“The Challenge” Alum Nicole Zanatta Welcomes Twins: 'The Greatest Blessing of My Life'

Madison E. GoldbergTue, June 2, 2026 at 4:56 AM UTC

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Nicole Zanatta
Credit: Nicole Zanatta/Instagram -

The Challenge alum Nicole Zanatta welcomed twin daughters on May 1

Zanatta revealed in a June 1 Instagram post that her daughters were diagnosed with congenital CMV (Cytomegalovirus) and have spent weeks in the NICU before she could bring the babies home last week

She shared their story in honor of June being CMV Awareness Month

The Challenge alum Nicole Zanatta has welcomed twin daughters!

She she announced in a Monday, June 1, Instagram post.

Zanatta, 35, gave birth on May 1 to daughters Seraphina and Madyson, whom she called "the greatest blessing of my life," while noting that "our journey hasn't been easy."

Seraphina and Madyson were diagnosed with congenital CMV (Cytomegalovirus) and both have spent weeks in the NICU before Zanatta could bring the babies home last week, she said."Through every high and low, I choose faith over fear, resilience over doubt, and gratitude for every blessing along the way," Zanatta wrote. "I will give my girls every opportunity to thrive. I will always fight for them and advocate for their needs."

"Looking back, I wish I had known more," Zanatta added of CMV, before explaining that she is sharing her experience with the diagnosis now because June is CMV Awareness Month.

"CMV is one of the most common congenital infections, yet many parents have never heard of it," Zanatta explained. "Awareness matters because early detection, education, and advocacy can make a difference.""Thank you to everyone who has supported us, prayed for us and loved my girls," she continued. "We have a long road ahead, but we'll face it together."CMV is "a condition caused by a common virus," per Mayo Clinic. The CMV virus stays in the body for life after infection, and spreads from person to person through body fluids, including blood, saliva, urine, semen and breast milk, per the clinic.

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Nicole Zanatta and twin daughters
Credit: Nicole Zanatta/Instagram

Symptoms of a CMV infection can include a fever, fatigue and a sore throat. There are two varieties of the infection: congenital CMV, in which newborns are infected before they are born, and perinatal CMV, which impacts infants shortly after they are born, according to Mayo Clinic.

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Babies with CMV may be born at a low birth weight, experience jaundice, retinitis, rashes, have an enlarged spleen, seizures, pneumonia, motor delays, and "a head that is smaller than is typical, also called microcephaly," per Mayo Clinic.

Zanatta announced her pregnancy on Dec. 23, 2025, by posting a picture of herself holding up sonogram images of her babies.

"This journey tested my heart—through IUI, failed attempts, and moments of heartbreak—but it was also filled with love, strength, and unwavering support from my family and friends," she wrote at the time. "Today, I finally get to share the news I’ve been holding close for some time, I’m pregnant with twins."

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