Latest / Twin Mom Life / Inside Real Twin Mom Life, Must-Have Twin Baby Products and Baby Safety Tips with Dani Morin

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Inside Real Twin Mom Life, Must-Have Twin Baby Products and Baby Safety Tips with Dani Morin · Twin Mom Life

• Dani: I heard something the other day that really stuck with me. And it wasn't that that having twins as they grow gets easier, you just get better. And I just was like, Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Dani: that is so true. Like nothing is getting easier. You're just getting better and you're the rock star. Jessielee Sittig: Hello and welcome to the Twin Mom Life podcast. I'm your host, Jess. I created this podcast to help build community, connection, and most importantly, friendships among moms of multiples. Being a twin mom can be amazing and magical. That twin bond is unlike anything I've ever witnessed, but it can also be isolating and overwhelming. I'll be chatting with other twin moms, diving deep into the twin experience. giving advice on what works for us so you don't have to learn the hard way. Juggling two babies at the same time is challenging, but I'm confident we can learn from each other and figure out how to raise these babies together. Jess Sittig: welcome to the podcast. Today we have Danny. How are you doing today? Dani: Thank you for having me. I'm so excited. You know, I feel like with being a twin mom, when I first became a twin mom, I felt like I was so alone. I'm the only one who's ever had twins, like in my entire life. Like no one's ever gonna understand it. And it's so funny because just naturally, and me and you kind of met naturally, just naturally, like I'll be anywhere. And someone's like, I have twins, I'm a twin mom, my siblings are twins, you know, all like everyone. has twins, knows twins, is a twin like out of the woodworks, but it's always like crossing and I don't know if it's like the twin stroller of it all, but so anytime I get the opportunity to chat with another twin mom, I'm like, please, yes, please. Jess Sittig: It's so fun. We need it. twin moms need other twin moms. That's like the whole, the whole point of this podcast is like to twin moms unite, you know? Yeah, Dani: Yes, exactly. Jess Sittig: absolutely. Okay. And I feel like I have to share this now how we met because Dani: Yes. Jess Sittig: it is. I literally was just like, I bowed down to you, twin mama goddess. So we were at a conference and I spotted a double stroller. And I feel like anytime I see a double stroller, I'm like, double taking. And I walk over and you are just casually tandem breastfeeding your twin girls at this con at a conference. And I was so impressed. Dani: But you have to tell him like where about at the conference that they had a makeshift nursery, which was part of like the baby center activation. So I'm like, there's a nursing chair here. Shoot, there's a cribb in here. I might even put him down for a nap. But yeah, I'm like, there was a breastfeeding pillow. Like I was all set up and I'm like, no one usually I'll like. try to be like a little bit discreet here and there, but I'm like, we're at mom two point Like everybody's a mom. Nobody no one was batting an eye. Like people were just like walking by. And I felt bad because I had so many questions for you. I wanted to chat your ear off. And I was like working the conference because I actually was like doing the content for that baby center activation. So I have like we had to I had to plan out with them too like my schedule and I had to put like I need thirty minutes to nurse and then it was like boom boom boom boom boom interview and interview it 30 minutes to nurse. Da da da da da. So it was I'm like, okay. Jess Sittig: that's intense. Dani: I was like, I hope people are not people are like, what are you up to? I'm like, You're not on my it's not on the schedule. Jess Sittig: Like Dani: Like I felt so bad. Jess Sittig: Because I didn't realize like when I walked over, like you had like a cover or something. So I didn't realize Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: that you were nursing. And then I was like, my gosh, I want to be respectful of you and give you like privacy and like a breath because I knew how busy you were at that conference. Dani: But you know what? I always tell people I'm like, the best time to have a conversation with me is literally when I'm nursing and I can't do anything on my phone. Like there's nothing I can't go clean. I can't go pack a diaper bag. There's nothing I could do except sit there. I'm like, it's the perfect time. So sometimes I think I was at the park the other day and someone's like, I was like nursing the babies. And someone's like, I'll give you s and I'm like, no, no, no. This is actually a good time because after that. They need a pouch. This kid's over on the playground. The twins are rolling down a hill. Like this is the perfect time to engage in conversation. So, Jess Sittig: Yes. Dani: but yeah, I think people are like, nursing, it's like a private thing. I'm like, no. Privacy went out the door, I think, on like my like second OB appointment. And that's just how it's been ever since. Jess Sittig: Sure. Well, I was so impressed by you. And then I was like, my gosh, that was freaking Danny Moran. I just that was just wild. It was just so funny. But just the way we met and everything, I was just like, can't wait to learn more about this twin mama. So so impressed Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: by you. So can you tell us a little bit more about yourself? Dani: Yeah, so I am on social media. That's how we were both at 2.0. And I started on social media maybe five or six years ago. So I lost my first son to a Baltic Amber teething necklace at a negligent childcare. It's a very tragic story. This happened almost 11 years ago. It'll be 11 years this October. And it literally Jess Sittig: I'm so sorry, mama. Dani: thank you. It literally shook my world in the worst possible way. I wasn't sure I was a single mom. Like will I ever be a mom again? you know, will I ever have a boy again? Will I ever have kids? Like I there was just like I just wanted to go with him at that point. Like it was just so bad. but a couple of years later, once I started getting some clarity and doing some healing, I decided like, you know, I really missed my son. Like I'll always he's back here. I always miss my son, but I also really missed motherhood. And I realized like motherhood was like my whole purpose and like mission in life. Even though like back in the day I never thought I'd be a mom. you know, God has a crazy way of like showing you like your purpose in life. So I knew I wanted to be a mom again and I was dating and it was not panning out. And so I went to the sperm bank and I made my son rut. I got pregnant on the first try and it Jess Sittig: Yes, girl. Dani: was, yeah, it was like very calculated how to calculate like ovulation and all of the things. And it's a very natural thing. You just use like a syringe. Like people are like, She did IVF. I'm like, I never did IVF. And actually a fun fact is that kind of a bittersweet fact actually So it was COVID. So when I went in for my first ultrasound, you know, they start your ultrasounds like maybe you used to do them at seven or eight weeks and now they do them out like ten or twelve weeks just because like they weren't able to get have all these people in the office. And I found out at ten weeks that I was actually pregnant with twins at one point. But thirty five percent of twin pregnancies are vanishing twin pregnancies. And so I found out that I was having twins and not having twins, like on the same day, which was like very bittersweet because I was like, my gosh, my two kids. Like, so I grieved a little bit, but I also was like, let me just celebrate like this pregnancy that I I am having like a healthy baby and stuff like that. But it was like it always had in the back of my mind, like, I wonder what that would have been like having twins. Now people are like, Is you know, does twins pass down to your family? Like y you know, how do and I'm like, you know, fraternal also my age, like I was well into my thirties. I'm well in my th late thirties now. And so with age you ovulate more. I was also taking like Vitex to help regulate my period, which I guess also increases your likelihood to ovulate. So, I saw something on TikTok recently. It was like, be careful on Vitex, you could have twins. And I was like, Yeah, that happened. So, I always kinda had that in the back of my head. And the doctor was like telling me at the time. She's like, I'm sorry this happened, but good new you know, they're like, Good news, like this baby's doing really good and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, Okay, you know, that that's great. Like I'll stay in the positive. But she's like, I just wanna let you know, like, due to your age. I think I had asked, like, how do I even get pregnant with twins? And she'd like mentioned my age. She's like, just wanna let you know, like, if you were to get pregnant again, like, more than likely if you've been pregnant with once with twins, plus your age, like the likelihood and I'm like in one ear, out the other, 'cause I had just learned some crazy news and then that news was taken away from me. And so I was going through all these emotions and then, so in one ear, out the other, you know. And so I had my son Rhett and I started posting about my pregnancy because it was COVID about what I'm packing in my hospital bag. And at the time, maybe there was like 10 moms on TikTok, like talking about motherhood. Now it's like I'll throw baseball at my front door here and hit a mom who's posting on TikTok about their life. But at the time nobody was really doing it. And I went to school for broadcast journalism, radio TV films. So I've been editing Jess Sittig: cool. Dani: since the eighth grade. I was in like digital video editing. I could edit a ad in thirty seconds. Like I'm the quickest editor on the planet. Like yeah. So Jess Sittig: Awesome. Dani: making short form content. Like my ADHD never let me do like the 10 minute YouTubes, but like at the time TikTok was 30 seconds. I'm like, I could do 30 seconds. I could do a minute. you know, once we got to do three minute TikToks is when I really started opening up more about my story and going into more detail and I really like that aspect of TikTok. And then maybe two years ago I started doing Instagram. I don't know why I had never posted on Instagram before. I always had kind of this like private account, but I think it was because TikTok I didn't know anybody. And so Jess Sittig: Yeah. Dani: nobody anyone that was judging me, I'm like, okay, whatever. But like it's like you go on Instagram, it's like people you know are on there. And I'm like if anyone's Jess Sittig: Sure. Dani: gonna judge me, the people that I know But you know, luckily when I had was making content and I got I got real heavy into my story and losing my son to a Baltic Ambertina necklace out of negligent daycare, I started talking about how to find a safe, affordable child care. how to not get bamboozled by scheme marketing on baby products and I I loved reviewing baby products. Actually I had this like random blog back in the day when my son Deacon was born where I reviewed baby products. Like this is nothing new. Like I loved reviewing baby products back then. I love it now. I'm like I nerd out over baby gear, but I I put the aspect in there of like what's safe versus what's not. Like you could see I have like 500 baby carriers here in the bat all the baby products that I'm like reviewing this week. But Jess Sittig: I love that. Dani: You know, there's always like marketing schemes. I'm like, I very much appreciate like our ASTM standards and the CPSC. And I, you know, we'll have to get into it in the end, but there's a lot of the most popular twin gear that I will never use or support Jess Sittig: Mm. Dani: because of they don't pass standards. and I think it's been interesting in the twin mom community of of The twin moms are like, well, it doesn't matter because I'm it twins, it's just so hard. Like, there's nothing else to use. And so I'm like, wow, like we kind of lower our safety standards as twin moms because we're desperate and then some things don't exist. So that the baby gear industry for twin moms has been like very eye-opening for me, And I'd love to see changes in the future. But I so yeah, I just started posting. I'm still doing the same thing to this day. but when I got on Instagram at that point, I was like earning money, I was doing brand deals, and so when I got on Instagram, I'm like, okay, well if anyone's gonna make fun of me, like whatever, I'll just like laugh, walking my check to the bank. Like, you know what I mean? So, but I think Jess Sittig: There you go, exactly. Dani: for the most for the most part, I'm sure people that know me personally think that my videos are super cringy. But I am very proud of the content that I put out. And I think that there's like a mission behind it. And I think that it's educational. And sometimes I do look back at my content and I'm like, that one was cringy. you opened up about grief and you cried on camera again. Like, but I'm like any way that I could yeah. So Jess Sittig: So real. It's so real. Dani: any way that I could like tell my story and sometimes it's just a ten second clip of like, hey, I'm like, you know, finally getting rid of something of my sons. Or, you know, I noticed Jess Sittig: Mm. Dani: today, like sharing like a ten second clip of like, I noticed today one of my girls like really resembles like my son Deacon in this way. Like and I'll share like just little things and like putting all the pieces together. I'm like really trying to share the story of my life and the pain but also like the resilience and you know, the pain never goes away. It just becomes more manageable. And also being able to do it online and having so much fun doing it. Like it's really fun. Like I love going to mom two point and I love meeting other mom creators and the podcasters and the book writers. And I just think that moms using their stories for good is like the coolest thing. So Jess Sittig: Yeah, I think that's so huge. And I feel like what a way to turn that grief and that pain into purpose and to help other parents. So I know that you do like child safety and you're a big Dani: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: advocate for that, I think a lot of people Are are s are scared to share that vulnerability. So I just commend you and your bravery for sharing everything to help other people because I know that isn't easy to do. And it's not cringe at all. It is real and raw and what other moms like need to hear. So if someone says you're cringy, then that's like Dani: I'm sure it's like in inner chat threads, you know, which is fine. I just don't want to know about it. But yeah, I think to what's been great is when I look at my son, I tried every time I post a video, I'm like, is this making him proud? Like, is this am I doing Jess Sittig: Mm, mm. Dani: this in his honor? Like, how is this coming across? And so I think I was getting like very passionate about baby products and and safety so much so that it was like sometimes my comments would come off like a little harsh or shameful. And I've like deleted a lot of videos. Like when I became a a child passenger safety technician, it's a good better best scenario. So and I look at the same with like the twin products and why twin moms make decisions and they probably don't even know. but there's a good better best scenario, right? Like there's the Best scenario, which is to do this. And there's a better scenario, it's like, okay, we'll just make sure we're doing this safely. And then there's like, whatever. So when I'm making content, I try to keep that in the back of my mind where it's like no one's like deliberately doing these things like on purpose or wrong. Like they're doing the best with the information they have, just the information is wrong. So I've changed my tone a little bit, which actually is like lowered my anxiety. Cause I think you post and it's like, Is this gonna come all controversial? Like whatever, especially with other moms, so sometimes like I saw a mom post yesterday, her baby's in her crib, and the baby's swaddle, probably like six months old, rolling around. There's like blankets Jess Sittig: Mm. Dani: in there, and so I just was like, Hey, can I send you a sleep bag? Just you don't need to use a swaddle, like I don't know if it's she doesn't have one. Let me just send you a sleep bag and here's just like the risk. I can offer you more resources like if you want. now she did write back and say my baby doesn't need a sleep bag until they start rolling, which the baby was rolling, but neither here. But it's like I'm like, at least I tried tried, you know, and I have a lot of sleep bags and I could offer that. But like, I think before I would have like, Your baby's gonna die. You know, like if you don't put them in the sleep bag, like death. And I think it's because I can so easily talk about death. Like with the car seat safety, I'm like, baby could die. Like, so I'm like, no, that is a harsh word that has become normal for me, but to anyone else, it's like really harsh. Like, how do we tone it down and talk about like this could be tragic, you know, without saying like your baby's gonna die. So I've had to like over the years like change my tone a little bit. But I'm still also equally as passionate, you know? Jess Sittig: So hard though. That's what I was getting, yeah. Like when you're so passionate about something and you can see something that can be prevented, I understand that passion that comes with that, that you just want to help other people. That's where it's coming from, like that that place of wanting to be helpful. But I love the way that you phrased that to that, to that mom, because Dani: Well and I yeah, and I Jess Sittig: I feel like that wasn't judgmental at all. It was like helpful. I'm offering you guidance. You know? Dani: And then if they shut it down, it's just like move on. You know what I mean? But Jess Sittig: Yeah. Yeah. Dani: one thing that I've I've noticed a little bit is the approach of like there's like the shit sandwich. I don't know if I could say that on your podcast. But where, you Jess Sittig: You can say Dani: know, you could say something really nice like, my gosh, like I love your crib. Like that crib is so cute. Is that the gap collab from Delta? Like what? And just be like, hey, I noticed your baby is like rolling. There's a point in the video where your baby's face is on a blanket. Like, I'm not sure if you're aware, but there's been some tragedies and it's called rebreathing and this and that. and then be like, but like I'd love to send you a sleep bag. You could just try it out. Like, you know, it might be a little transition. So it's like something nice, meat and potatoes, something nice. And I feel that that works like Eight out of ten times. Jess Sittig: Well, because it's coming from a place that's like a respectful, non-judgmental, where it's really just like educational. Like, okay, a big thing in my family, all of my kids are like my boys are in the second percentile. They are teeny tiny. They are not gonna be Dani: Mm, okay. Jess Sittig: forward facing for years, years and years and years. And my mom is like, they're three, why don't you turn them? And I'm like, Do you want to watch this video of this like Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: Par seat when it's rear facing versus forward facing and what it does to your spine. And I showed her the video and she was like, like she literally didn't know how that affected like the little bodies. She just was like, they're Dani: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: three. They should be forward facing. And then once I showed her that, she was like, okay, I get where you're coming from. And she's kind of been more respectful of that. And it really came from a place of her not knowing. Dani: Yeah, they just don't know, especially like grandparents. I'm working with a new car seat company that just came to the US. And this car seat company actually doesn't have forward facing seats. They're from from Sw Sweden, I believe. They're from Sweden. It's called Axekid, and they don't have forward facing seats. So they believe that the child should be rear facing until they're able to be in a booster seat around seven. six seven years old. And Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Dani: some people in the UK laugh at us that we forward face our kids at all, that we even have forward facing seats, which is crazy. So Jess Sittig: wow. Mm-hmm. Dani: there's also this statistic of we've actually never seen a spinal cord injury on ch children who have rare faced in car seats. You only see those in forward facing because Jess Sittig: Wow. Dani: of spinal maturity. It's just your bones are like mush still for kids. So especially until that like six seven, same reason why we don't jump on trampolines, like that six seven age. So it's it is really interesting, but there's either the pediatricians or somebody's t the grandparents or whatever of like, now they're two, switch them. some states it's one, right? I mean that's changing, but it's just people have in their mind that it's like at this age now they could see the world and it's like and also get a spinal cord injury, but here we are. So, yeah. Jess Sittig: It's not worth it. Like my my daughter, I don't remember when we turned her forward facing, but it was a long time. Like, and she's very tall. So she would be rear Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: facing, and her legs were kind of, you know, like bent a little bit. And my mom was like, She is so uncomfortable. I'm like, no, she's not. And she doesn't even know Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: what she's missing because she's our oldest. So she's never seen anyone forward facing. I'm like, I would rather her knees be a little squished per se. then her have a spinal cord injury that she will have to deal with for the rest of her life. So Dani: Well, and I think also with that is, you know, kindergarteners can sit crisscross applesauce for an entire year every single day. They don't even have deaths, some of And we couldn't because we're adults. We're bigger. Our bodies are different. Our bodies hurt. We got muscles, like all these things. But these little kids, like it really is not a bother to them. But we just assume like how we're feeling is how they're feeling. So it makes sense that people think that way, but I I've learned so much about car seats. It's been crazy. And I just love it our manufacturers are doing. I mean, everyone's just like safer, safer, safer, safer, safer, safer. Like it's it's incredible what they're doing. I'm I'm really proud to like be in this industry right now when it comes to car seats. There's so many even super inexpensive options that Jess Sittig: Mm. Dani: you know that someone should feel like really. I'm proud that they live in a time where they don't have to spend an arm and a leg and still have like just as safe of a car seat. Jess Sittig: Yeah, I think that's such a good point to bring up because I think a lot of people think that like safety equals expensive. I mean it I sometimes I even think that. And I feel like that's Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: good to know from an expert that that's not the case. Dani: I use budget friendly baby gear. And people find that they're like, you could have whatever you want. Now, yes, I have a twelve hundred dollar car seat in the garage that I've reviewed and I've used, and I have a hundred dollar car seat in the garage that I have reviewed and I also use. And that's just how much that people just assume like Super expensive means safe when they're all passing the same standards. Now I will say some Jess Sittig: Mm. Dani: car seats have a extra safety features, but when it comes to doing those crash tests, it's a pass or fail and they've all passed those crash tests. So people should be happy about that. Yeah. Jess Sittig: Mm. Okay. Yeah, absolutely. I think that's really good to know. Okay. I have a couple more follow-up questions on this, but before we do, normally at the beginning of the podcast, I ask a question and I skipped over it because we were getting into the meat and potatoes. But Dani: Mm. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Jess Sittig: I normally ask mamas how they filled their cup today. So I want to take a little pause so that we can do that. Have you filled your cup today or do you have plans to fill your cup? Dani: Okay, honestly, it's this is like the one day. This is most days, like Jess Sittig: Yeah. Dani: no filling my cup at all. But this is the one day where I'm like, we have vacation Bible school. Okay, so I had to like wake up, baby. One baby gets up at six, one baby gets up at seven. So you know now the naps are off. I have to get the Jess Sittig: too. Dani: six-year-old dressed, he has to go to vacation Bible school. I almost forgot to feed myself. And then I have this, and then I teach at the new mom school, but it's also Prime Day. And so for in the influencer Jess Sittig: Mm. Dani: world, like you gotta keep up on Prime Day, like great opportunities there. And then I have to film an ad, and somehow I gotta do that before three. But I will say this I Jess Sittig: girl. Dani: have literally filled up this cup with coffee twice today. Now, on most other normal days, like I do have time to go on like a walk or something like that. Today is not one of those days. Jess Sittig: Yeah, that sounds just like at the conference, like you are you are booked, girl. Dani: keep telling myself like once I get to this state like it's gonna calm down. I'm like, no, things keep on happening. You know what I keep telling people? I'm completely and utterly overwhelmed with the life of my wildest dreams. Like all these things that I told you are like very Jess Sittig: Hmm. Dani: quality problems, right? Like, not got to take my kid to a really cool church camp. Like my twins are healthy and up and you know and like eating and like Is you know, I get to teach here and I get to do this podcast. Like all these things are like all great things, just like a lot of great things, you know. So Jess Sittig: Yeah. Dani: that's the best way I could describe it. That's why I'm like, I'll never complain. It's just like I'm overwhelmed with like the life I've always wanted. You know what I mean? Jess Sittig: That's so sweet. It's like, yeah, but that doesn't mean it's not hard. Like there's not enough time in a day. Dani: Yeah. It's the j yeah, it's the time and it's the juggling. And I think it went from like you know, my career was like kind of taking off. And then also like you put on twins, but then like your career's still going, you know? And so I do have to tell myself like I have to like turn down a lot of things and I have to this podcast is actually gonna fill my cup, to be honest, because like sometimes I just like Want to go to coffee with someone. Like I just need like 30 or 45 minutes to sit down at coffee with someone and have a conversation. And when you're on social media, it is like a very lonely life, right? Jess Sittig: Hm. Dani: Like everybody on the outside feels like that they know you. So no one's really like checking in on you. No one needs to Jess Sittig: Hmm. Dani: invite you to coffee because like you're doing fine, you know, like everything's good. Someone asked me the other day, like, yeah, so like what's going like, is your inner circle talking about like what this topic? And I was like, inner circle. I don't have a chat thread. I don't got you know, people just have assume like they see me online now, everything's like good and dandy, but I'm like, sometimes just a lunch or a cup of coffee with someone will make my entire week. It's crazy. But I I've talked to a couple content creators and and I consider you a content creator, but I've talked to a couple of content creators that they feel the same way, right? So it's this parasocial relationship that people are like, I totally know her and I'm like, but I wanna know about you. Like, I wanna know about someone else. Like what's going on? Like I like I'm speaking to a wall, you know? And Jess Sittig: Sure. Dani: I don't know what the feedback is on the other side. Like, why did you end up going with that stroller that I got? Like what was what I said that like triggered you to get that? Like, cause you're having a third kid? I would have loved to know that. You know what I mean? So just certain things where I'm like, cause you're a twin mom, like, cool. Like how do we connect, you know? So for me, this is filling my cup. Jess Sittig: well, I feel the same way. I love just having, yes, like kid free time where we can connect and not be interrupted. It feels it fills my cup too. I love talking to other twin moms. And I just think it's really special to also talk to someone who has created this very successful business as a twin mom, putting purpose in the paint, things like that. It's very inspirational and I love to. be able to learn from you and chat with you. So this is filling my cup too. Agreed. Agreed, girl. Yay. Dani: Yay. Go us. Go us. Jess Sittig: We're just filling our cups here. So I didn't want to to get too far into the podcast without asking that because I feel like as busy moms, like we're just saying, it is so hard to actually find the time to do something intentional to fill our own cups. Especially I am very impressed by you. I don't know how you're doing this all with how old are your twins? Nine months old. Dani: Nine months, yeah. Jess Sittig: And you are exclusively breastfeeding? Dani: But I do have yes I do I do have a nanny Jess Sittig: I'm just like mind blown. Dani: I do have a nanny from 9 30 to 3 30 Mondays through Jess Sittig: Well sure. Dani: Mondays through Thursdays. I think that there's a lot of chitter chatter online of like the mom influencers like they have nannies like no yeah, nope it that should be assumed, you know, but I always woke and I'm like, yeah, no, I do have a nanny. my husband also is a stay at home, he does real estate. but he's home, you know, and then Jess Sittig: Cool. Mm-hmm. Dani: I'm doing my thing. So we do have help. And then Fridays we like to like take the girls out and go walk around the mall and get lunch or go to the beach or you know, whatever. So we try to keep Fridays like time with the kids, which is Jess Sittig: I love that. Dani: yeah, which is not even just like walking around the mall. Like I'm the type of person I was gonna put a video out and then I decided not to. Maybe I'll put it in trials, but You know, someone the the number one piece of advice that twin moms gave me was like keep the girls on a schedule. You gotta keep on a schedule. And that's if not, then they're napping at different times and it's this whole thing and you gotta keep on schedule. You gotta feed them at the same time, like and all this. And like in the beginning I was like so striving for this like schedule situation. And then I finally was like, This is not gonna work for my life. Why is it not gonna Jess Sittig: Ha ha. Dani: work for my life? Because I don't like to be home. Like If I'm not in this office, like I wanna be at a park, I wanna be at a coffee shop, I wanna be at the our little outdoor mall, I wanna go to Disneyland, I wanna go walk around the beach. Like I do not want to be in the house. And so I had met this other twin mom in the wild and she was also exclusively breastfeeding. So this is kind of how I feel like I feel like as twin moms that we Are living in an alternate universe than other moms. And not in and not saying we're this is harder and that's harder. It's just a alt Jess Sittig: It's just different. Dani: it's an alternate universe. Like it's just a whole like time, and I say alternate universe, like that's important because our time is cut in half. So, you know, and so you have like the Two under two moms and that they're kind of like twin moms. And I'm like, no, it's just different. In fact, I'm sure that's could be even harder at times, to be honest. But we're in an alternate universe that they're doing every single thing at the same time. And your time is half and cut in half. So your day is cut in half, just like bathtime, diapers, feeding, all of the things. And Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Dani: then you have your twin moms, and then you have your Formula moms, your pumping moms, and your breastfeeding moms. And all of those moms are living in alternate universes from each other because the formula moms, that's a lot of bottles to be washed. That's a lot of things to manage. That's that's a whole thing in and of itself, right? Then you have your pumping moms. I don't even know. Same thing you're adding on the bottles, plus the pumping, plus the time and the feeding. Then you have your breastfeeding moms, where it's like, You're stuck with your baby. Like they're attached to you most of the day. Like one prop might come in here. And so we're all a little bit different in the feeding arrangements too, right? So sometimes you feel like I'm like, I don't know if anyone relates to this, but I met a mom, she was tandem breastfeeding in the wild, had a mom thing, and I'm like, my gosh, like me too. And we're talking and she's just got it all together. Like, I mean, this girl, like the way she was doing things, I was like, my god, like So I'm like, my you got sew together. And she had like, I think, even just put her babies down there, like napped. I'm like, my gosh. So she was like, well, to be honest, we've only left the house three times. Now at this point, Jess Sittig: Mm. Dani: my babies had been on nine flights. Like, you know what I mean? Like I had already traveled the country. We've already done all this stuff, like every single day. So I'm like, okay, it's interesting. So I told her I was like, yeah, she's like, we're very strict on schedule. They so they sleep through the night, they sleep, take these long naps, we're very strict on schedule, nothing messes that up except that I'm here today and so things are a little messed up. And I was like, that is so interesting because I was like, I'm the complete opposite. Like, I don't care if it's your name, like, we're going, we're getting out, we're gonna go do all these things, and they are gonna have to just like adapt. And she was like, that literally sounds like my worst nightmare. So what I realized is like when it comes to twin advice. It's not that that advice was bad, right? It's the top advice that twin moms gave me. It's that it was bad advice for me. So Jess Sittig: Hmm. Dani: I go off of vibes. Like someone starts sucking their thumb, someone starts rubbing their eyes. You're going down for a nap, and I'm hoping it's two hours. And if the other twin crosses over with you and I get an hour great. If I don't, then this is a great opportunity for me to have one-on-one time with this baby Jess Sittig: Mm. Dani: or that baby, which I probably wouldn't have if they were on a super on a strict schedule. So And then sometimes they do sleep at the same time and sometimes they wake up at the same time. And so you know, they slept in different sides of our bedroom, two bassinets on each side. They sleep in different rooms. Like I do keep them separate just because nothing about them is scheduled or the same. So now if I experienced the scheduled life, would I have something else to say? Possibly. Possibly, right? But this is like we're we're going off vibes around here. I don't know if it's the right thing. Jess Sittig: I love that. Good. Dani: I don't know if it's the wrong thing. But once I gave up trying to do the schedule of it all, I just was like, okay, no, we just go with the flow now. I am pretty strict on like a bedtime though. No later than seven. Jess Sittig: Mm. Well I nice. That's that's I I like that. Dani: Yeah. I'm in bed at 7 30. No later. We start going down at 6 30. I get all the kids down, you know? So Jess Sittig: I'm impressed. That's great. Well, and I think that's huge. I think as twin moms, like what I so with my daughter, I was insane. I was like, it is 1203, she is not napping. Like it would bring me to tears. I I Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: think it was like a control thing. I had her during COVID. It was a weird time, you know. And I think I was just Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: like grasping onto what I could control, even though I could not, Dani: Ooh. Jess Sittig: like you cannot force anyone to eat or sleep, you know. Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: but I was trying to. And then when I had twins, I we follow, I like to call it like we have a flow, we have a rhythm that we follow that I'm like flexible with. And I'm just impressed by Dani: Wait, I love that. I love that. Jess Sittig: like I like, I like a schedule. We have a flow. Dani: You have a flow. Yeah. Jess Sittig: Like we have a schedule. If it's an hour off or someone doesn't nap, like it's not gonna ruin my day like it did with my daughter. Like I would let it ruin my day. I would have a a panic attack. I would cry about it. It was. ridiculous. I also had like some postpartum depression and stuff going on. Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: So I just feel like I always joke that twins are so great for a recovering perfectionist. Like, struggling with that? Like just have twins. It'll Dani: Ooh. Jess Sittig: just knock you right off that, you know? Dani: Yeah. my gosh. And you know what? That's so true. It's like I wait, what did you just say? I gotta remember. Jess Sittig: Twins are so great for recovering perfectionists. Dani: Yeah, you go from a type A mom to a type B mom real quick with twins. It's Jess Sittig: Yes. And I'm thankful because the mom that I was with my daughter was a stressed out mom, a mom who was like, this is what motherhood is like. This is I'm not having fun. And then I was kind of able to get to work through that. And then even more so once I had my boys. I'm like, okay, Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: you only have the brain capacity to handle so much. Like certain things I just had to let go. Like that really doesn't matter as much. Dani: Yeah. But I do sometimes get like jealous of like the schedule moms. And I'm like, yeah, that does seem nice, you know. Maybe one day I'll get there. But Jess Sittig: I feel like I see like the the pros and cons to both because how amazing that your twins like you know how to travel with twins and your son. that's a superpower. You know? Dani: We don't bring him a we haven't brought him on a lot of the trips. And they've been they've been not like fun. They've been a couple family trips, but work stuff, right? So he didn't cut he was in school when we went to Austin. Jess Sittig: Like work trips. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. Dani: we just got back from Sacramento. But you know, so he hasn't s adding actually I tell people when we get on planes, they're like, my gosh, like the babies did so good. And I'm like, Yeah, well, the six year old wasn't here. Like it's actually the babies aren't the problem. Like They sit in their little car seats. They typically sleep like that plane puts them out. It's the six-year-old where it's like the iPad's not working. You didn't download Minecraft and this, you know, it's like I need to watch the Minecraft movie for the 500th time today. And that's the problem on the plane with the six-year-old. But you know, we f we figure it out and we make it work. And you know, will they remember all these things? No, but I will. So Jess Sittig: Sure, you will. And like you said, you're exclusively breastfeeding. That's you they have to come with you. What's the other Dani: Yeah. It was so it was so funny because okay, so I'm having a way different like food feeding situation this time. So I tried the baby led weaning with with my first son. My mom was like really involved in like help I was a single mom helping me raise him. And she just was like, whatever we're eating, you're eating. And it was that's just kind of how it was. Like I don't remember the month we started feeding him. I I'm sure she probably started feeding him at like three months old and I just like went with it, right? Like she taught me how to bathe him, she taught me everything. With Rhett, I was like, I'm doing baby lead weaning. Well, that was not working. Like that was not working for us. And I just kept doing it and he just wanted breast milk and he wasn't eating the food the way that I was making it, but I like r I refused to do pureees because And now I have this like horrible eater and like it's this whole thing. And I wish I would have just like done the puree's and not been so stressed about like finger food and like finger size and like all these things. Like I was so caught up in that. And I think I was like making up for it. Like I gotta be the number one mom like baby Ladweenie. Well, with these girls, like they just started eating regular food. Like I give them purees sometimes. Sometimes they get a pouch, sometimes I cut something and finger size. And these girls are plowing food every day, just like They're crazy eaters. It's the craziest thing. So we're at dinner last night, and I was telling my husband, I was like, I think that, you know, they're starting to be like not as interested in breastfeeding. And he's like, Yeah, do you think they're like weaning? And I'm like, yeah, he's sh well, yeah, we gotta figure out like the food and stuff with like the weaning. And I was like, I think they're like weaning himself. He's like, it's like baby led weaning. And both of us were like, wait, is that what baby led wean? Weaning stands for? I just thought I'm like, baby-led weaning means that you cut things the size of a finger. Like that's I don't know what BLW means, And both of us were like, my god, we're baby led weaning. Yeah. Jess Sittig: That is that's fantastic. I love that. Like light bulb moment. Dani: So I told someone this morning, I was like, yeah, we're like how to make the kids breakfast. We're baby led weaning. So I've just decided this morning, like, yeah, that's what we're doing. But I am trying to Jess Sittig: That's fantastic. Dani: wean. No, I've had I breastfed my other son almost till like three. So I'm trying to wean them out a year. I'm really happy with the journey. I'm feeling like some sort of way about the weaning. It just seems so like That that's it, but they're naturally kind of doing it on their own. So Jess Sittig: Yeah. Dani: I don't want to force anything that doesn't need to be. And you know, you have to take in so many calories a day to like in the beginning, I was like eating like 3,000 calories a day just to nurse the babies. And I just, you know, I didn't lose weight this time, probably gained some weight. Like, it's just like I'm excited to have them on this like feed other food journey. and me start a food journey a different food journey for myself, you know, and get a little bit of me back and like be able to get my nails done without having to take a baby with me or be able to hop on a plane to go to a conference and like not have to bring the whole family. And so there's a lot of things I'm looking forward to, but at the same time I'm like, it seems so like that's it, you know, this thing that like I work so hard for that takes up so much time. And then it it's just like seems a little final, so I'm struggling with that a little bit. But you know, I always know that like when I'm done when I've been done breastfeeding my other kids, like I'm like, okay. Like, you know, like it was like so much going into it to ending the breastfeeding that like but it wasn't that big of a deal. Like I don't you know, so I'm trying to get to my head like get through my head like it's gonna be fine, you know? Jess Sittig: I get that. I feel like it's so bittersweet, but I think a good thing that like a great point that you were bringing up is you are going to get back so much freedom, like the freedom to like Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: move about the country, like without the babies. Sure. Dani: Yes. Or go to dinner. I've actually never had a meal. Like they only want to eat if I'm eating. We'll take them to a restaurant. They will sleep in their little stroller until the food comes. And it's like we want our mom's foobs right now at this Jess Sittig: It's dinner time. Yeah. Dani: point. Like, it does not matter. Jess Sittig: when I was pregnant with the boys, I thought I was starving. And then I didn't tandem breastfeed, but I pumped exclusively for seven months. Starving. I have never been so hungry in my life. I Dani: Yes. Jess Sittig: like my husband can like take down the food. I was like out eating him. I'm like, are you gonna finish that burger? I was so Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: starving. And my goal was to make it a year. And I'm still proud that I made it seven months. You know, pumping was. Dani: I mean that's insane. Like when you think about it. With twins, if you look at the statistics of like any sort of breast milk at all for twins, it's extremely rare. Like, I think it's like 18% of moms do any sort of breast milk after the first two weeks. Jess Sittig: wow. Dani: Yeah. So just like sixty two percent attempt and then the percentages go down. So I mean Anyone that's like even moms that are like doing the the Nikki thing and also bringing in the breast milk and stuff, I'm like, hats off to you. Like moms that are like make it two weeks, right? Moms that make it three weeks, six weeks, like hats off to you. Like it is the hardest thing that I've ever done in my life. And maybe a little bit was pride because that and I had made some videos that was gonna exclusively breastfeed my twins, and they're like, Yeah, good luck with that. Everyone says that. And I'm like, my god, don't tell me I can't do something. Yeah. Jess Sittig: You're like, watch me. Yeah, exactly. Dani: So, and I think also what was happening is like in COVID, now I was breastfeeding, but we had gone through this formula shortage, right? And I was like, dude, what if something like that happens? And then it's like, then we had this like botulism thing that now we've apparently had twice now. So it's like, you know, all those things where I'm like, okay, that takes work for that mom to then go find a different formula or or whatever. I I can't speak on formula, I've just never used it. But like I could imagine, right? So I like, had the PTSD also from COVID, and I'm like, what if something were to happen like that? Like I should just like really just like the first six weeks just try to figure it out and then let everything go from there, you know? So Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. And you did. You figured it out and you've been doing it for nine months and at conferences. Dani: Yeah. But I have a lactation consultant that I like work with a lot. Like it's, you know, I can't just take all the credit that I figured it out. Like the tandem breastfeeding didn't happen for s for about six weeks, but once it does happen, it's like, my gosh, you just saved yourself another hour, right? Almost of just putting them on at the same time. Jess Sittig: I think that is such good advice is like sometimes you need expert help in this in an area and do it because it's going to help you. I feel like so I tandem breastfed one time in the hospital, and my boys were like three hours old, and then it just got so hard they weren't latching. And I kind of just didn't try again. Like I started pumping in the hospital, and then I was just like, okay, I guess I'm in. exclusively pumping mom. And so many Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: twin moms I talked to, they're like, I don't know anyone who started out tandem breastfeeding. Like we worked on our latch with each baby individually and then tandem breastfed. And I was like, Dani: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Jess Sittig: that why didn't I think yes? So I wish that I would have had a little bit more guidance, but I feel like I was like, okay, I made up my mind. I'm pumping and that's just what I'm gonna do. And looking back, I wish that I would have like tried again, one at a time. Dani: Yeah, and I the first couple times that I attempted tandem breastfeeding, the lactation consultant came over. So she because ev so she'd be like, well, do it how you would try to do it right now. Like go get the babies and put them on without like my help. So I'd bring over the bassinet, like try to put them on, and she's like, okay, so you're doing it wrong. But like had I just attempted on my own and she wasn't there, I would have like, they need me like up and under. You know, like there was just so many things that And I I work I started working with the lactation consultant way prior to even having the babies. So we had Jess Sittig: Yes. Dani: a set plan in place of like I had a I had a planned C-section. And then the babies had other plans. So that when I have a C-section, this is what's gonna go down, this is what my husband's gonna do, this is what I need to request, this, this, this, this. If the babies go to the Nikki, this is what the plan is, this is what we're gonna do. If by Crazy wild chance I have a vaginal birth, no NICU time, which is like for twins rare, but then that did happen to me. then this is the plan and this is what we're gonna do. And so I had a lot of guidance and plan ahead of time. Like I just knew like whatever happens, like we still have options for breastfeeding. And some of it was Jess Sittig: huh. Dani: gonna be pumping, right? So some of it was gonna have to do with pumping. But it all like it all worked out. And I also have to say for twin moms listening to this, like I did have a vaginal birth, no NICU time, went home the next day. So I know that that's not always like the case. So it's I was already like off to a good start, I would say. When a lot of times we know s my babies were 36 weeks, but like a lot of times we know like preterm. Whatever the case is, like it's just as twins we plan for that anyways. So I did have a little bit of a leg up on the breastfeeding, just it started off easy peasy. Like and I thank God for that. But I don't want other moms being like, yeah, I'm gonna do the same thing. No, because anything could happen, you know. Jess Sittig: Sure. Yeah. I think that's a good, Dani: So Jess Sittig: a good point to bring up. I feel like we could have a whole nother podcast episode about your your birth story. Dani: okay, so my birth story. I was fully planned for a c-section. I'm the type of mom I go the least amount of risk. If there if someone says like it's less risky if we just do a c-section. from what we're looking at, stati I'm a big statistics girl, right? So when you look at the risk, benefit versus risk, it seemed like a safer option was a C section. So I'm like, great. Also looking at the statistics, most twins end up in some sort of time for the Nikki. It could be even be like low blood sugar or something. Like it could be, doesn't matter. So I'm like, okay, I want a NICU tour. I want to know how the C section is gonna be. What does the OR look like? What do I plan for? And I was kind of just making it like a nail appointment, I'm gonna go in there, I'm gonna have my nail appointment, which is my C section, and then this is like the plan, and then they probab might go to the NICU, I don't know. So I just plan for all of that. and then I went in at 36 weeks to an I was doing like the every couple day NSTs. Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Dani: And I went in and they're like, Yeah, we're gonna check you. And I'm like, Okay. So I was like thirty-six, maybe thirty-six four or something, thirty-six three. So I they check me and they're like, Yeah, you're like on five centimeters, ninety percent e-faced. Like you need to go to the hospital. Well, I go to the hospital, Jess Sittig: My gosh. Dani: the hospital is like full. So like we actually can't admit you because you're technically not in labor. But we also can't send you home because you live in LA traffic. So we're worried that if your water breaks they asked me, when your water break with your last child, how long did it take you going to deliver? I like, maybe thirty minutes. They're like, Yes, we can't send you home, but we can't admit you. We need you to hang here out here in the hospital. And I just was having like the worst. So I couldn't get epidural or anything. So I actually was in labor. was having like back labor, but mind you, I've always been induced. So I've actually never felt contractions of any sort. Like, dude, I get me the epidural the second my big toe steps on the parking lot of the hospital. Like, I don't even want to feel Jess Sittig: Get that. Dani: any pain. That's just that's my vibe. I know people are like the all natural thing, not me. So I was like having this worse back pain, but mind you, I've had back pain my whole pregnancy, but I was having these like spasms. I don't know. That Back labor is, I don't know what front labor is. Like, I don't know anything. So I'm there, finally, like they check me again. They're like, no, we have to admit her. Like these babies are coming today. So I'm like, VS C section, like, what's the vibe? And they're like, Well, we're gonna attempt, they're both heads down, like you've had two vaginal deliveries, like, let's just attempt. But I was like, No, because what if one comes out and the other one swims up? They're like, We're pretty good at like keeping them down there. And so I'm like, I start Really looking into like, okay, well, how long does it take from one to the other? And like now I'm chat GBTing stuff because it's not really what I had planned for. So the nurse is like, no, no, no, you got this. Like, great. I'm like, okay, okay, great. So then next thing I know, it's like 2.30 and I had had the epidural at this point. And I'm just like, my back is killing me. I have no labor in the front. Not any, like, no contraction. Like put those contraction monitors on my back. Like, my back is killing me. And she comes in and she was like, I was like, my back is like really hurting. She's like, these babies are coming. And a bunch of nurses ran in and like in four minutes from when she said these babies are coming, one baby came out and I'm like, hold. I don't know why, but I reached up and I like h was holding her. And at this point, the doctor walks in and she's like, okay, push on three. And I'm like, for the placenta. And she was like, no, the next baby. So I there's a picture of me. Jess Sittig: while you were holding your daughter? Dani: Because it happens so fast. So like the d the nurses like they push down on your stomach. Like when the when the one baby started coming out, the nurse like pushes down on your stomach and like the doctor like holds on to the other baby's head and they're like pull they just like post came out. So there's a picture of me, I'll have to show you person like privately. But there's a picture of me literally holding Bryn and Brady is coming out and I'm like, No, and they're just like Jess Sittig: So intense. Dani: She rips open my shirt. She's like, you wanted to breastfeed, right? And I was like, not anymore. Like, give me a break. Yeah. Jess Sittig: I need to process what just happened. Dani: And so she's all rips off my shirt, pulls it down, like, my boobs are out. And she's like, both of these nurses are just holding the babies on my boobs. And they're Yeah, good job. And I'm like, I don't even know what happened. Because we were supposed Jess Sittig: You're like, what just happened? Okay, so Dani: to be going into an OR, but we didn't make it. So like my husband's just like Jess Sittig: Is this like in the hallway? Dani: No, we were like in a room kind of getting ready to go to an OR, but my husband's like still like holding on to like the IV thing. He was just like didn't know what was happening. He's like, you okay? Jess Sittig: Like what do I do? Dani: Yeah, so he's like in the pictures, he's kind of like in the corner, like thinking like, are we going there? Like what like it's just everything happens so fast. But yeah, so they're like, okay, do you need anything? And I'm like, like, sushi? And my husband's like, I'm ordering every single freaking sushi roll on the menu. Like, I'm going to this Jess Sittig: Ha ha. Dani: place. I'm ordering it here. We're gonna door dash it right. And like literally, like they're still like wrapping the babies up in like the sushi delivery. And the nurse is like, No, I get it. Like, you know. So Jess Sittig: That is so intense and so fast. So how many minutes apart are they? Dani: They're four minutes apart. Jess Sittig: It's so fast. I cannot bl so I also had my boys vaginally and no NICU time. I'm so thankful. They were very, very Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: small, but no NICU time. And I remember they gave me baby A. My I was a I had an induction. It it wasn't like fast and furious, like your birth, but I was holding my son, baby A, and then I was like, can someone take him? Like I have to. So I'm so impressed that you were holding your baby. While baby B came out. This is Dani: I don't know why they like let me I don't know why, just Jess Sittig: We should have. Dani: like yeah, like and when she started coming out, I kind of like Jess Sittig: Take the baby. Dani: reached up and was like, I need my baby now. Like, I don't know, it was like a reflex of some sort, but and then when they gave me two two babies at once, I was so overstimulated and I've been overstimulated since. I've been touched out since that moment. Jess Sittig: I have like when I Dani: I just remember like overstimulation, like there's too many people in the room, there's too many babies, and I was like over stimulated. And then ever since then it's just Jess Sittig: That is my favorite quote. Dani: it's been the same. Yeah. Jess Sittig: That is my new favorite quote I've ever heard. I so I did deliver in the OR and it was also the most overwhelming experience because I was not I knew there were gonna be a lot of people there. my God. There was like Dani: 'Cause you have your birth nurses and then you also have like the OR people, like just in case. Jess Sittig: Yes. And it's like two of everybody. It's like two NICU nurses, two I had two anesthesiologists. And then they asked me when I was in labor, like, hey, do you care if nursing students come watch? And I thought, that's cool. Whatever. That's fine. In retrospect, I didn't realize there were gonna be like 15 people in the room. Or I would have been like, maybe Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: not, maybe not. So I feel you. Overwhelming, overstimulating, all of it. That's what an amazing story. Dani: Yeah. Yeah. We just get it doesn't get it doesn't get less overstimulating. You just like get used to it. Yeah. You like overstimulate. Yeah. So Jess Sittig: Sure, that's eg yeah, absolutely. That's so right. Okay, so Dani: but yeah, okay, so the biggest thing that I've had the most fun with is the baby products. Cause Jess Sittig: Yes. Dani: I've reviewed literally everything. the waddle is one of my favorite products for twin mom, it a breastfeeding twin Jess Sittig: What is it called? Dani: mom. It's called the waddle. It's a smart changing Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Dani: pad. So it's a smart changing pad, so it's like a nursery bestie, but it has a hospital grade scale. So you could do Jess Sittig: Cool. Dani: f feet feed in ways. It's the best scale Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Dani: on the market, in my opinion. The best pump on the market is the for twin moms, is the baby Buddha 2.0. Jess Sittig: Okay. Dani: Now I won't say necessarily I would say for advanced moms, like it's got to pull. It pulls out more milk than any other pump on the market. And and I have probably tested every single pump. The best hands-free pump right now is the Eufie. However, for a twin mom, you could only pull four and a half ounces on each side. So if you Jess Sittig: okay. Dani: have an established breath, like then you gotta pop it off, and then like you, you know, so that's Jess Sittig: Sure. Dani: the only downside where the baby Buddha 2.0 also has a hands-free pump. Which isn't as strong as the Yuffie, but it also has big cups. and then I do love like the baby beyond bouncer. Like I feel like we use those hardcore. I I never double wore. Did you wear your babies? Like the Wigo or anything? Me too. Jess Sittig: just did one at a time. I had so with my daughter I had the Sully baby wrap. And I feel like we always joke, my boys did a good job of like, of course they cried at the same time, but I feel like one would like really want to be worn Dani: Yes. Jess Sittig: while one would be okay. so I just wore one at a time. I had, and I some people don't like the Soli wrap because it's like you to do it all the ties, but I Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: loved how they felt on me and how it just felt like a shirt. I tried Dani: Yes. Yes. Jess Sittig: the structured carriers, and I feel like it just depends on your preference. I didn't love the structured carriers because I felt like I have sensitive skin and I felt like I would almost Dani: Mm. Jess Sittig: get like rat like rashes from and I can't even think of like the certain carriers Dani: Yeah. yeah yeah yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: I use, but it was almost like maybe I was wearing it incorrectly, but it would like dig into me. So I didn't double baby war, double baby wear. I just wore one at Dani: Okay. Jess Sittig: a time. Dani: Yeah, so I did I did like the you know, I kept telling people I'm like, I literally just got done carrying like two babies at once. Like give me a break. I don't want to put them back on me. But a couple times I did the Soli wrap. Well, I think I have the boba same situation, cloth wrap. I would cloth Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Dani: wrap them a couple times, but then it's like one of them's over it and it's like, man, I just put spent five minutes putting you in there. Both of you in there, and then you gotta take Jess Sittig: I would wear it Dani: both out, you know? Jess Sittig: I would wear my Soli wrap like around the house. like with no baby in it. Like it was tied on. Yeah. Dani: Yeah. So I do that now. So I have like a the it always looks like I'm walking around town with an apron on because I just like let the like let the carrier flop over, which is nice because it covers my mom pooch. And then one baby always needs to be worn. But they I I never feel either that they need to be worn at once. So I'm not a huge fan of the twin carriers. I think that they could be used for a small amount of time and then they're too big to. carry two babies like that. I Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Dani: like hats off to the moms that do it on the front and the back. But yeah, I'm not a fan of like twin carriers either. I do have like a a nice woven wrap that I used a couple times, but again, take some time to put them on for babies that are antsy, you know? So but yeah. Jess Sittig: Sure. Yeah, absolutely. I love going all over all of these. So what are like your, you already talked about so many awesome twin mom products. What are like your ride or die? Like top two, top three, gotta have it for twin moms. Dani: So the best the best high end twin stroller and people are gonna be like, what about the bugaboo? You probably have the bug boo, I feel like. Yeah, you have the b bugaboo. You're giving bugaboo. Jess Sittig: I I had the Up A Baby stroller system and then they've Dani: Okay. Jess Sittig: outgrown that. And now we just have like a cheap, Jeep, a cheap, Jeep one. Like because my kids are also Dani: Yes, yeah. Well and that's the thing. Jess Sittig: like almost out of that age. Like we have a wagon and we do more wagon walks than strollers. I'm a wagon. I'm an I'm a wagon mom. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Dani: Okay, so you're like a you're a wagon mom. Okay, so I love a side by side. I do have the mocking. I've reviewed every single twin stroller. So I I do like the mocking where they have a great rider board, but it's like a boat in terms of movability. Jess Sittig: Mm. Dani: I always tell parents, like for a single stroller, it's great. Like get that before the vista, save yourself some money, it's great. When it comes to needing two, a side by side. Now there is Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Dani: a really for twin moms listening, there is a a really good twin stroller coming out that is gonna be not as expensive as like a bugaboo donkey, but it is gonna be it's the Valco and I believe he's calling it Snap Ultra Duo. And so it's two seats. It actually could take two car seats, and the seats could face you, they could face either way. And they're high, they're high end seats and it's a flat fold. It's pretty like compact also. I have the Valco twin duo, but I have some issues with it, really bad storage space. but it's pretty easy to compact and everything. I'm just in a zone right now where it's like the simpler, the better, the more lightweight, Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Dani: and just so I got that that Zoe twin V3. And does it have as nice of wheels as the Valco? Like And materials, like it has some pretty good materials, but magnetic chest clip. the Valco has the worst chest clips. Mag but the new one, the Snap Ultra, it's gonna have really nice harness clips. The Valco Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Dani: V3, my god, game changer. That thing weighs nothing. I'll rip that out of the car, boom, boom, snaps on a rider board. I got all three of my kids. Like it is super, Jess Sittig: Love that. Dani: super easy. So I always tell mom, like, if you want to spend, you know, $2,300 on the bugaboo donkey, I would say XNA that. Go get yourself like a nice twin stroller that you want, and then like an easy travel twin stroller. But I actually don't travel much with twin strollers. I use two strollers and sometimes I'll like connect them that go with the car seat. And I use the joy product. I use a lot of joy products. They came out with the twin stroller, not a fan. But the the the Zoe twin B3 like should be on everyone's registry. I love that thing. Just like me at this point, nine months, where the girls are wiggly and like and it's lay flat. Jess Sittig: Yeah. Dani: You can use it from birth with twins. From birth, it's lay flat. You don't need a bassinet. It has a cocoon feature. It's yeah. Jess Sittig: Love that. I watched your review and was like, that's cool. I wish I feel like there are so many more twin products coming out. And I'm like, man, I wish that would have existed three years ago. You know? It's really cool. Dani: Yeah, yeah. We need more though. Like there's so many twin moms and I feel like we're makeshifting things all the time, right? To like try to figure Jess Sittig: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Dani: things out. Like we're makeshifting a lot of things. So I would love to see more easy lightweight items for twin moms. I don't know. Jess Sittig: Think that's the biggest thing. Like, I love the wagon that I have. It is so heavy. I'm like, I wish I could have Dani: Which one do you have? Jess Sittig: the Kinzie, it's Dani: Okay, yes. Jess Sittig: so like K-E-E-N-Z, it's so heavy. Dani: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Jess Sittig: Like maybe, maybe 50 pounds, like maybe more. Dani: You know the the the radio flyer. I've been reviewing a couple of those. Now I'm a wonderful mom, like through and through. I got the VW. And like if you have twin girls, like the VW wagon, it's just I Jess Sittig: So cute. Dani: love I love twin attention. Like I love people constantly asking me about twins and it are they paternal or identical and they literally look different. But I like the matching clothes, like there is nothing like I love going to Costco and I'm like people are gonna talk to me today like I love this right like yeah but I just like Jess Sittig: It's always at Costco. At Costco, I feel like everyone like flocks. Dani: I just love the attention I'm an attention whore okay like it and bring the twin girls like I bring on all the questions I freaking love it but the it the Wonderfold is very heavy but they're starting to make them with aluminum so they're less Jess Sittig: Hm. Dani: heavy so I just got a four seater wonderfold And it's less heavy, but the radio flyers are pretty lightweight and they like also get the job done. Great shade, not as heavy, nice wheels. Yeah, it's called the void, Jess Sittig: Do they have a four seater? I feel like I haven't looked into that. Dani: it's called the Pathfinder. It's in my garage. I haven't Jess Sittig: Okay, because we had, Dani: reviewed it. Jess Sittig: I mean, I feel like that's so nostalgic. We had a radio flyer with my daughter, but it was like a two seater and it was really just I feel like it fit her fine. And then we did shove all three into that and I was like, I need a bigger wagon. And I liked how the Kenzie one was a little bit higher up and I like how it's sturdy. I want a sturdy wagon, but I wish that it was lighter. And I wish that I would have gone in person. Like I feel like I don't really know where you can Do that. Like baby, what's it called? Babies RS is like not a thing anymore. What was the other company? Bye bye baby. Dani: Yeah, bye bye baby is gone. Well, and that's yeah, and that's what is like the hardest thing is like and then you go to Target and everything's been tarnished, right? So then you're like, why is this stroller like all rickety and crickety? It's like, no, because Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Dani: the employees have thrown them around, like it's missing a canopy. It looks like crap. Like Target does a horrible job at like showcasing products. Like it's you're the only one left and you can't even do it right. The people at Nortram's are like, it's like, yeah, I'm looking for a stroller. Let me introduce you to the Nana Mix next. Okay, your kid is gonna look a like a giant when they're two sitting in that stroller. Like, it sucks. But it's just like, let me show you, like you come into Northram and show you the most expensive stuff we have. It's like I I hate them too, but you almost have to go off of the reviews of regular schmangular Jess Sittig: Yeah. Dani: moms. And I'm not even talking about me, right? Of regular schmeguler moms on the internet and really hear like what they like and what they don't like, right? So you're talking about like the Kenzie is it's heavy. Okay, I'm talking about like you find something with aluminum, it's you cut you you cut the weight in half, you know? We really have to rely Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Dani: on each other for buying baby products. And the and the manufacturers they still like. I think Kiko is one of the best baby gear brands on the planet. I think they make quality gear. They've been around forever. They just I feel like we need a refresh on marketing because I will stand by that they're one of the best brands. They have some of the best stuff and nobody knows about it. I'm like, yeah. Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I'm like, I don't know if I know that brand. Dani: Well, you'd probably Jess Sittig: Yeah. Dani: call it Chico. Jess Sittig: yes, I would have. How do Dani: Yes. Jess Sittig: you say it? Dani: Kiko. Jess Sittig: I yeah, no, I I can see it now. And I'm like, yeah, no, Dani: Yes. Jess Sittig: I didn't. That's funny. Dani: Yes, yes, exactly. So there's just like so what we do here is like about the brands that do have decent marketing, which is like gonna be the Nuna and the Upa Baby and like they have some really good marketing cybex have some great marketing, like they have this really great marketing and yet it's like some of this I do recommend a lot for for different lifestyles, different people, different things, but some of my most recommended gear is just like not known at all, you know. Even though they've been around the longest, they're some of the best quality. they have great fabrics that are natural flame retardants. Like I love Kiko. I'm like, we gotta refresh the marketing kit. Get me some Gen Z moms in there and just ramp it up, you know? Jess Sittig: Yeah. Totally. I love what you're doing. moms want that honest feedback about what they're gonna spend a lot of money on. And when I bought my UPA baby stroller, Bye bye, baby was still a place when I had my daughter. So I got to go Dani: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: in, try it, ride it around the store and be like, I feel comfortable spending twelve hundred dollars on this, you know, travel system or whatever. Where now it's like you're saying you don't have, we don't really have that anymore. It's not meeting this, you Dani: Mm mm. Jess Sittig: know, those in-person standards that we had in other stores. So I love what you're doing of like I'm gonna be honest. I'm gonna tell you what I like, what I don't like, and why. And I I think moms need that because we're not you're not really getting it anywhere else. You can read reviews, sure, Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: but actually like seeing your videos and seeing what you do and your honesty is super refreshing. Dani: Well, and I think like another topic that's like coming up is like the Chin Chinese products. So like the groundsy of it all, the mom cozy, the Yuffie, the Papa Blick, like these companies that are popping up with some of these products. And I am pleasantly surprised by some of the baby food makers. some of the bottle washers. Like the Yuffie is the best twin product on the market when it comes to bottle washing. It can hold it has the largest storage. Now it takes up a shit ton of room on your freaking counter, but a lot of twin moms, Jess Sittig: Worth it. Dani: they're getting two two bottle washers. This new one, it's nice, you just set it up on your phone. But I'm like, some of these Chinese companies are creating some like really good pumps. Really good, like the mom cozy and the Yuffie of it all, like they have come in crazy with some good technology, you know? So I'm Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Dani: interested to seeing like now I don't like the marketing of a lot of them of the Chinese brands. Like it's a lot of AI, there's a lot of unsafe marketing. and so I wish that if they could focus on like adopting our standards and and making safe videos and spending the money making real videos and not AI and having a mom feeding her baby in the front seat of Jess Sittig: Mm, yeah. Dani: a car via AI. I would be more apt to even show off the products more. But yeah, like the Chinese brands, like people like, should I stay away? Well, I'm like, well, every single one of our baby products is from China. Some of the actual companies just like also reside there, you know? so yeah, so it's like they're coming out with some really good stuff too. Just we need to tweak the marketing a little bit. Jess Sittig: let's review that. What are your your top three ride or die products that you're like every twin mom needs this? The Zoe Stroller. Dani: The Zoe stroller, Jess Sittig: It can you not is it too hard to pick? Dani: and it might not no, it's too hard to pick. The Zoe V3. V three, okay. Jess Sittig: Okay. Dani: It needs to be one of your strollers. And you might have two, you might have the V3 in a wagon. You might have the V3 and a mocking bird that you had with your first and you get the second seat. Or the Vista you had with your first and you get the second seat. You have to get the Zoe. So plan accordingly, okay? I would say two baby bjorns. You don't want to get the baby bjorns, get the baby delights. It's the same thing, right? I love the baby bjorns. I just think the quality is really, really good. but get two of the bouncers. I I don't believe in swings or containers like that. I believe in products where your baby's creating their own movement. So I don't have any mechanical bastinets or any mechanical anything. just anything, just flat items that the babies would move themselves in. and then I don't have any of the twinsy or the or the table for two because I didn't bottle feed. Not my choice. The babies didn't take bottles. Like I would have been fine if people want to take that off of me. But yeah, so that, and then I think for twins, if it's just if it's your first two. Rotating car seats. Actually if it's Jess Sittig: Mm, mm-hmm. Dani: do you use rotating car seats? Yeah, you have I'm gonna guess you have even flow slims. Jess Sittig: I don't, but I I feel like there are Dani: okay. Jess Sittig: yes, I do. I have yes, I have yeah, I have the slim fit. Like ding ding ding. Because I I have a minivan. Dani: yeah, okay. Jess Sittig: I have a minivan now, but I used to have a Jeep Grand Cherokee and all three of my kids were in rear facing car seats. So we needed to find a way for those all to fit. Where now everyone's kind of spaced out a little bit, but Dani: Yes. I'll just touch on car seats, actually went with baseless car seats so that I could get my son Jess Sittig: Mm. Dani: into the back and then I put the babies in. So he never had to step over bases or anything like that. Jess Sittig: Sure. Dani: And then I use rotating car seats for the girls because I could rotate them in. My son could get in to the back seat and then I rotate him backwards. So Jess Sittig: So smart. I feel like Dani: And I use the Joy the Joy chili spins. Jess Sittig: Okay. I feel like so many of these things were like, Dani: Which is like pretty budget friendly. Jess Sittig: yeah, that's so great. I feel like so many of these like baby products were like just coming out as I became a twin mom. Like I feel like I heard about a rotating car seat after we already bought everything. And I was like, whoa, that is so that's brilliant idea. Why haven't we been doing this for like decades? You know? Dani: Yeah, we didn't so cause you have a f a six year old. Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Dani: Yeah, so we didn't ha rotating car seats were like barely scratching the surface and people were questioning them. and now I feel like it's like the standard. I don't know one company that doesn't have so every company has a rotating seat, which is crazy. Jess Sittig: I love that. It's so efficient Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: and brilliant. And I wish that I had I wish I had them. Dani: And then the Yuffie bottle washer for twin moms. I don't recommend Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Dani: it for singleton moms. I think there's one that's a little bit better. But if you have twins, that's the best one. For sure. Jess Sittig: Just because how many bottles you can fit in at one time. Dani: Yes. And you could schedule it, right? So as the day's going, you could fill them up and then it just auto runs and so you could it does Jess Sittig: Love that. Dani: everything like for you. Yeah. And then it dries. So everything's dried. Like the only thing it doesn't do is put the bottles back together. Jess Sittig: That's that's next. That's brilliant. Dani: Yeah, no, I'm sure robotics, like yeah, someone's coming out with that. Jess Sittig: Okay. And do you have time to tell us maybe like your top three baby safety tips? Dani: So my top three baby safety tips, one is habit changing. So cooking on a back burner, or if you are making your kids mac and cheese, putting it on the back burner while you go get the butter and the milk. also another habit is when you're pregnant, like you should be holding on to railing, but If you're the type of person that like runs down your stairs real quick, I was that type of person. Like we need to slow down. We need to hold a railing because we're gonna have a baby in our hands. so for twins, that might mean one at a time. I don't carry two babies at once downstairs. I just I don't do it. We don't wanna step over baby gates while holding our babies. So we want to put the baby into inside the gate and then either we hop over or vice versa. and then always get down to your baby's level. This is the number one tip. So we don't just like go and be like, our babies are crawling, let's baby proof our plugs and get gates and do this and baby proof. No, it's always changing, right? So once they get to a certain age where they can surf a couch, what else could they surf? They could surf a toilet and that's where a risk is. So if they're starting to climb up on the couch, we love to see them surf the couch. We love to see them climb up on the couch. Like these are all developmentally great things. But if they could climb up the on the couch, they could also climb up on a shelf. So anything with a door drawer shelf needs to be anchored. And we don't really want to wait until that happens. So toilet locks, anchoring, baby gates should be mounted. You could fix a hole in your Wall, you cannot fix a hole in your heart. And we want to keep everything up away and out of sight of children, medications, Tide Pods. We don't ever take our Tide Pods and put them in glass jars. Some influencers start doing that on Amazon. And I love Amazon, but I hate Amazon. And I don't know why we did that when they engineered these pumpkin freaking things to keep our Tide Pods safe. And now people are putting them in their mouth. So Jess Sittig: Mm. Dani: up away out of children, medications, gummies. And that could be medications or other things. Vices, everything up away out of children. Just get a bin, put it up. So those would be like my biggest safety things. Always buckle your child in the stroller. a snack tray is not a buckle. So we Jess Sittig: Mm. Dani: always buckle them in no matter what. And a chest clip on a car seat is called a chest clip, not a belly clip. Jess Sittig: Mm, mm-hmm. Dani: For a reason. I could go off on so many more, but those are some safe ones. No weighted sleep products on or around the baby, including weighted sleep sex. Jess Sittig: Mm, okay. These are good. I'm like Dani: That's also another big one. Jess Sittig: I feel like so many things. I'm like, my gosh. Like when you said the toilet thing, like if they can cruise the couch, they can cruise the toilet. I'm like, my gosh, that is like I I had never thought of that. Like luckily we're out of that stage now, but my gosh, that's such shh mind blown. Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: such good tips. Yeah. Dani: Yeah, I could like go off on like safety tips, but those are a few a few like little things that I think people rem can remember my little sayings. Jess Sittig: Yeah, I think that's what's super helpful. Like anything where it's like a little sing songgy, people aren't gonna forget that. And Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: I I love that. I think moms need to hear all that stuff to keep their kids safe, especially from like everyday items that maybe you wouldn't think twice about. I Dani: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: you just posted about if anyone has ever called poison control. And I have. Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: I called poison control. I was doing my daughter's nails. And the cuticle cream comes in like a squirt bottle. And I was like, you know, doing her nails or whatever. And then my son grabbed the cuticle cream and like drank it. And I was like, my gosh. Like what are you doing? And there's like super intense stuff in cuticle cream. I did. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Dani: yeah. So I think you mentioned you wrote that and you wrote that in there, right? Okay. And so did a lot of other people. I wasn't gonna out everybody but some some person said that their babies took weed gummies that were not theirs but that someone that was staying at their house had brought over and they're like in a little jar and they took to daycare and like all the kids got high. Jess Sittig: Dop Dani: And I was like, Are you in jail writing this? Or Jess Sittig: my gosh, that's so intense. Yeah, Dani: Yeah, so it turns out like the family like they're like we don't drink, smoke, do anything. So I wouldn't have even known myself Jess Sittig: Mm. Dani: what that is. Like I would not have even known. But they're like, we're a sober house. So when we had guests over, like they weren't gonna be drinking or doing anything in front of us. I guess it's just easier to take like a gummy. And then someone else said that their kid took Advil to daycare. And I like, Okay, well someone else already talked you, so don't even worry about the advil at this point. Jess Sittig: Well, an Advil is scary. I mean, most of those come with like a child safety top. So, and I feel like that's I I like how you say put it in a bin and put it up. Because one time Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: I ran out of Advil. So my mom poured some and gave it to me in a plastic bag. And I'm like, we need to dispose Dani: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: of this immediately because or put it back into like a s a child safety cap because they're sugar coated. Dani: Yeah. Jess Sittig: So some like some maybe like I don't know why my son drank cuticle cream. I can't imagine that that tasted good. Whereas like a gummy or Advil that's sugar coated, it does taste good, at least in the beginning, you know? So, my goodness. I'm like, this is it Dani: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Jess Sittig: all the awareness is what's so important because I think people are like, no, it's fine. And then it's not. It's it's just a reminder to be extra. cautious and watching your kids over things that you might not think of. Dani: I teach at the new mom school. I teach today actually. I'm like a visiting expert and I teach baby safety. And a lot of things I'm like, I'm gonna spend the next hour telling you some crazy stuff. And you're gonna be like, I'll never leave my house and this is crazy and like not under my watch, but I'm like I just like when you go home and you start cooking on the stove, you're gonna be like, I remember when she said this. Or when you go to put up the baby gate and you're like, do I mount it or do I drill it? You're gonna be like, I remember what she said. When we talk about going to people's houses that don't have pool gates, like you're gonna remember what I said. So I think it's like all about like just n awareness. Just like have it in the back you don't need to live by like you don't need to live in fear, but have it in the back of your head, like Jess Sittig: Yes. Dani: of we should just be looking out of a different color lens when it comes to safety. And and I'm telling you right now, I s I learn different things all day long. I see different things, but I also live in a state of panic always. But I have trauma there, so so yeah. Jess Sittig: Well, I think that's what's so beautiful. Like I've said throughout this podcast, is I think what you're doing is so beautiful to share these tips with other moms. So I'm just so thankful for what you're doing. And I want to be respectful of your time. I know you have a lot of things to do on your to-do list. But one thing I ask every mom in the closing of the podcast. is if you could have a heart to heart with a twin mom or give her a piece of advice, what would you tell Dani: That this is not go this stage is not going to last forever. So things are hard right now, and things are gonna be hard in the future, but they're gonna be a different hard. And I heard something the other day that really stuck with me. And it wasn't that that having twins as they grow gets easier, you just get better. And I just was like, Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Dani: that is so true. Like nothing is getting easier. You're just getting better and you're the rock star. Like they're growing and having to is still hard. It's getting harder in different ways, right? Three, I'm sure, is hard in a different way than newborn is hard. pregnancy was harder than infant stage, in my opinion. Like I wouldn't want to go through that again. Other people would say other things. We just get better. So Jess Sittig: Mm. Dani: just remember that. That's what I would say. Jess Sittig: Mm. I love that. And it's it's so true. Like you just get better at handling the chaos. well, Dani: Yeah. Yep. Jess Sittig: Danny, thank you so much. Dani: yeah, I feel like we'll have to like hop on again. But Jess Sittig: Yeah, absolutely. Episode number two in the future. Dani: Yeah, for Jessielee Sittig: Thank you for taking the time out of your busy twin mom life to listen along. I hope this podcast shed some light on a topic that's been on your heart and gave you more confidence as a twin mama. If you know a twin mom, please send this her way. If you like what you heard today, please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Check out the show notes to be connected with today's guest and get discount codes for brands I love. See you next Thursday. Until then. You are made for this.