In this episode, I chat with Kara—a mom of two sets of twins born just 22 months apart—about the whirlwind of navigating postpartum challenges while raising multiples. Kara opens up about the realities of adjusting to motherhood, from the overwhelming logistics of car seats and daily planning to the emotional weight of postpartum depression and anxiety after her first set of twins.

She shares how her second experience was different thanks to prioritizing her mental health, building a stronger support system, and learning how to advocate for herself. We talk about the role of doctors and family in postpartum recovery, why communication matters so much, and the gaps in postpartum care in the U.S. compared to other countries. Kara also reflects on the importance of self-care, setting boundaries, and the dream of creating community spaces like motherhood centers to better support new moms.

Whether you’re a parent of multiples, preparing for the postpartum journey, or passionate about maternal health, this conversation is packed with honesty, encouragement, and practical takeaways for navigating life after birth.

EPISODE THEMES 📝

• Kara’s journey raising two sets of twins 22 months apart
• Postpartum depression and anxiety after her first twins
• Building a stronger support system for her second postpartum experience
• Advocating for yourself with doctors and family
• The lack of postpartum care in the U.S. vs. other countries
• Prioritizing self-care, boundaries, and mental health
• The dream of creating motherhood support centers
• The importance of community for twin parents
  

GIVEAWAYS 💰

🎉 YOU'RE INVITED: Need more support, join us each month for our Twiniversity Virtual Meeting. Meet Nat and Lauren and bring them your biggest twin life challenges each month of the year.
For dates and more details visit. www.twiniversity.com/Membership

✔️Subscribe to the Twiniversity Email Newsletter! https://www.twiniversity.com/subscribe/

Expecting twins? Twiniversity has you COVERED with online classes! ⬇️

Breastfeeding Twins: https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/HTaVcGhH/checkout

Twins After Singletons: https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/hegrd8Ez/checkout

Baby Safety (CPR, First Aid, Car Seat Safety, Childproofing): https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/AccFMLk8/checkout

CONNECT WITH US 🎙️
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Twiniversity
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/twiniversity/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Twiniversity/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@twiniversity
X: twitter.com/Twiniversity
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60TDcDJoEtQHwqLzZ8L9rX?si=9734d507f23845e6
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/twiniversity
Email: community@twinuniversity.com

In this episode, we wrap up the year with a special collection of the most powerful, relatable, and unforgettable moments from the Twiniversity Podcast in 2025. From NICU heartbreaks to hilarious toddler confessions, these guest clips reflect the true emotional and logistical rollercoaster of raising twins. You’ll hear from moms, dads, and twin experts as they open up about identity shifts, mental health, partnership dynamics, and the quiet wins of twin parenting. Whether you're still pregnant or knee-deep in sippy cups, this episode will leave you feeling seen, supported, and ready for whatever 2026 throws your way.

#TwiniversityPodcast #BestOf2025 #ParentingTwins #TwinMomLife #TwinDadEnergy #NICUParenting #PostpartumTruths #ModernParenting #TwinLifeUnfiltered #RaisingTwins #TwiniversityCommunity

EPISODES FROM 2025

→ Ep. 231 - Stay-at-Home Dad, Working Mom with Twin Mom Alex Jelencovich

→ Ep 226 - Am I Eligible For Support Services For My Twins?

→ Ep 224 - Dads Need Support Too with Twin Dad Myer Krah II

→ Ep 228 - Journalist To Twin Mom with Zara Hanawalt

→ Ep 221 - When All of your Family Lives Abroad but you Still Need Help

→ Ep 227 - Being An Adopted Identical Twin With Julie McGue

EPISODE THEMES 📝

• Most-Googled twin parenting struggles (and what hasn’t changed since 2009)
  
• The emotional weight of being a working mom while your partner stays home
  
• NICU trauma and the surprising ways families get through it
  
• Navigating identity, guilt, and expectations in modern twin households
  
• The power of showing up, even when you don’t know how
  
• Our favorite funny, tearful, and realest moments of the year
  
  

GIVEAWAYS 💰

🎉 YOU'RE INVITED: Need more support, join us each month for our Twiniversity Virtual Meeting. Meet Nat and Lauren and bring them your biggest twin life challenges each month of the year.
For dates and more details visit. www.twiniversity.com/Membership

✔️Subscribe to the Twiniversity Email Newsletter! https://www.twiniversity.com/subscribe/

Expecting twins? Twiniversity has you COVERED with online classes! ⬇️

Breastfeeding Twins: https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/HTaVcGhH/checkout

Twins After Singletons: https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/hegrd8Ez/checkout

Baby Safety (CPR, First Aid, Car Seat Safety, Childproofing): https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/AccFMLk8/checkout

CONNECT WITH US 🎙️
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Twiniversity
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/twiniversity/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Twiniversity/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@twiniversity
X: twitter.com/Twiniversity
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60TDcDJoEtQHwqLzZ8L9rX?si=9734d507f23845e6
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/twiniversity
Email: community@twinuniversity.com

In this episode, we sit down with Lauren, one of the original Twiniversity voices and fellow twin mom, to talk about when life with twins actually starts to feel manageable. Lauren shares what those early years were like raising twin boys mostly solo while her husband worked long hours. She opens up about the constant pressure to do it all, the exhaustion of always being “on,” and the mental load that comes with being the default parent.

Things started to shift once her boys began preschool and, eventually, full-day kindergarten. Lauren talks about how those small breaks made a big difference and how she celebrated her first real hour alone by getting her nose pierced, a moment that felt like taking back a little piece of herself.

This is a real, honest conversation about the highs, the lows, and the slow but steady return to feeling like your own person again. If you’re in the thick of it, this episode is your reminder that it really does get easier.

EPISODE THEMES 📝

• When twin life starts to feel easier
• Lauren’s early parenting experience with twin boys
• The reality of doing it all and feeling burned out
• Getting time back when kids start school
• Celebrating freedom with a nose piercing
• Navigating the mental load of default parenting
• Finding moments of identity outside of motherhood
• Encouragement for parents still in the thick of it
  

GIVEAWAYS 💰

🎉 YOU'RE INVITED: Need more support, join us each month for our Twiniversity Virtual Meeting. Meet Nat and Lauren and bring them your biggest twin life challenges each month of the year.
For dates and more details visit. www.twiniversity.com/Membership

✔️Subscribe to the Twiniversity Email Newsletter! https://www.twiniversity.com/subscribe/

Expecting twins? Twiniversity has you COVERED with online classes! ⬇️

Breastfeeding Twins: https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/HTaVcGhH/checkout

Twins After Singletons: https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/hegrd8Ez/checkout

Baby Safety (CPR, First Aid, Car Seat Safety, Childproofing): https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/AccFMLk8/checkout

CONNECT WITH LAUREN OAK 💌

Links: https://www.laurenoakdoulaservices.com/

CONNECT WITH US 🎙️
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Twiniversity
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/twiniversity/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Twiniversity/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@twiniversity
X: twitter.com/Twiniversity
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60TDcDJoEtQHwqLzZ8L9rX?si=9734d507f23845e6
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/twiniversity
Email: community@twinuniversity.com

In this episode, I chat with Alexandra, a South Philly mom navigating life as a working mom while her husband, Nick, stays home full-time with their twin boys. From the chaos of a traumatic birth and postpartum recovery to the ongoing juggle of work, parenting, and marriage, Alexandra opens up about the emotional, financial, and personal recalibrations they’ve made to prioritize their boys’ early years.

We dive into the evolving roles of modern parents, the mental toll of leaving your babies to go to work, and the often invisible identity shifts both partners endure. Alexandra also reflects on how her husband’s challenging childhood shaped his commitment to being a present father—and how their dynamic as partners continues to adapt as their boys grow. If you’ve ever wondered who should stay home, how to handle the guilt of either choice, or what it really means to parent as a team, this is your episode.

EPISODE THEMES 📝

• Deciding who stays home: finances, roles, and reality
• The emotional aftermath of a traumatic C-section and postpartum recovery
• Redefining partnership and parenting as a team
• Working mom guilt and the mental load of leaving your babies
• The healing power of fatherhood for dads with tough childhoods
• Letting go of “traditional” parenting roles and writing your own rules

GIVEAWAYS 💰

🎉 YOU'RE INVITED: Need more support, join us each month for our Twiniversity Virtual Meeting. Meet Nat and Lauren and bring them your biggest twin life challenges each month of the year.
For dates and more details visit. www.twiniversity.com/Membership

✔️Subscribe to the Twiniversity Email Newsletter! https://www.twiniversity.com/subscribe/

Expecting twins? Twiniversity has you COVERED with online classes! ⬇️

Breastfeeding Twins: https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/HTaVcGhH/checkout

Twins After Singletons: https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/hegrd8Ez/checkout

Baby Safety (CPR, First Aid, Car Seat Safety, Childproofing): https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/AccFMLk8/checkout

CONNECT WITH US 🎙️
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Twiniversity
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/twiniversity/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Twiniversity/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@twiniversity
X: twitter.com/Twiniversity
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60TDcDJoEtQHwqLzZ8L9rX?si=9734d507f23845e6
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/twiniversity
Email: community@twinuniversity.com

In this episode, I chat with Lily, a first-time mom who was preparing for life with one baby—until the ultrasound revealed twins. Eight and a half months later, she’s still learning to bend with the chaos, find her center in the exhaustion, and embrace the version of motherhood she never expected.

Lily opens up about the emotional whiplash of going from imagining life with one newborn to suddenly preparing for two. She shares the honest truth behind the picture-perfect twin mom moments we see online—the sleepless nights, the identity shift, the overwhelm no one prepares you for, and the quiet fear of “Am I really cut out for this?”

We talk about postpartum emotions that don’t get enough airtime, why patience became her survival skill, and how her mom’s simple advice—“bend, don’t break”—became her anchor in the hardest moments. We also explore what it really takes to stay present through the noise: releasing expectations, accepting help, and finding joy in the tiny, messy moments of connection.

This episode is for any parent who’s ever felt stretched thin, outnumbered, or unsure—but kept showing up anyway.

EPISODE THEMES 📝

• When life gives you two instead of one
  
• Navigating postpartum emotions without losing yourself
  
• Redefining motherhood and identity
  
• Finding strength through flexibility
  
• Twin mom guilt, overwhelm, and resilience
  
• The unexpected gift of community support

GIVEAWAYS 💰

🎉 YOU'RE INVITED: Need more support, join us each month for our Twiniversity Virtual Meeting. Meet Nat and Lauren and bring them your biggest twin life challenges each month of the year.
For dates and more details visit. www.twiniversity.com/Membership

✔️Subscribe to the Twiniversity Email Newsletter! https://www.twiniversity.com/subscribe/

Expecting twins? Twiniversity has you COVERED with online classes! ⬇️

Breastfeeding Twins: https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/HTaVcGhH/checkout

Twins After Singletons: https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/hegrd8Ez/checkout

Baby Safety (CPR, First Aid, Car Seat Safety, Childproofing): https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/AccFMLk8/checkout

CONNECT WITH LILI MIROJNICK 💌

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lmirojnick

CONNECT WITH US 🎙️
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Twiniversity
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/twiniversity/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Twiniversity/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@twiniversity
X: twitter.com/Twiniversity
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60TDcDJoEtQHwqLzZ8L9rX?si=9734d507f23845e6
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/twiniversity
Email: community@twinuniversity.com

In this episode, I sit down with Traci, a fellow twin mom whose story hits home for so many of us. From a complicated pregnancy and early delivery to the long, sleepless days of NICU life, Traci opens up about what it really felt like to raise twins when nothing went according to plan.

We talk about those moments when people’s “innocent” comments—about how hard it must be, or how they could never do it—end up feeding that quiet voice of self-doubt that so many twin parents carry. Traci shares how she learned to ask for help, even when it felt impossible, and why that simple act can be the difference between barely surviving and actually healing.

This conversation reminded me how easy it is to feel alone as a twin parent, especially when everyone around you is parenting one baby at a time. But it also reminded me how powerful it is when we tell the truth—about the guilt, the exhaustion, and the fierce love that keeps us going.

Whether you’re still in the trenches of the early years or figuring out how to let your twins grow into their independence, this episode is your reminder that self-doubt doesn’t mean you’re failing—it means you care.

EPISODE THEMES 📝

• When “helpful” comments feed your self-doubt
  
• The emotional toll of early delivery and NICU life
  
• Asking for help when you’re used to doing it all
  
• Letting go of guilt and finding balance
  
• How twin parenting evolves over time
  
• The power of community and honest connection
  

GIVEAWAYS 💰
🎉 YOU'RE INVITED: Need more support, join us each month for our Twiniversity Virtual Meeting. Meet Nat and Lauren and bring them your biggest twin life challenges each month of the year.
For dates and more details visit. www.twiniversity.com/Membership

✔️Subscribe to the Twiniversity Email Newsletter! https://www.twiniversity.com/subscribe/

Expecting twins? Twiniversity has you COVERED with online classes! ⬇️

Breastfeeding Twins: https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/HTaVcGhH/checkout

Twins After Singletons: https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/hegrd8Ez/checkout

Baby Safety (CPR, First Aid, Car Seat Safety, Childproofing): https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/AccFMLk8/checkout

CONNECT WITH US 🎙️
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Twiniversity
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/twiniversity/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Twiniversity/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@twiniversity
X: twitter.com/Twiniversity
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60TDcDJoEtQHwqLzZ8L9rX?si=9734d507f23845e6
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/twiniversity
Email: community@twinuniversity.com

In this episode, I talk with Zara—a journalist, women’s health reporter, and twin mom—about how knowing too much sometimes gets in the way of just being a parent. Before she even saw two heartbeats on the ultrasound, Zara was knee-deep in reproductive health journalism, covering everything from fertility to pregnancy complications. But when life threw her not one, but two babies, the story she thought she knew so well got personal—fast.

We talk about how being informed can sometimes lead to anxiety instead of empowerment, how fertility struggles shaped her perspective on motherhood, and what happens when the glamorous celebrity twin narrative meets the harsh reality of a high-risk pregnancy. From dealing with preeclampsia to unpacking the media’s obsession with twins, Zara gets honest about the emotional whiplash of twin parenting and why she believes we need more real talk and less tabloid sparkle.

Whether you’re pregnant with twins, parenting through postpartum chaos, or just trying to make sense of the internet’s latest parenting advice, this episode is a reminder that it’s okay to be both grateful and overwhelmed. Knowledge is power—but sometimes, not knowing everything gives you the space to breathe.

EPISODE THEMES 📝

• How working in women's health media shaped Zara’s parenting mindset
  
• Why knowing too much can lead to more anxiety, not less
  
• Infertility, loss, and the emotional cost of conception
  
• The real challenges of twin pregnancy: PUPPP, cholestasis, preeclampsia
  
• Debunking the glamorization of twins in the media
  
• When to advocate for a maternal-fetal medicine specialist
  
• The identity crisis of a twin mom who wanted a “regular” pregnancy
  
• Why Twiniversity exists: to tell the truth and support each other through it
  

GIVEAWAYS 💰

🎉 YOU'RE INVITED: Need more support, join us each month for our Twiniversity Virtual Meeting. Meet Nat and Lauren and bring them your biggest twin life challenges each month of the year.
For dates and more details visit. www.twiniversity.com/Membership

✔️Subscribe to the Twiniversity Email Newsletter! https://www.twiniversity.com/subscribe/

Expecting twins? Twiniversity has you COVERED with online classes! ⬇️

Breastfeeding Twins: https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/HTaVcGhH/checkout

Twins After Singletons: https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/hegrd8Ez/checkout

Baby Safety (CPR, First Aid, Car Seat Safety, Childproofing): https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/AccFMLk8/checkout

CONNECT WITH ZARA HANAWALT 💌

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zarahanawalt/?hl=en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-hanawalt/

CONNECT WITH US 🎙️
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Twiniversity
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/twiniversity/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Twiniversity/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@twiniversity
X: twitter.com/Twiniversity
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60TDcDJoEtQHwqLzZ8L9rX?si=9734d507f23845e6
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/twiniversity
Email: community@twinuniversity.com

In this episode, I talk with Julie—an identical twin, adoptive daughter, and now grandmother—about the extraordinary journey she and her sister took to find their birth mother at the age of 48. What began as a search sparked by a health scare turned into a deeply emotional exploration of identity, loyalty, and sisterhood.

Julie shares how navigating a closed adoption system, confronting family dynamics, and facing both rejection and reunion shaped her understanding of herself as a twin and as a daughter. We discuss the emotional layers of being raised with your twin while separated from your origins, the challenges of searching later in life, and the complicated but powerful connection they ultimately forged with their birth mom.

We also explore what it means to honor both adoptive and biological family bonds, how DNA testing changed everything, and why twinhood remained Julie’s strongest anchor through the ups and downs. Julie’s story is a powerful reminder of how deeply identity and connection intertwine—and how even decades later, it's never too late to seek the truth.

Whether you're an adoptive parent of twins, a twin yourself, or simply curious about how identity and family evolve over time, this episode is full of vulnerability, wisdom, and hope.

EPISODE THEMES 📝

• Growing up as identical twins in a closed adoption
• Why Julie and her sister began their search at 48
• How changing state laws opened the door to reunion
• The emotional complexity of adoptive and birth family roles
• Facing rejection—and acceptance—during the search
• Navigating loyalty, identity, and grief as adult adoptees
• How twinhood shaped every step of the journey
• Advice for adoptive parents raising twins today
  

GIVEAWAYS 💰

🎉 YOU'RE INVITED: Need more support, join us each month for our Twiniversity Virtual Meeting. Meet Nat and Lauren and bring them your biggest twin life challenges each month of the year.
For dates and more details visit. www.twiniversity.com/Membership

✔️Subscribe to the Twiniversity Email Newsletter! https://www.twiniversity.com/subscribe/

Expecting twins? Twiniversity has you COVERED with online classes! ⬇️

Breastfeeding Twins: https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/HTaVcGhH/checkout

Twins After Singletons: https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/hegrd8Ez/checkout

Baby Safety (CPR, First Aid, Car Seat Safety, Childproofing): https://twiniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/AccFMLk8/checkout

CONNECT WITH JULIE MCGUE 💌

Website: https://juliemcgueauthor.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-ryan-mcgue-a246b841/?trk=public-profile-join-page
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julieryanmcgue/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliemcguewrites/?ref=_xav_ig_profile_page_web#

CONNECT WITH US 🎙️
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Twiniversity
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/twiniversity/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Twiniversity/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@twiniversity
X: twitter.com/Twiniversity
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60TDcDJoEtQHwqLzZ8L9rX?si=9734d507f23845e6
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/twiniversity
Email: community@twinuniversity.com