Everything You Need to Know to Have a Healthy Twin Pregnancy [Paperback]

Gila Leiter (Author), Rachel Kranz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 7, 2000

Twins...triplets...quads...finally! The book that answers all your questions about multiple birth--written by a doctor who is a mother of twins herself

Over ten years ago when Dr. Gila Leiter, herself an OB/GYN,was pregnant with twins, the book she desperately needed wasn'tavailable. Now it is: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Healthy Twin Pregnancy. Taking you step-by-step through the processes of pregnancy and birth, Dr. Leiter shares her professional and personal expertise, providing answers to all your questions, plus practical know-how, psychological support, and extensive resources for this most joyous--and overwhelming--experience, whether you're having two babies...or four! Learn:

The latest in fertility treatments and reproductive technology,and the probable outcome
What to expect, trimester by trimester
Concrete suggestions for working through your hopes, fears, and fantasies
Who should seek genetic counseling
How to avoid preterm labor and premature delivery--and what to do if it's unavoidable
Recommended vitamins and minerals--plus do's and don'ts
All about medications: what you can take, can't take, must take
What you should know if you're going to have a C-section
Specific ideas for nurturing yourself and reducing stress
The birthing process and what to expect in the delivery room
Twelve questions to ask the doctor you're considering choosing for your pediatrician
What it's like to bring babies home--and what you'll needto manage your new family
And much more

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Twins...triplets...quads...finally! The book that answers all your questions about multiple birth--written by a doctor who is a mother of twins herself

Over ten years ago when Dr. Gila Leiter, herself an OB/GYN,was pregnant with twins, the book she desperately needed wasn'tavailable. Now it is: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Healthy Twin Pregnancy. Taking you step-by-step through the processes of pregnancy and birth, Dr. Leiter shares her professional and personal expertise, providing answers to all your questions, plus practical know-how, psychological support, and extensive resources for this most joyous--and overwhelming--experience, whether you're having two babies...or four! Learn:

The latest in fertility treatments and reproductive technology,and the probable outcome
What to expect, trimester by trimester
Concrete suggestions for working through your hopes, fears, and fantasies
Who should seek genetic counseling
How to avoid preterm labor and premature delivery--and what to do if it's unavoidable
Recommended vitamins and minerals--plus do's and don'ts
All about medications: what you can take, can't take, must take
What you should know if you're going to have a C-section
Specific ideas for nurturing yourself and reducing stress
The birthing process and what to expect in the delivery room
Twelve questions to ask the doctor you're considering choosing for your pediatrician
What it's like to bring babies home--and what you'll needto manage your new family
And much more

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Dell; 1 edition (November 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440508789
• ISBN-13: 978-0440508786
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.9 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #158,250 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Family Relationships > Twins & Multiples

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars AKA: Everything you need to worry and freak out about during your twin pregnancy, March 5, 2008

By 

A. Violas (Southeast Alaska) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Healthy Twin Pregnancy (Paperback)

I bought several books on twins. This one was not worth the extra money, as I could have EASILY gotten the exact same information from two other books that covered ALL the topics included in this book, but which were written in a more accessible and positive way. The first was: When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads, Revised Edition by Barbara Luke When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads, Revised Edition: Proven Guidelines for a Healthy Multiple Pregnancy and Twinspiration: Real-Life Advice From Pregnancy Through the First Year by Cheryl Lage. Twinspiration: Real-Life Advice From Pregnancy Through the First Year (for Parents of Twins and Multiples). I would also recommend "What to expect when you're expecting" What to Expect When You're Expecting: 4th Edition. That book has a great readability and pretty comprehensive information overall about pregnancy in general.

I would say between these four books, the book by Dr. Leiter (everything you need to know to have a healthy...) is beyond redundant information. The thing I disliked most about Dr. Leiter's book was that it was so sterile and medically based that it came off very negative. All the books had the same information about possible complications and so on, but her presentation made it seem like pregnancy was going to be all gloom and doom with nothing but hurdles to jump and that hoping to have a normal healthy pregnancy was really unrealistic.

It also lacked practical advice and real world advice. Every time a little case story was offered about a woman's pregnancy it was negative and showcased how worried the mother was or how something she did lead to complications. This is important information, but it isn't offered in a way that allows for the reader to feel like the problem is actually rare or avoidable. I feel that I spent a bit of time reading this book and felt more worried about my pregnancy afterwards than before, even though I don't have any complications and my babies are doing really well. I guess my point is, I can worry plenty on my own, and I'd rather stick to books that offer the same information about problems in risks in a way that is more neutral.

You can get every bit of information in this book in the other books. If you are looking for a medically based book for information, "When you're expecting twins..." By Dr. Luke above is a friendlier read and has the SAME information offered with alternatives, not just doom. It also offers lots more information specific to Multiple pregnancies, lots of nutrition advice, and was written with both positive stories from patients as well as potholes some women in her practice faced. But after the negative, Dr. Luke would go into how realistic that problem might be for the reader and how it might be avoided. It was far more balanced and positive to read.

I also thought that "Twinspirations" written by a mom, was a fun book to read and had LOTS of practical advice as well as family situations, things her husband thought about, things I would have never thought of myself, and I actually laughed several times with the author at things she wrote about. This was a very positive and helpful book. This was the book I asked my husband to read, because it was most readable and practical and fun. It also brought up a lot of family issues, like finances, handling the household work, child care, and practical life/household situations that a medical style informational book doesn't usually even touch upon.

Really, there's nothing really that bad about "Everything you need to know..." but there are just other books that do the same thing FAR better. I know I planned on buying several books and I could have left this one out.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even a parent of one would love this book, December 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Healthy Twin Pregnancy (Paperback)

This book talked to you like a friend -- who just happens to be an MD and a mother herself. She answers all your questions in a comfortable, easy to read way. Even if you are not having a twin, but are becoming a parent for the first, second, or third time this is a book to turn to.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WHAT A WONDERFUL RESOURCE THIS BOOK IS!, December 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Healthy Twin Pregnancy (Paperback)

This book is phenomenal! The author is an ob/gyn and a mother of twins herself! There's not a single question a woman pregnant with twins could have that isn't answered by this great book.