Interview by Brianna Young

Having twins can be mind-boggling at times. How do you tell them apart when they’re naked? Which one was fed how much? It’s all too overwhelming! But it doesn’t have to be!

We talked to fabulous Mom, Carmen Kraft, author of the DoctoRx Me Book to get the scoop on how to handle multiples. Moms of multiples, stress no more!

Read on to find out what she had to say.

MC: What is the DoctoRx Me Book?

Carmen: Let’s face it, having a child is one of the best gifts in life, but it is also hard work, stressful, and mentally and physically draining! I created the DoctoRx Me Book as a comprehensive records journal that serves as a communication bridge for parents, caregivers, physicians, or anyone involved in a child’s life! After all, we organize our businesses, schedules, and meetings…this is the way to organize our kids!

MC: What are some practical ways that moms can use the DoctoRx Me book?
Carmen: In the medical section you can keep track of immunizations, height, weight, dosage requirements, drug interactions, doctors appointments, pharmacies and prescription details. Most importantly, you can tell at-a-glance which child just got what dosage of medicine and when to give it again. No guessing, no doubting and no double dosing!
Any of the details that are spilled out in a Pediatricians visit can be easily written down and quickly recalled, even at midnight! When the physician asks you, “What was the last antibiotic they were on? Are they allergic to any medication? Are they current on their immunizations? When was your last dosage of medicine?” Any of these details are easily recalled! If you have one child or eight children, one book is all you need.

MC: What inspired you to develop the DoctoRx Me Book?
Carmen: I developed DoctoRx Me because a few years ago we came home with twins. During the first 2 weeks, we could barely tell them apart from each other, let alone who got that last dose of Tylenol. After 2 weeks of sleep deprivation going through 18 hour “shifts,” (and with only 3 hours sleep!) I thought there has to be a way to handle all of this information. I found that I had to communicate everything that I had done with the twins for the last 18 hours to the person who was going to take their “shift,” be it my husband or my mom. So I started jotting the specifics down, dosages and such, to pass onto the next person.
It evolved into a series of organized family records that can help you manage everything from dosages to doctors, pharmacies to phone numbers, all in one place that can easily be passed to the various care-givers in your child’s life. It’s peace of mind that’s a piece of cake!

MC: How did you make your vision a reality?

Carmen: The vision has been in the works for 4 years. We have been using a very rough version of the book in our house the entire time!

About a year ago, my husband and I were very tired, and with twins, things were hectic. We were putting them to bed and we grabbed the easiest thing we could find, the clear dosage cup that comes on top of medication, to give our 3 year old some Benadryl. I asked him what he gave her, he responded “a tablespoon and a half of Benadryl,” as I was writing it down in the book. Then we both paused, looked at each other and knew instantly it should have been a teaspoon and a half. At the bottom of each medical page is the Poison control center toll free number. We used it immediately!
At that instant, I was relieved not to just have the number right in front of me, but to know almost as fast that my daughter was going to be fine! I knew that I wasn’t the only parent who has needed that phone number, but if I could help at least one mom or dad not overdose their kids or give them the peace of mind we just had; I knew I had to make this book!

That’s when the wheels started turning….. Through our own experiences and some great feedback from friends who are using it, we formally put the book into print in August 2006. In October 2006, the first 500 books came off the press! We are self-published under Two Sisters publishing and the business is formally incorporated. I merged my promotional products company in with a larger firm the end of 2006, and I am now promoting and speaking about this book full time.

MC: What other products are you developing?

Carmen: I am writing several other versions all under the DoctoRx Me title: Pet Care, Senior Care ( for when our parents find themselves taking care of their parents), Hospital Stay, Everyday Adult, Fertility and many more. I am compiling information on a Special Needs version to launch in the future. This one will be purple and dedicated to my best friend’s son, who passed away at the age of 3 ½ of a rare aging disease called Progeria. It will be dedicated to all the families who have special needs people in their family to take care of. It will have an extensive medical history and care section.
In the end, I currently have 12 titles to work on, so this should keep me busy!
All of our progress is constantly being updated on our website, so visit us often to see what we are working on!

MC: How can we get one of these awesome books?

Carmen: You can always visit our website and we currently have retail locations listed on the site.

MC: Anything else you’d like to share?

Carmen: I am curretly available to write articles or speak to groups. about my book and its relevancy to a mother’s life, my experiences, and research on the importance of documenting your child’s medical history.

We are entrepreneurs and moms! That makes for a hectic life, but there is a peace of mind that comes with writing all of the information down.

Raising a child is a wonderful challenge. After all, you’ve always wanted an owners manual, at least now you have a maintenance record.

To find out more, or to get one of your own, please visit www.doctormebook.com.

You can also get updates and news on the Doctor Me Blog.