When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads, Revised Edition: Proven Guidelines for a Healthy Multiple Pregnancy

Subjects like nutrition, mom's changing body and emotions, fetal development, potential complications, and labor and delivery take on new meaning when you add another baby or two to the standard equation. With the goal of minimizing risk factors associated with multiple births, Dr. Barbara Luke and her team of writers cover each subject with a buoyant determination to tell it all and tell it well--avoiding the typical "how to name and dress your twins" issues. Accompanying the detailed medical perspective of Dr. Luke are personal experiences gathered from the journals of a few articulate moms, making each subject as real as it is educational. Simple illustrations, valuable charts (including one to plot and monitor fetal growth in grams or pounds), specific menu examples (like how can you consume 4,500 calories if you're expecting quads???), and lots of reassurance make this book a winner. --Liane Thomas

Reading this book helped me take the best possible care of my unborn babies and myself, not to mention making the most of my prenatal appointments, by educating me in detail on topics that other twin books only brushed across. When complications occurred I was prepared for them, I knew what was going on, and so I didn't panic. I did develop some potentially serious problems, gestational diabetes for me and IUGR for one of my sons (and no, I didn't develop diabetes from eating junk food; I have a family history of Type II diabetes). Despite these difficulties, I carried my identical twin sons to 37 weeks, and they weighed 5 pounds 5 ounces and 7 pounds 3 ounces at birth. My doctor later told me that overall, I had one of the healthiest twin pregnancies she had ever seen-normal blood pressure, no anemia, very few preterm contractions, no bed rest, and two healthy babies who were discharged to go home with me. I think the crash course in high-risk obstetrics that I got from reading this book is one of the chief reasons why.

I have read two major criticisms of this book from fellow reviewers. The first is that the tone is unnecessarily frightening. The second criticism was that the book offers advice on diet that is not, shall we say, orthodox. At least one reviewer complained that this book advised pregnant MOMs to "lay around and eat cheeseburgers all day," and that "apparently everything brings on contractions."

I would counter that the expectant MOM who will benefit most from the repetition of warnings about preterm labor is the woman who thinks that just because she's pregnant with 2,3 or 4 babies doesn't mean she shouldn't carry on in her usual Superwoman style. There is a perception, especially among younger, college-educated women, that any doctor who advises a pregnant mother to slow down and limit her physical activities is a neo-Victorian throwback who thinks that pregnancy is a disease. As the first among my girlfriends to get pregnant, I heard a lot of this sort of talk. My (childless) workout buddy even tried to convince me to ignore my OB's orders and exercise anyway! The fact remains that even for a healthy, fit, woman, a multiple pregnancy carries higher risks for mother and babies than a single pregnancy does.

By all means think for yourself: if your doctor advises restrictions on your activities, or changes in your diet, you should certainly ask why. Likewise, if you disagree with the advice offered in this book, discuss it with your doctor. But do remember that while pregnancy is a very limited time in your life, it is a time of literal life-and-death importance to the babies you are carrying. No, a diet comparatively high in protein and fat and low in exercise is not what is healthy for most people, but for a limited time period and for a specific purpose you will survive it. The point is to give your body the nutrients it needs to build all those babies, and the time and energy to do so. You may have your own ideas about how to achieve that goal--but make sure they are in line with the actual needs of a multiple pregnancy and not some fantasy of what pregnancy "should" be like!

To sum up, whether or not you initially agree with the advice this book offers, open your mind and give it a chance. The book includes reams of information that you won't find anywhere else, and multiple pregnancies really are different. If you are expecting multiples, throw out "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and read "When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets or Quads" instead.


BEST BOOK FOR TWIN PREGNANCY   February 13, 2002
W Brush (Kalamazoo, MI United States)
17 out of 17 found this review helpful

When I got pregnant with twins, I searched every available resource on the topic. I bought five books most of which discussed issues like names and whether or not to dress your twins alike. I read those books in about two hours and got very little information. I read this book cover-to-cover about ten times! Since I had some minor complications at the end of my first singleton pregnancy, I only imagined the worst with this pregnancy.

This book is unlike any other twin pregnancy book. The number one goal of this book is to help you carry those babies as long as possible. The longer those babies stay inside, the higher likelihood of having healthy babies. This books details warning signs of premature labor, tips for getting the most out of what you eat (cheeseburgers are not off limits), reducing morning sickness, and in-depth descriptions of the NICU. If the story about the co-author's twins doesn't convince you to take better care of yourself, this book has comparison pictures of head circumference and feet prints at various stages of pregnancy just to illustrate how small a premature baby really is. This book does highlight many problems associated with prematurity, the leading problem with twin pregnancies. If you are approaching your twin pregnancy with an open mind and the understanding that you may delivery early, this book will help you take a very active role in reducing many of your risks.

I credit Dr Luke and Tamara Eberlein with the fact that I delivered twin girls at 38 1/2 weeks (scheduled c-section after I begged my doctor to 'get these babies out!' after I still hadn't gone into labor). My girls were 7 lbs 6 oz and 6 lbs 11 oz. They left the hospital with me after 3 days. My nurse told me that I was one of the most hydrated person that she had ever seen. I told her that Dr Luke's book told me to drink drink drink as much water as possible and I did. The nurse told me that it was probably a factor in having such a lengthy twin pregnancy. Good Luck!!