Twiniversity Podcast

In this episode of the Twiniversity Podcast, Natalie talks with Laura Liepold, a registered dietician and twin mom, about premature twins, NICU life, and the reality of feeding babies who arrive much earlier than expected.

Laura shares how her identical twin boys were born at 29 weeks and 4 days after signs of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, also known as TTTS, appeared suddenly during a routine appointment. What followed was an urgent C-section and a long NICU stay – 63 days for one twin and 86 days for the other.

Natalie and Laura dive into what NICU feeding can really look like, from pumping and feeding tubes to fortified breast milk, bottles, triple feeding, and thickened liquids. Laura explains how her background as a registered dietician helped her understand the medical side, but nothing could fully prepare her for experiencing it as a mom.

The conversation also explores the emotional weight of feeding premature twins – wanting to breastfeed directly, realizing bottles were working better, learning sideline feeding, managing different calorie recipes, and eventually choosing to exclusively pump for the first year.

This episode is a practical and validating conversation about NICU survival, preemie feeding, and learning to adapt when your birth and feeding journey looks nothing like the plan.

EPISODE THEMES 📝

⦿ Laura’s unexpected identical twin pregnancy and early delivery at 29 weeks

⦿ Navigating TTTS, an urgent C-section, and a long NICU stay

⦿ What feeding premature twins can actually look like in the NICU

⦿ Pumping, fortified breast milk, bottles, and feeding tubes

⦿ Why triple feeding twins can quickly become overwhelming

⦿ Letting go of the original breastfeeding plan and adapting to each baby

⦿ Managing thickened liquids, sideline feeding, and different calorie recipes

⦿ Coping with NICU life by focusing on what you can control

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. 
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