by Susan M. Heim
If the thought of heading to the grocery store with your twins is daunting, you're not alone. The tips that follow will help make your grocery-shopping trip as manageable as possible. Click to read the rest of this entry
By Lenee' Petri
I've been contemplating Valentines past and, for that matter, romance in general. Speaking as a mother of 2½-year-old twins, I vaguely remember what "romance" means. So, to remind myself, I started looking through my favorite women's magazines. Of course, I haven't really read a magazine in 2½ years, and I soon realized that what I used to read "before children" has absolutely no bearing on my "post-children" life. Here are some examples: Click to read the rest of this entry
By Holly Engel-Smothers
At about eight months, your babies begin to use their forefingers and thumbs for a "pincer grasp." This is an important pre-writing skill, which is the expressive side of literacy.
Think about how you hold a pencil or crayon, and all the strength needed to manipulate the writing utensil. Also, in our "computer-driven" society, we need the strength and dexterity of all fingers in order to type and move the computer mouse. Now is the time to begin offering finger-strengthening activities to your twins. Click to read the rest of this entry
The Death of Your Twin or Triplet Babies
A pamphlet for parents and families who have experienced the death of both or all of a set of twins, triplets or higher multiples, during pregnancy, at birth, or in infancy. Click to read the rest of this entry
By Holly Engel-Smothers
Believe it or not, seeing you write is an important literacy booster for your children. Think of writing as the expressive side of literacy, while reading is the listening side of literacy. Now, I know many people dread writing, but take heart! The writing you do needn't be an essay or research paper like in high school or college.
Writing can be a wonderful way to add to the memories you treasure as your twins grow up. Like most moms, you probably record milestones and wonderful moments of growth in your twins' baby books. But if you're anything like me, I really felt empty after Bailee and Rilee's first birthday when my baby books ended. There were so many darling, sweet, smart, and clever things happening every day that I wanted to record and remember them. So, I began a journal-type notebook. Click to read the rest of this entry
The Death of Your Twin or Triplet Baby
For parents and families who have experienced the death of one or more of a set of twins, triplets or higher multiples during pregnancy, at birth, or in infancy, with one or more survivors Click to read the rest of this entry
Madeleine K. Albright
Muhammad Ali
Ed Asner
Adrienne Barbeau
Angela Bassett Click to read the rest of this entry
More than 139,000 babies are born in the U.S. each year as part of twins or more. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2004)
Fifty-three percent of all twins are born prematurely (before 36 weeks).
Seventeen percent of women pregnant with multiples develop pre-eclampsia.
Sixty-four percent of multiples are born at low birth weights.
In-vitro fertilization leads to multiples in approximately 30 percent of cases.
According to Hellin's Rule, formulated in 1895, spontaneous (naturally conceived) twins occur once in every 89 births.
In 2001, 3.1 percent of all U.S. births were twins. The rate was roughly half in Europe. In the United States, one in 50 people is a dizygotic (fraternal) twin. One in 150 is a monozygotic (identical) twin.
If a woman has already given birth to dizygotic twins, she has a 4 times higher chance of conceiving another set of twins-one in 3,000 births. Click to read the rest of this entry
by Susan M. Heim
If your multiples are anything like mine, they're constantly at each other's throats! It's gotten to the point where I can't even leave the room to put in a load of laundry without worrying that one will hurt the other. I believe that twins are especially prone to fighting because they spend so much time together. Kids of different ages might spend time apart in different classes or activities, or out with friends, but children of the same age are thrown together more often. If you and your spouse never got a break from each other, wouldn't you be at war, too? Familiarity breeds contempt. Therefore, some strategies are needed to ward off the "attacks": Click to read the rest of this entry
The Death of Your Higher Multiple Baby
For parents and families who have experienced the death of one or more of a set of triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets or higher multiples during pregnancy, at birth, or in infancy, with one or more survivors
Click to read the rest of this entry