description of how to best childproof your home. Click here for details. Expecting twins or know someone who is? Don’t miss out on our LIVE Online Expecting Twins Class

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Why You Need to Schedule Time Alone with Your Partner

Twiniversity — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 18:22:10 +0000

In this episode, Nat chats with Roman Torres, dad to 10-month-old boy/girl twins, about his experience so far as a dad of twins and the need to schedule time alone with your partner. Roman shares details on the twins’ 37-week c-section birth, his favorite hacks for navigating newborn twins, what their daily schedule looks like at 10 months old, their bedtime routine, how he and his wife split up duties, starting solids, and the importance of nurturing your relationship as a couple with time away from the kids, and much more. Got Alexa? Just say “Alexa, play the Twiniversity Podcast” to listen to the most recent episode of our podcast. Take a class! Twiniversity offers online expecting twins classes, a breastfeeding twins class, and a baby safety class including CPR, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing. Click here to check out our online classes. Click below to stream the podcast directly on this post, or click here to subscribe and download to your phone on iTunes. Please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts to help other twin parents find us! Why You Need to Schedule Time Alone with Your Partner | Twin Dad Roman Torres Need more support? Start your Twiniversity Membership today here. Roman Torres is a new dad to 10-month-old boy/girl twins. He lives in Washington, DC, and works as an IT professional. He is fearlessly, empathetically, and compassionately navigating twin-dadhood. He is the husband to a phenomenal twin-mommy who he loves so much and asked to write this bio for him so he could finally take a shower (#twindadhood #alwaysthelasttoshower). 🙂 Know a twin dad who’d like to be a guest? Have them apply at Twiniversity.com/podcast. On-Demand Breastfeeding Twins Class Twiniversity YouTube Channel The Complete Baby Safety Course: Learn about infant CPR, choking, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing Twiniversity Memberships: Includes Zoom Twin Club Top 3 Pieces of Advice for Other Parents of Twins 1. Over-Communicating Over-communicating with your partner will save your sanity and your marriage. 2. Mom Will Always Be Mom Recognize that Mom will always be Mom, and the babies may prefer her over you for comfort (which probably won’t feel good at first especially considering how much you do for them), but as a twin Dad, you’ll have to be a second Mom or another version of Mom knowing that sometimes the babies will just prefer Mom, even though they get you. My expectation when I thought we were having a singleton was that Mom would probably by default do most of the work, but with twins, I feel like I’m a second Mom. When we’re doing rituals like bathtime or naptime, I’m feeding one or bathing one, all of it. Right at the same time as Mom. This is probably a good thing for us because I knew I wanted to be a hands-on Dad, but still, it’s hard work being a second Mom! 3. Pediatricians Are Always Very Cautious Pediatricians are always VERY cautious, so if you bring almost anything up, they’ll validate you, take it seriously, and send you to a specialist even if you don’t really need it. Sending your wife’s already high postpartum anxiety into overdrive. Top 3 Things You Wish You Had Done Differently 1. How Involved and Supportive I Would Need to Be I wish I would’ve known how involved and supportive I would need to be to support the twins breastfeeding journey so I would have been more mentally prepared. Specifically, about the breast massaging! I wasn’t mentally prepared to be sitting, massaging my wife’s boobs for 10 times/day or more, and that my wife would need to pump in such a brutal 2-3 hour cycle for 20-30 minutes each time. (Not complaining about the boob massaging, but JEEZE. It was a lot.) I thought breastfeeding would be, oh, just Dad’s time to TAKE A BREAK. She’s breastfeeding again. But, no, there is a lot of work from the Dad to make breastfeeding really happen for two babies! 2. Vocalizing Appreciation for Your Wife Be more proactive about vocalizing your appreciation for your wife. Especially during COVID when your network may be small. The appreciation may feel redundant or unnecessary, but it will go a long way to uplift Mom’s spirits. 3. Don’t Expect Your Parents to Parent the Same Way You Want Them To You will have an expectation of how your parents will treat your babies, but they might do it differently and it is your responsibility to let them have their own relationship with the babies within reason, even if that includes them doing things you wouldn’t necessarily do. Subscribe Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to A Twins Tale for more awesome stories of twins at ages and stages from birth to college, from the creators of Twiniversity. If you liked this podcast, check out the Twiniversity Podcast with Natalie Diaz! Classes Expecting twins? Check out our twin pregnancy and breastfeeding twins classes here! Membership Sign up today for a Twiniversity Membership! Choose from 2 levels starting at $6.99/month to connect with other parents of twins in a monthly Zoom twin club, build your twin parenting community in our private Facebook group, and expand your twin parent knowledge with our video learner library. Click here for details. First Year With Twins Are your twins in their first year? Check out our free First Year with Twins resource to learn tips, advice, and ideas for getting through your first year with twins! Baby Safety Course Offered on-demand, the Complete Baby Safety Course includes 30 instructional videos on infant, toddler, and child CPR, a variety of first aid techniques you may need with kids, a full explanation about different kinds of car seats and how to install them, and a room-by-room description of how to best childproof your home. Click here for details. Expecting twins or know someone who is? Don’t miss out on our LIVE Online Expecting Twins Class

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Potty Training Twins One at a Time | Twins Tale Podcast

Twiniversity — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 18:58:39 +0000

In this episode Nat chats with UK mom Melanie Bidwell about raising 3 1/2-year-old twin boys, including getting pregnant with their 4th round of IVF, a positive C-section story, having anxiety leaving the house with infant twins, the high energy of two boys, potty training them one at a time, the positives of having twins, and so much more. Got Alexa? Just say “Alexa, play the Twiniversity Podcast” to listen to the most recent episode of our podcast. Take a class! Twiniversity offers online expecting twins classes, a breastfeeding twins class, and a baby safety class including CPR, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing. Click here to check out our online classes. Click below to stream the podcast directly on this post, or click here to subscribe and download to your phone on iTunes. Please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts to help other twin parents find us! The Positives of Having Twins and Potty Training Twins One at a Time | Twins Tale Podcast Need more support? Start your Twiniversity Membership today here. Melanie Bidwell is a UK mum of 3 1/2-year-old twin boys. After many years they were the positive result after four rounds of IVF and although still shocked it was twins, it was a welcome miracle. After having the boys she went back to work part-time and also decided to set up a business called Just4twins. There didn’t seem to be many UK-based websites for twin parents so she took the leap and set one up. And during Covid with another fellow twin mum, Melanie set up a twin support group called Multipals. Having twins has changed her life for the better and brought so much happiness to her and her husband. Instagram – @just4twins Multipals on IG – @multipalstogether Website – www.just4twins.co.uk On-Demand Breastfeeding Twins Class Twiniversity YouTube Channel The Complete Baby Safety Course: Learn about infant CPR, choking, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing Twiniversity Memberships: Includes Zoom Twin Club Top 3 Pieces of Advice for Other Parents of Twins Top 3 Things You Wish You Had Done Differently Subscribe Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to A Twins Tale for more awesome stories of twins at ages and stages from birth to college, from the creators of Twiniversity. If you liked this podcast, check out the Twiniversity Podcast with Natalie Diaz! Classes Expecting twins? Check out our twin pregnancy and breastfeeding twins classes here! Membership Sign up today for a Twiniversity Membership! Choose from 2 levels starting at $6.99/month to connect with other parents of twins in a monthly Zoom twin club, build your twin parenting community in our private Facebook group, and expand your twin parent knowledge with our video learner library. Click here for details. First Year With Twins Are your twins in their first year? Check out our free First Year with Twins resource to learn tips, advice, and ideas for getting through your first year with twins! Expecting twins or know someone who is? Don’t miss out on our LIVE Online Expecting Twins Class

The post Potty Training Twins One at a Time | Twins Tale Podcast appeared first on Twiniversity #1 Parenting Twins Site.

Easy Vaginal Twin Birth and Realistic Expectations | Twins Tale Podcast

Twiniversity — Fri, 28 May 2021 18:24:56 +0000

In the first episode of season two of the Twins Tale Podcast, Nat chats with Artea Funderburk, mom of 20-month-old boy/girl twins and a 7-year-old girl, about her easy vaginal twin birth, having an older child when bringing home twins, the realistic expectations she eventually started recalibrating for herself, and the different parenting styles that she and her husband work through each day. Got Alexa? Just say “Alexa, play the Twiniversity Podcast” to listen to the most recent episode of our podcast. 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. Take a class! Twiniversity offers online expecting twins classes, a breastfeeding twins class, and a baby safety class including CPR, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing. Click here to check out our online classes. Click below to stream the podcast directly on this post, or click here to subscribe and download to your phone on iTunes. Please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts to help other twin parents find us! Easy Vaginal Twin Birth and Realistic Expectations | Twin Mom Artea Funderburk Need more support? Start your Twiniversity Membership today here. Artea Funderburk is a full-time mom and small business owner living in Washington, DC with her husband, their 7-year-old daughter and their 20-month-old rainbow boy/girl twins. Follow Artea on Instagram @little.moon.customs Moshi – the sleep and mindfulness app for kids On-Demand Breastfeeding Twins Class Twiniversity YouTube Channel The Complete Baby Safety Course: Learn about infant CPR, choking, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing Twiniversity Memberships: Includes Zoom Twin Club Top 3 Pieces of Advice for Other Parents of Twins Top Things You’d Like Our Listeners to Take away After Listening to Your Story Subscribe Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to A Twins Tale for more awesome stories of twins at ages and stages from birth to college, from the creators of Twiniversity. If you liked this podcast, check out the Twiniversity Podcast with Natalie Diaz! Classes Expecting twins? Check out our twin pregnancy and breastfeeding twins classes here! Membership Sign up today for a Twiniversity Membership! Choose from 2 levels starting at $6.99/month to connect with other parents of twins in a monthly Zoom twin club, build your twin parenting community in our private Facebook group, and expand your twin parent knowledge with our video learner library. Click here or details. First Year With Twins Are your twins in their first year? Check out our free First Year with Twins resource to learn tips, advice, and ideas for getting through your first year with twins! Baby Safety Course Offered on-demand, the Complete Baby Safety Course includes 30 instructional videos on infant, toddler, and child CPR, a variety of first aid techniques you may need with kids, a full explanation about different kinds of car seats and how to install them, and a room-by-room description of how to best childproof your home. Click here for details. Expecting twins or know someone who is? Don’t miss out on our LIVE Online Expecting Twins Class

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Handling Complex Grief While Raising Twins | Twiniversity Podcast With Twin Mom Dr. Carolina Giacobone

Natalie Diaz — Wed, 12 May 2021 18:33:47 +0000

Nat chats with Dr. Carolina Giacobone, a twin mom and general psychiatrist specializing in perinatal psychiatry, about her personal complex grief 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. Today’s podcast is sponsored by Dr. Brown’s. Got Alexa? Just say “Alexa, play the Twiniversity Podcast” to listen to the most recent episode of our podcast. 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. Take a class! Twiniversity offers online expecting twins classes, a breastfeeding twins class, and a baby safety class including CPR, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing. Click here to check out our online classes. Click below to stream the podcast directly on this post, or click here to subscribe and download to your phone on iTunes. Please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts to help other twin parents find us! Handling Complex Grief While Raising Twins | Twin Mom Dr. Carolina Giacobone Need more support? Start your Twiniversity Membership today here. Dr. Carolina Giacobone, MD, is a General Psychiatrist specializing in Perinatal Psychiatry. She is also an Integrative Psychotherapist, writer, and researcher. Dr. Giacobone lives in Dublin with her family. Find her on Instagram @perinatal.psychiatry. Birth Trauma and the Invisible Scars we Carry From it Invisible Trauma – Dealing with Infertility Twin Parent Coaching with Natalie Diaz Losing a Parent While Pregnant with Twins On-Demand Breastfeeding Twins Class Twiniversity YouTube Channel The Complete Baby Safety Course: Learn about infant CPR, choking, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing Twiniversity Memberships: Includes Zoom Twin Club Top 3 Pieces of Advice for Other Parents of Twins Top 3 Things You’d Like Our Listeners to Take away After Listening to Your Story Membership Sign up today for a Twiniversity Membership! Choose from 2 levels starting at $6.99/month to connect with other parents of twins in a monthly Zoom twin club, build your twin parenting community in our private Facebook group, and expand your twin parent knowledge with our video learner library. Click here for details. First Year With Twins Are your twins in their first year? Check out our free First Year with Twins resource to learn tips, advice, and ideas for getting through your first year with twins! Baby Safety Course Offered on-demand, the Complete Baby Safety Course includes 30 instructional videos on infant, toddler, and child CPR, a variety of first aid techniques you may need with kids, a full explanation about different kinds of car seats and how to install them, and a room-by-room description of how to best childproof your home. Click here for details. Expecting twins or know someone who is? Don’t miss out on our LIVE Online Expecting Twins Class 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. Take a class! Twiniversity offers online expecting twins classes, a breastfeeding twins class, and a baby safety class including CPR, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing. Click here to check out our online classes.

The post Handling Complex Grief While Raising Twins | Twiniversity Podcast With Twin Mom Dr. Carolina Giacobone appeared first on Twiniversity #1 Parenting Twins Site.

Raising Infant Twins on a Wiggly Schedule | Twiniversity Podcast With Twin Mom Sarah Beth Moreau

Twiniversity — Wed, 05 May 2021 22:53:21 +0000

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 baby gates, play yards, playmats, and childproofing items that are great for twins! Got Alexa? Just say “Alexa, play the Twiniversity Podcast” to listen to the most recent episode of our podcast. 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. Take a class! Twiniversity offers online expecting twins classes, a breastfeeding twins class, and a baby safety class including CPR, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing. Click here to check out our online classes. Click below to stream the podcast directly on this post, or click here to subscribe and download to your phone on iTunes. Please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts to help other twin parents find us! Raising Infant Twins on a Wiggly Schedule Need more support? Start your Twiniversity Membership today here. Sarah is a mother to a 6-year-old girl, 4-year-old boy, and 10-month-old boy/girl twins. Sarah and her husband are both optometrists and own Performance Vision, a practice that focuses on neuro-optometric rehabilitation. Sarah also is an assistant high school soccer coach. She and her family enjoy going to Disney and running races together, sometimes both at the same time! A Consistent But Flexible Schedule for Newborn Twins On-Demand Breastfeeding Twins Class Twiniversity YouTube Channel The Complete Baby Safety Course: Learn about infant CPR, choking, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing Twiniversity Memberships: Includes Zoom Twin Club Top 3 Pieces of Advice for Other Parents of Twins Top 3 Things You’d Like Our Listeners to Take away After Listening to Your Story Membership Sign up today for a Twiniversity Membership! Choose from 2 levels starting at $6.99/month to connect with other parents of twins in a monthly Zoom twin club, build your twin parenting community in our private Facebook group, and expand your twin parent knowledge with our video learner library. Click here for details. First Year With Twins Are your twins in their first year? Check out our free First Year with Twins resource to learn tips, advice, and ideas for getting through your first year with twins! Baby Safety Course Offered on-demand, the Complete Baby Safety Course includes 30 instructional videos on infant, toddler, and child CPR, a variety of first aid techniques you may need with kids, a full explanation about different kinds of car seats and how to install them, and a room-by-room description of how to best childproof your home. Click here for details. Expecting twins or know someone who is? Don’t miss out on our LIVE Online Expecting Twins Class 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. Take a class! Twiniversity offers online expecting twins classes, a breastfeeding twins class, and a baby safety class including CPR, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing. Click here to check out our online classes.

The post Raising Infant Twins on a Wiggly Schedule | Twiniversity Podcast With Twin Mom Sarah Beth Moreau appeared first on Twiniversity #1 Parenting Twins Site.

How to Start Solid Food with Your Twins | Twiniversity Podcast With Twin Mom Lindsey Ison, Pediatric Speech Language Pathologist

Natalie Diaz — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 17:31:19 +0000

Nat chats with Lindsey Ison, pediatric speech pathologist of 13 years and mom of 3-year-old twin girls, about how to start 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 transition cups for your infants and toddlers. Got Alexa? Just say “Alexa, play the Twiniversity Podcast” to listen to the most recent episode of our podcast. 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. Take a class! Twiniversity offers online expecting twins classes, a breastfeeding twins class, and a baby safety class including CPR, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing. Click here to check out our online classes. Click below to stream the podcast directly on this post, or click here to subscribe and download to your phone on iTunes. Please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts to help other twin parents find us! How to Start Solid Food with Your Twins Need more support? Start your Twiniversity Membership today here. Lindsey Ison is an honest-to-goodness Okie from Muskogee, even though she hasn’t lived there in almost 20 years. After grad school in Texas (Go UTD Comets), Lindsey moved back to Oklahoma where she met her husband the old-fashioned way, on OKCupid. In addition to her work as a pediatric SLP where she has worked in schools, early intervention, private practice, and outpatient clinics, Lindsey works in gender-affirming voice therapy for adults and adolescents in transition. In addition to her 3-year old twin girls, Lindsey has three canine furbabies and spends her time reading, singing, writing, and reading. Please consider reviewing our podcast! This helps other parents of twins to find us. Thanks in advance! Dr. Brown’s Silicone Fresh Feeder 5 Tips to Begin with Baby Food Food Allergies for Babies: Can It Be Prevented? The Complete Baby Safety Course: Learn about infant CPR, choking, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing Twiniversity Memberships: Includes Zoom Twin Club Twiniversity YouTube Channel Top 3 Pieces of Advice for Other Parents of Twins Top 3 Things You’d Like Our Listeners to Take away After Listening to Your Story Membership Sign up today for a Twiniversity Membership! Choose from 2 levels starting at $6.99/month to connect with other parents of twins in a monthly Zoom twin club, build your twin parenting community in our private Facebook group, and expand your twin parent knowledge with our video learner library. Click here for details. First Year With Twins Are your twins in their first year? Check out our free First Year with Twins resource to learn tips, advice, and ideas for getting through your first year with twins! Baby Safety Course Offered on-demand, the Complete Baby Safety Course includes 30 instructional videos on infant, toddler, and child CPR, a variety of first aid techniques you may need with kids, a full explanation about different kinds of car seats and how to install them, and a room-by-room description of how to best childproof your home. Click here for details. Expecting twins or know someone who is? Don’t miss out on our LIVE Online Expecting Twins Class

The post How to Start Solid Food with Your Twins | Twiniversity Podcast With Twin Mom Lindsey Ison, Pediatric Speech Language Pathologist appeared first on Twiniversity #1 Parenting Twins Site.

Postpartum Anxiety is a Bitch | Twiniversity Podcast With Twin Mom Katie Booms Assarian

Twiniversity — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 17:50:25 +0000

This week on the Twiniversity Podcast 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. Get immediate help for Postpartum Anxiety at Postpartum Support International Postpartum Depression and Anxiety: What You Need to Know I Have Mom Anxiety and I’m Not Ashamed About It What You Should Know About Postpartum Anxiety Postpartum Anxiety: One Mom’s Story Pregnancy Anxiety After Infertility Twiniversity Memberships: Includes Zoom Twin Club Twiniversity YouTube Channel Got Alexa? Just say “Alexa, play the Twiniversity Podcast” to listen to the most recent episode of our podcast. 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. Take a class! Twiniversity offers online expecting twins classes, a breastfeeding twins class, and a baby safety class including CPR, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing. Click here to check out our online classes. Click below to stream the podcast directly on this post, or click here to subscribe and download to your phone on iTunes. Please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts to help other twin parents find us! Postpartum Anxiety is a Bitch Need more support? Start your Twiniversity Membership today here. Katie Booms Assarian is a poet, mama to girl/boy twin toddlers, and a full-time admin in the Midwest city government. She posts small, hopeful poems at www.commonpoem.com. She is currently revising a full-length collection of poetry chronicling her NICU experiences, tentatively titled “But Where Are the Babies?” She’d be glad to share that project or chat with any other NICU parents. Contact her through that website! Birth Trauma and the Invisible Scars we Carry From it Not Dealing with My Traumatic Twins Birth Twiniversity Memberships Twiniversity YouTube Channel Top 3 Pieces of Advice for Other Parents of Twins Top 3 Things You’d Like Our Listeners to Take away After Listening to Your Story Keep in Touch A poem by Katie Booms Assarian Keep in touch is a hard promise right now. It is usually easier not to talk about this with our friends and our own parents, with coworkers and strangers. Easier, to only hear our own doubts, only sit with our own questions. A premature infant, like our two, needs to be touched— but only gently, occasionally. They stay in their isolettes, incubators six feet apart, covered by quilts to keep out even light and the beep and the beep and the beep of the monitors. We are supposed to touch our own babies as if asking permission, by laying our hands on them slow, still, without caressing. The nurses say preemies feel a parent’s stroking as pain. For the first few days, we do ask for permission to touch them at all: to turn off their air control and reach through the portals for even the sweet baby scent of them. I— am like this now, too, when I have been in bed all afternoon, all evening, pumping many hours before my husband comes home or is ready for bed, and he cracks the door, brings in the light, and sounds, and the reality of the whole empty house. He wants to rub my temples as a comfort, ask me about my day, but he wakes me. He forgets to murmur. Uses his regular voice, instead of the hush I am part of now. He is still in touch with the outside world that I am not. Membership Sign up today for a Twiniversity Membership! Choose from 2 levels starting at $6.99/month to connect with other parents of twins in a monthly Zoom twin club, build your twin parenting community in our private Facebook group, and expand your twin parent knowledge with our video learner library. Click here for details. First Year With Twins Are your twins in their first year? Check out our free First Year with Twins resource to learn tips, advice, and ideas for getting through your first year with twins! Baby Safety Course Offered on-demand, the Complete Baby Safety Course includes 30 instructional videos on infant, toddler, and child CPR, a variety of first aid techniques you may need with kids, a full explanation about different kinds of car seats and how to install them, and a room-by-room description of how to best childproof your home. Click here for details. Expecting twins or know someone who is? Don’t miss out on our LIVE Online Expecting Twins Class

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My Twin Delivery Shock – Podcast with Twin Mom Michelle Carroll

Natalie Diaz — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 20:36:37 +0000

This week on the Twiniversity Podcast 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 the Twiniversity Etsy Shop Got Alexa? Just say “Alexa, play the Twiniversity Podcast” to listen to the most recent episode of our podcast. 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. Take a class! Twiniversity offers online expecting twins classes, a breastfeeding twins class, and a baby safety class including CPR, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing. Click here to check out our online classes. Click below to stream the podcast directly on this post, or click here to subscribe and download to your phone on iTunes. Please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts to help other twin parents find us! The Internet Didn’t Prepare Me for My Twin Delivery | Twin Mom Michelle Carroll Need more support? Start your Twiniversity Membership today here. Hi there, I’m Michelle Carroll, a creative storyteller specializing in styling, web development, and graphic + web design. A burning desire to get my creative juices flowing led me to move from my hometown in the Great Plains of Shawnee, Kansas to Brooklyn, New York, which has been my home away from home for 10 years. When I’m not creating mood boards or writing code for clients while sipping on iced coffee, I love to spend time with friends, my husband, and our toddler twins. Find me on Instagram @fashionablybroke. Pinterest is Not Real Life! A Twiniversity Truth Information Overload: Why This Pregnant Mom is Avoiding the Internet Thoughts on Parenting Twins in the Social Media Age Birth Trauma and the Invisible Scars we Carry From it Not Dealing with My Traumatic Twins Birth Twiniversity Memberships Twiniversity YouTube Channel Top 3 Pieces of Advice for Other Parents of Twins 1. Establish a Routine Early It will take some time to get used to not only having one baby but two! Don’t rush it, but try to establish a routine around 3-4 months old with when they wake, eat and go back to sleep. For us, it was easier for it to be baby-led. I think as adults you don’t realize how instinctive a baby is – they will tell you what they need by crying or showing signs of sleepiness – you just have to pick up on it. 2. Expect the Unexpected Many books and advice are geared towards singletons. Whether your babies are identical or fraternal, they very well may have complete opposite personalities and what’s said in the books or the blogs may not work for both babies. It will be hard, but treat each baby as an individual, therefore when something is mentioned in a book that is supposed to happen at a certain time and in a certain way, know that each baby will come around on their own time. 3. Don’t Compare Their Development Milestones You will have well-meaning friends and family members compare their development and milestones. If one starts walking or talking before the other, don’t worry. Almost all babies eventually do these things, right? So don’t stress if one has done it months before the other. We saw one twin crawl, stand, and then walk in a quick time frame while the other twin was just a little “behind.” When he was beginning to stand and she was beginning to walk, he saw that and did not have a standing phase very long because he wanted to start walking just like her. They will encourage each other without saying much (or needing your help!). Top 3 Things You’d Like Our Listeners to Take away After Listening to Your Story 1. Go with the Flow You will be tired, frustrated and at a loss sometimes. But you have to take everything as a moment in time and move to the next moment. Or hope for the better moment to come along faster. Twins are unpredictable and they can drive you crazy. But they are also a lot of fun. 2. Be on the Same Page as Your Partner In the beginning, you will be so stressed and tired you may be at each other’s throats a lot. Again, take this as a moment in time. But also establish before or in the early stages how your routine will be with each other. If you want to split the duties 60/40, do that! You will need your partner’s help as much as possible. Speak up if you need their help or outside help like a MIL, sister, etc. 3. Take Advice/Guidelines/Milestones With a Grain of Salt Do what is best for your kids and what your pediatrician advises as well. If being on a tight schedule works for you and but your MIL is loose in scheduling, don’t let her comments bother you. Membership Sign up today for a Twiniversity Membership! Choose from 2 levels starting at $6.99/month to connect with other parents of twins in a monthly Zoom twin club, build your twin parenting community in our private Facebook group, and expand your twin parent knowledge with our video learner library. Click here for details. First Year With Twins Are your twins in their first year? Check out our free First Year with Twins resource to learn tips, advice, and ideas for getting through your first year with twins! Baby Safety Course Offered on-demand, the Complete Baby Safety Course includes 30 instructional videos on infant, toddler, and child CPR, a variety of first aid techniques you may need with kids, a full explanation about different kinds of car seats and how to install them, and a room-by-room description of how to best childproof your home. Click here for details. Expecting twins or… Continue Reading My Twin Delivery Shock – Podcast with Twin Mom Michelle Carroll

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