Twinspiration: Real-Life Advice from Pregnancy through the First Year and Beyond

by Cheryl Lage

Overview

A hybrid of prescriptive "how-to" guidebook and intimate diary, Twinspiration recounts with unabashed personal detail the tribulations and triumphs of a twin pregnancy and first year of life with twins. Incorporating a conversational, humorous tone throughout, Cheryl Lage provides a double dose of user-friendly suggestions, real-life advice, and heartfelt empathy.

This updated and revised edition includes Q&A segments with readers, musings on life with growing multiples, and reflections on life beyond the first year.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781630762346
Publisher:	Taylor Trade Publishing
Publication date:	08/01/2016
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Cheryl Lage is a freelance writer/editor, a part-time video post-producer, and a full-time wife and mom.

Her twin-centric family perspectives have appeared in a wide array of print, web, and broadcast media including: USAToday, Good Housekeeping, MSN.com, TWINS, Pregnancy, AmericanBaby.com, Parents.com, ePregnancy.com, Martha Stewart Living Radio, People’s Celebrity Baby Blog, RichmondMom.com, Richmond Parents Monthly, and her former web support site, Twinsights.com.

Currently, Cheryl Lage lives with her family in Richmond, Virginia. When she’s not working or expounding on the adventures of twin parenting, she’s a volunteer museum tourguide, is active in in her church and book club, but above all else, prefers basking in leisurely time with her husband and twins. Learn more about Cheryl and her family by visiting her blog, Twinfatuation.com.

Table of Contents

Foreword Dr. Lora Christian ix

Acknowledgments xi

After a Decade with Our Duo xiii

Twintroduction xv

Part I Trepidation, Seeking Information

Chapter 1 What?! There Are Two Buns in the Oven? 3

Chapter 2 You Are Not Alone (And May Never Re Again) 5

Part II Expectation

Chapter 3 So You Are Extra Knocked-Up: The Early Days of Twin Pregnancy (the First Trimester) 9

Chapter 4 Paranoia and the Plural Pregnancy 17

Chapter 5 The Coming Months: Moving Through the Middle (The Second Trimester) 29

Chapter 6 Tests, Ultrasounds, and Probes 39

Chapter 7 A-Child, B-Child, He-Child, She-Child (The Third Trimester) 51

Part III Preparation and Anticipation

Chapter 8 Prenatal Agreements 67

Chapter 9 Twice the Bibs, Twice the Cribs, and Other "You'll Need Twice as Much" Fibs 83

Chapter 10 Twice the Wash, Twice the "Omigosh!" and Twice the Butternut Squash 91

Chapter 11 Maximizing Modern Mommy Marvels 95

Part IV At Last, the New Generation

Chapter 12 A Labor Story 107

Chapter 13 You, in the Hospital, Postpartum 117

Chapter 14 You, at Home, Postpartum 121

Chapter 15 The Days of Haze: The First Few Weeks 131

Part V Navigation and Coordination

Chapter 16 Routine, Routine, Routine 137

Chapter 17 Breastfeeding Twins: Teats for TWO 143

Chapter 18 Breastfeeding Surprises, or Tit-Bits No One Talks About 153

Chapter 19 The Poo Log 163

Chapter 20 Mommy Is Outnumbered! 169

Chapter 21 Maneuvering Multiples: Logical Logistics 171

Chapter 22 Destination: Double-Duty Diaper Bag. 189

Chapter 23 Financial Finagling 193

Chapter 24 Air Travel with Twinfants 201

Chapter 25 Full Family Flu and Other Sagas in Sickness 209

Part VI Maturation

Chapter 26 Adventures in Solid Foods 219

Chapter 27 Avoiding Assessments 229

Chapter 28 From Foreplay to Floor Play: Your Evolving Relationship with Your Spouse 235

Chapter 29 Everyone Makes Mistakes, Oh Yes, They Do 243

Part VII Your Special Situation

Chapter 30 Twin Benefits 253

Chapter 31 Adults Say the Darnedest Things 259

Chapter 32 The Best Advice I Ever, and Never, Got 263

Chapter 33 Experience, Not Expertise: The First Year, Month-by-Month 269

Chapter 34 Frequently Asked Questions: Everything You Wanted to Know About Conceiving, Delivering, Raising Young Twins, but Were Afraid to Ask 299

Part VIII Celebration

Chapter 35 Your First-Year Graduation Speech-Congratulations! 309

Part IX After Their First Birthday… Twinfatuation

Chapter 36 Readers' Twinquiries Addressed! 313

Chapter 37 Musings on Life with Growing Multiples 331

Chapter 38 Those Twin Moms and Dads Were Right: It Does Get Easier… Sometimes 347

Glossary of Useful Twin Terms 349

Helpful Web Resources for Parents of Multiples 359

Index 361

About the Author 381