Customer Reviews

Twin Sense: A Sanity-Saving Guide to Raising Twins -- From Pregnancy Through the First Year

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a good book for somebody who already has already done some research, taken classes, or has familiarity with raising kids. It is well-organized and provides a quick reference. However, it was not a good fit for me. I do not have older kids, and this is the first book I read on the subject. Too many of the terms the author used were unfamiliar, and the book does not provide a good explanation for them. What is a boppy? How exactly do you swaddle a baby? I found it frustrating to have to read the book practically at my computer, so that I can google all unfamiliar terms. A few pictures or explanations would have gone a long way. I was also annoyed by the constant reminders (practically every other page) to take prenatal classes to really learn the subject in each chapter. I thought the book was supposed to provide the necessary information. I next read the book "Juggling Twins" by Meghan Regan-Loomis. I found it a lot more informative for somebody who is just starting and trying to learn the basics not only when it comes to twins, but to babies in general. In short, in my opinion, if you want a quick reference on important points when raising twins, "Twin Sense" is a good book. If you need more detail, you may want to read something else first, or do some online research on your own.

I bought 3 books from Amazon to help educate myself on my twin pregnancy: 1) When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads, 2) Twin Sense, and 3) Raising Twins. The 1st one has the most in-depth and medical information, which I find to be a huge help, particularly the section on specific nutrition requirements, which was hard to find anywhere else. The 2nd book is also quite good, but it might be most helpful to read more detailed resources first. I like the way it is organized and the tips it gives on what items to borrow or buy, and in what quantities. The 3rd book seems merely anecdotal when compared to the others. I had hoped for more since it was written by a pediatrician and mother of twins, but I found it to be light on content and completely superfluous given the more detailed information contained in the other two. I would highly recommend the first book, "When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads."

I have 19-month-old twins (and a six-year-old) and I wish this book was around when they were born (or better yet when I was pregnant!). This book cannot be missed if you are a parent of twins. Tons of great tips in an easy to navigate format. This book will help you in so many ways --from preparing for their arrival to tips on getting through the night; from how to get your errands done (yes, with the babies!) to keeping the peace as they get older; plus lots of great resources! This book makes you feel like you can have control over the situation before you. Thank you to the author for finally writing a wonderful, helpful book for parents or caregivers of twins.

When people discover they are pregnant with twins their first reaction is often shock. After a short time, they begin to search for resources. Twin Sense is a no nonsense book for parents searching for tips and tricks from "seasoned" parents of twins. Ms. Scalise (mother of 3 including twins) has successfully condensed words of wisdom from various sources into this book. The chapters are very organized making the book easy to navigate. Even if a parent only has a few minutes to read; while caring for their babies, they will find helpful and practical tips.

I purchased this book after finding out, at 20 weeks, that our first child was actually 2 boys. As I began reading the book, at first I was overwhelmed by the details and felt a little like my idealistic bubble was bursting. I think because these are our first children, it was a little hard to lose that imagined baby utopia. But as our pregnancy has progressed, and we're reaching the time when we need to understand the "how-to" of having two infants at once, this book has been priceless. The author (and the friends she has enlisted for experiences and opinions) have compiled some extremely useful information. I found a lot of comfort reading the chapters about feeding and sleeping because it took a lot of the pressure off of having to try and make sure my babies sleep at the same time, in the same room, etc. In general, I think this book releases the reader from the parental expectations that sometimes build up throughout your pregnancy. It offers some great options/alternatives. Because of this book, I think that I will be much more open and creative about child-rearing options.
One other specific I found to be helpful was the list of equipment with some specific numbers. I work well from lists, and it helped me tremendously to be able to have a copy of the list to take with me as I began registering for baby items. It was overwhelming enough to walk into Babies R Us with the list. I can't imagine how painful an experience it would have been without the list (or just using the one the store provides). The author is great at telling you the things you'll really need and the things that are optional/totally useless.
My mother-in-law also read/skimmed the book while visiting and found it extremely interesting and useful. I definitely recommend passing it along to family or friends who will be helping with child-care.
We still have a few weeks before our boys show up, but I'm hoping that some of the advice and practical knowledge in this book will help ease the transition into parenting twins.

I received this book as a gift and may I say it is so clear and practical. The first thing I thought was that I wished I had it when I was just having my first child, not my second and third! Excellent advice for any new mom, but probably moreso for moms of multiples, just because it is so daunting.

My first impression of this book was that it was a lot of doom and gloom. The author seems to be trying to prepare parents of twins for the worst, possibly so her innane advice will seem like wise suggestions after you become alarmed. The lists are just that, lists, of suggestions that any adult with a modicum of sense would already think of herself, unless, of course, she completely panicked because of the terrors of parenting that the author warns her about. If you have already lost your sanity after learning you will be the parent of twins, or if you have almost no faith in yourself as a parent-to-be, this book might be useful. Otherwise, I'd say skip it.

Tragically, I will not be able to test any of the advice because I lost my twin boys, Tristan and Gunnar, at 21 weeks.

As a pediatrician, I am often asked for parenting book recommendations. I have always been at a loss when my busy and overwhelmed parents of multiples would ask for suitable resources. Thank you Mrs. Scalise, for creating this excellent book full of common sense solutions. I know my parents will thank you, too!

I found a couple of things in this book that I thought were great for an expectant mother of twins (and I just recently found out I was having twins)... but my first thought after reading the book cover to cover in one sitting was "how depressing". There was a lot of negativity -- from the opening chapter which explains that having twins is exponentially more difficult than one might assume (duh), to the section where the author gives snarky responses to questions people might ask you about your twin pregnancy (was that necessary?), through the end where she basically ends the book with "good luck!".

I did like the "list" of "must have" items for twins, which is making my shopping more manageable (but most of the other lists were common sense, I thought). As I don't have other children, much of the information in this book didn't apply to my sitation, though it might be helpful to other soon-to-be parents of twins who have older children. I also liked the section on sharing toys.

All in all, I'm happy I found some information in this book that seemed helpful in preparing to have twins, but I found the over-all tone to be, as another reviewer wrote, "doom and gloom".

I'm going to photocopy the two sections that I thought were helpful and then donate this book to my local library. It's certainly not worth the space on my book shelf.

I bought our daughter-in-law several books since she is pregnant with twin girls ... our first grandchilden. She said this is by far the best book I sent her.