With the arrival of baby Lara our family has grown, and so has the love!   In this emotional episode, Carla shares her personal experience of adjusting to life as a mother of three, including twin toddlers and a newborn baby. With candid reflections on her journey so far, Carla invites listeners to join her in navigating the beautiful chaos of family life.

As you listen to this week’s podcast episode, I am currently nearing the end of a long journey that will no doubt change our lives forever- in a good way!   To mark the 40th episode, I have a little announcement and I hope to follow up with some nice news soon!  Never give up hope! 

Julianne shares her journey as a mother of triplets and a newborn, discussing her fertility journey, the challenges of breastfeeding, and the joys and of raising a large family in Southern California. Julianne offers valuable advice for expecting parents of multiples and reflects on the beauty and chaos of family life. For all that and more, why not grab yourself a little cup of tea and join Julianne and I as we discuss our experience of multiples motherhood from across the Atlantic Ocean.

In this week’s episode, Dr. Nancy Segal, a psychology professor based in California and twin studies expert, shares her personal journey as a fraternal twin and her extensive research in twin studies. Nancy is a professor of psychology and founder and director of the Twin Studies Centre at California State University, in Fullerton, USA. She discusses the unique dynamics of twin relationships and the impact of being a twin on individual identity. Dr. Segal also addresses common myths about twins and highlights the importance of individuality in twin upbringing.  

Karen Rodger, a mother of three sets of twins, shares her experiences on the joys and challenges of twin motherhood. From managing a busy household to fostering individuality among her children, Karen emphasizes the importance of communication, self-care, and embracing the chaos of family life. She reflects on the special bond between twins, the significance of family gatherings, and the need for open conversations about difficult topics. Karen's journey highlights the privilege of motherhood and the joy of raising a large family.

“I see these amazing fragile little babies and I immediately want to do everything I can to take care of them, love them and to make sure they are safe,” A Twin Dad’s Story Author and Podcaster Joe Rawlinson from Austin Texas shares his experience as a father of twins. He discusses the challenges of mental health, the journey of expecting twins, and the unique bond his daughters share. In his own words, he offers practical advice on travelling with young children and coping with feelings of loneliness that many parents of multiples experience.  

This week’s guest is mum of three, best-selling author and psychotherapist Anna Mathur.In this podcast episode, Anna and Carla explore the curveballs of motherhood, maternal mental health, and the importance of creating a community.We discuss the challenges of early motherhood, the impact of intrusive thoughts, and the feelings of overwhelm and guilt that many parents experience.So why not grab yourself a little cup of tea and join us as we explore some important narratives in motherhood. “On 7th August, Penguin Life is publishing the first-ever interactive title from four-time-bestselling author and renowned psychotherapist Anna Mathur, The Good Decision Diary: Your daily guide to making better decisions, more of the time.” “The journey begins with 21 days of reflection and observation, where Anna shares her own experiences and equips you with tools to approach change with kindness and curiosity.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like growing up as a twin? As Isla and Aria grow up, I often wonder what life will be like, so I decided to have a chat with inspirational identical twin sisters Chloe and Judith MacCombe. Chloe and Judith were born with a type of albinism, which impacts their vision. In this podcast they share their incredible journey of how their twin bond has led them to competing on the world stage as Paratriathletes. Known as the Tandem twins, Chloe and Judith took time out of their busy training schedule to have a chat with me about what it’s really like to grow up as twins

Come spend an afternoon with us in our family home as Carla discusses her experience of two years of twin motherhood.This episode is a typical reflection of family life with twin toddlers as you accompany us during nap time, lunch time and play-time to create this week’s podcast episode!

On this Maternal Mental Health Week, I have chosen to talk about the significant topic of navigating grief during motherhood. My father passed away when the twins were 5 weeks old. Those early days of motherhood were a complete whirlwind managing hormones, recovering from a C Section and learning how to be a Mummy whilst grieving. In this podcast episode I will discuss my experience of managing loneliness and grief as a new Mum. 

“Double trouble,” “ You have your hands full,” these are some of the comments that many of us parents of multiples hear on a daily basis. Some remarks are positive, some negative and whilst for the most part people mean well, I would like to raise awareness on showing more compassion and kindness to families of multiples when you meet us on your travels. You never know what the journey towards parenthood was like for some of us. In this episode, Carla shares her emotional journey and discusses her experience of a C Section to mark Caesarean Section Awareness month.  

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, we are celebrating this memorable day with a special episode on the Twins Mummy NI Podcast. I think mothers should be celebrated today and every day for the wonderful things that they achieve in the quietness of their family homes. To mark this special day, Carla spoke to three mums of multiples who shared their stories of multiples motherhood. Happy Mothers’ Day everyone…

Do you ever compare yourself to others? Comparison can undermine the real joy of motherhood. Yet how many of us live by the side glance of others? How do we find more joy in our own experience of motherhood instead of getting caught in the comparison trap? In this episode Carla talks about how motherhood isn’t about striving for perfection, but rather an imperfect journey into the unknown focusing on our own strengths as mothers.

Motherhood can be hard and happy all at the same time. Before I became a Mum, so many people told me that my life would change significantly. They told me how challenging it would be, how stressful it would be. However, no one talked about the great joy that we experience when we are lucky to have someone who calls us Mum. In this episode Carla talks about her reality of motherhood and how it is OK to feel that our experience is happy and hard simultaneously.

Do you ever worry? Have you ever experienced anxiety in life? In motherhood?  If this resonates with you, the one thing I will say is that you’re not alone. Feeling afraid or unsure of yourself in motherhood is a common experience among many of us.  In this episode, Carla shares a very personal story of her experience of worry and opens up the conversation around anxiety in motherhood…

Juggling the joys of motherhood and a career with running your own business can be a real balancing act - local ‘mumpreneur’ Caroline O’Neill talks to Carla about her experience. 

Christmas is just around the corner. In this episode we travel to Australia, Europe and America to find out what Christmas is like as a mum of multiples!Grab yourself a cup of hot chocolate, get cosy and join Carla as we travel around the world into the homes of multiples mums to find out what Christmas is like in their family home!   Jingle Bells 7 by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://incompetech.com/

What are some of your favourite Christmas memories as a child? Is it decorating your tree with sparkly lights? Or perhaps sitting in front of a roaring fire watching a Christmas movie with family? Join Carla as she reflects on the magic of Christmas as a child and now reliving that magic as a Mum as she decorates the Christmas tree. Carla also features a very special guest on the podcast discussing Christmas through the generations as a Grandma, Mum and Daughter.  All that and more on this week’s Twins Mummy NI Podcast Christmas special. Deck the Halls B by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100368 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Putting together an outfit and feeling confident as I step out of the house has felt like a thing of the past since I have given birth. My priorities have changed in such a huge way. There isn’t as much time to carefully put together a nice outfit! I’ve decided I wanted to get some advice on how to feel confident again in the way that I dress since giving birth. So, I thought I would ask the lovely Linda from L’s Boutique in Magherafelt to give me some tips.

"My twins survived NICU and so did I” Twin Dad Carl MacDonald talks to Carla about how being thrust into sudden parenthood and NICU can affect a father. In this episode, Carl has chosen to share his story to encourage others that it's OK not to feel ok.