Tara Laine's Ob/Gyn is Dr. Matthew Casavant. His practice is located here in Clermont.

Dr. Casavant did an awesome job in both the pregnancy and the delivery. We delivered by C-section (both babies transverse), and every nurse I had commented on what a great job he did on my incision. Rather than do the quicker/easier staples, Dr. Casavant took the time to actually stitch everything closed. I really think that helped in my recovery.

Dr. Casavant's office has been wonderful through all of this. They are really interested in the patient, and that is rare in most offices. I would recommend this practice to anyone!

This is a wonderful resource for families with twins. Every issue has valuable information about medical studies, development milestones and social issues. In addition, the magazine features many fun and interesting topics dealing with life as a 'twin family'.

In addition to the magazine, their website offers the TWINS Magazine Message Board. This has been an invaluable resource for information and support. Many of the posters get together for picnics and lunches in their area. I have been to two local lunches, and we're planning a picnic for those who live in Florida.

This is such a great resource for Twin Moms!! I am a member of the local group - GOMOTT (Greater Orlando Mothers of Twins/Triplets).

GOMOTT Meetings are held once a month, but many luncheons, playdates and socials are planned in between meetings. The group is made up of all different types of Moms with many different aged twins. Perspective members can visit the club for 4 months to see if they would like to participate.

Several times a year, the group holds a 'Clothing Exchange' that has grown to include baby furniture, travel gear, toys and other items. It is a great way for MOT's to make space for the next phase of toys/equipment.

Not only is GOMOTT a great resource for information, but the social aspect is very unique. As a Mother of Twins, it is often difficult to talk with someone who 'really' understands. At a GOMOTT Meeting, you are surrounded by 50 people who 'really understand'.

If you have twins, I hope you can find a NOMOTC group in your area!

Understanding the special nature of multiple pregnancy is an important part of prenatal care.

Marvelous Multiples® Prenatal Education classes offer expectant parents information about many of the aspects of multiple pregnancy and birth that are not covered in standard prenatal or childbirth education classes.

In Orlando, this class is offered at Arnold Palmer Hospital downtown. We met on Thursdays for 6 weeks.

BabiesRUs offers 10% off the second item of SOME purchases

With the average cost of one baby topping $6000 for just the first year alone (roughly $10,000 for twins), you need creative solutions and innovative ideas to navigate the consumer maze that confronts all parents-to-be. Baby Bargains is the answer!

Their Guarantee: If Baby Bargains doesn't save you $250 on your baby product purchases, then we will give you a complete refund on the price of the book. No questions. No kidding.

Because of this book, we saved $72 on one purchase. Trust us, the savings really does add up. You can also purchase this from Amazon.com.

Reel Moms, brought to you by UrbanBaby and Loews Cineplex Entertainment, invites new moms to bring their babies to the movies.

Showing first-run movies on Tuesday mornings, new Moms (and Dads) can have a stress-free outing with their little ones. "Everyone in the theater has a baby, so no one minds. It's a great opportunity for new moms and their babies to make friends, see a movie and have some fun," says Susan Maloney, founder of Urbanbaby.com

The program is currently offered in many larger cities. Click here to read about Reel Moms in the Orlando area. (Note - December 2004: They have recently discontinued the program in Orlando. I wish we could still participate, but hopefully someone else will offer the opportunity.)

The Miracle Blanket
Truly a Miracle!

This was probably the very best thing we have gotten for the babies (and us). These blankets are truly a miracle at helping us to calm the boys and allow them to sleep more soundly. Newborns have a 'startle reflex' that causes them to wake themselves up during the night. This blanket helped us swaddle them securely, and that kept them from knocking their paci out or startling themselves awake.

The boys really fought swaddling with our receiving blankets, but they immediately recognize the Miracle Blanket and allow me to wrap them. They have done so well with these blankets. I recommend them to anyone expecting a baby. Go ahead and get two per child, because you'll need one while the other is in the laundry.

The Happiest Baby on the Block
by Dr. Harvey Karp

This DVD is the perfect companion to the Miracle Blanket. (I didn't have time for the book, so I went for the Cliff's Notes)

This man is a genius, and he gives new parents great information on how to understand things from your baby's point of view. He shows you how to comfort and quickly find the 'calming switch' for your baby. Part of his technique is to swaddle the baby, and the best way to swaddle is with the Miracle Blanket. I tried his steps with a regular blanket, and the results were still good. With the Miracle Blanket, Dr. Karp's techniques will work wonders.

I highly recommend this DVD!!

When the boys are older, I'll be purching The Happiest Toddler on the Block. In this, he teaches parents how to communicate with their toddler. I have heard great things about this book. It looks like Dr. Karp has done it again....

The link on the left points to Dr. Karp's page. His items can also be purchased on Amazon.com

According to one of my twin books, the chances of having twins naturally (without the use of fertility drugs) are about 1 in 90.

There is no way whatsoever to predict identical twins, so a mom who is an identical twin has no better chance of producing twins than any other women.

The general rules of thumb are the older the mom, the better chance of having twins. And if fraternal twins are on the woman's side of the family, your odds increase dramatically as well

Actually, yes. There are several sets of twins on both sides of our families.

They have separate 'housing' and 'resources', and that would indicate that they began the process separately.

The boys were born with two different blood types, so that would indicate that they are fraternal twins.

-Not that we knew of. We had tons of girls' names from family members, but no boys' names. We're still working on middle names, so we might pull in some names for that.

That is a good question, because 'Term' for twins is more like 36-38 weeks. Our original due date was May 15, but our OB said that we will not likely go past 38 weeks, for their own good. I have adjusted the estimated date for the new timetable.

We will be very happy to get past 34 weeks (which is April 2nd, on the calendar). I'm shooting for as close to term as I can, though. For babies, every additional day/week in the womb is critical.

At this point, all I can do is drink plenty of fluids, stay off my feet, avoid stress and eat well. That's a small price to pay for healthy babies.

Yes, it really is. While there are some similarities between the two, there are many more differences, nearly every part of the multiple birth experience is different.

Multiple pregnancies involve variances in symptoms, weight gain, overall growth, fatigue levels, exercise/activity limits and nutritional needs. Labor and delivery are more complicated and cesarean birth is much more common.

Some of the common advice for single pregnancies does not apply for multiples...and vice versa.

Dealing with a multiple pregnancy involves more than the economic, emotional, and parental challenges of having several babies at once. Caring for and raising multiple babies involves much more than changing double sets of diapers!

There are serious medical risks and complications associated with carrying more than one fetus and giving birth to more than one infant at the same time.

A multiple pregnancy is considered high-risk; it requires early detection, specialized, extensive clinical management and monitoring, and awareness of possible complications.

While mothers of 'singletons' can often work and exercise until the last days of pregnancy, most mothers of multiples find it necessary to reduce activity/stress levels much earlier...often beginning in the second trimester.

Yes, a Peri (Maternal Fetal Specialist) has a special level of experience/expertise with 'high risk' pregnancies.

Monthly visits with that office are necessary to monitor development and to avoid problems that could trigger preterm labor or otherwise harm Mother or Babies.

We have an ultrasound every 4 weeks where they evaluate each baby and the overall environment. Our next appointment is at the end of January.

Actually, I think we were the LEAST surprised people in the ultrasound room...and certainly the least surprised among our friends. The video ultrasound gives you a peek into the moment we first discovered them.

Twins do run in our family, and we'd always talked about how great it would be to have a set of twins.

We were pleasantly surprised that we'd gotten our wish. We feel so humbled and blessed to have this opportunity!

Most of the time, I am doing just fine - thanks. I have bursts of energy that are sometime followed by periods of exhaustion and soreness (often due to whatever I tried to do during my burst of energy). ;-)

At my last Dr. appointment (1/27/04), my ultrasound results looked good and the babies were growing appropriately. Fluid levels were fine, and we don't appear to be showing signs of preterm labor/issues.

We increased my dosage for blood pressure medicine (not surprising at this stage), and we will continue to monitor it. I was taking BP meds before pregnancy, so we just switched to a pregnancy-friendly medicine and added that to the list of things they would check.

I have a few symptoms that make walking much more difficult than normal, so I apologize if you don't see me at a meeting or an event. Between my Dr. visits, weekly Childbirth classes and house/nursery preparation, we are finding very limited time for other activities once we come home from work. In addition, I am trying to rest as much as possible to avoid any stress on the babies.

Mothers of multiples are told to try to get as much done as possible in the second trimester. We are hoping to have everything finished in February.... mid-March, at the latest.