Book Review: Mothering Multiples: Breastfeeding and Caring for Twins or More!Mothering Multiples: Breastfeeding and Caring for Twins or More! by Karen Kerkhoff Gromada, order from La Leche League, 847-519-7730 Is this an all-in-one handbook for raising multiples? No, but it is a great addition to the library for a mom of twins or more. This is the one twins book I have mad that treats a multiple pregnancy Multiple Pregnancy Definition Multiple pregnancy is a pregnancy where more than one fetus develops simultaneously in the womb. Description Twins happen naturally about one in every 100 births. as a normal pregnancy, not a medical crisis. Many twin books, in their beginning chapters, describe in detail every possible complication that can set in for a multiple pregnancy. Often times this scares the expectant mother expectant mother n → futura madre f expectant mother expect n → werdende Mutter f expectant mother n and gives her a mindset mind·set or mind-set n. 1. A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's responses to and interpretations of situations. 2. An inclination or a habit. that a twin pregnancy is a high-risk situation. Mothering Multiples approaches the situation in a different manner. It provides all the information in a straightforward manner to educate the parents about situations that could happen and how to deal with them. In the case of premature birth premature birth Birth less than 37 weeks after conception. Infants born as early as 23–24 weeks may survive but many face lifelong disabilities (e.g., cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness). , a NICU NICU abbr. neonatal intensive-care unit stay may be necessary for one or more of the infants. Mothering Multiples extensively covers a NICU stay, and how to begin breastfeeding and caring for premature infants premature infant Prematurity, premie; preterm infant Obstetrics An infant born before the 37th wk of gestation and after the 20th wk, who weighs 500–2500 g. See Very-low birth weight. . The book also contains advice such as: enter the pregnancy with an open mind, take good care of yourself, educate yourself about possible complications, but above all how to have a healthy pregnancy and birth. Labor assistants are recommended, as is writing a birth plan. There is also extensive information on how to screen a physician and find one who is willing to work with your birth plan and who is experienced in a multiples birth. There is little support or advice on bottle-feeding. However, this being a La Leche League book, that is to be expected. Seventy-five percent of this book explains breastfeeding multiples in detail. Every possible situation that could arise is discussed. Advice such as make breastfeeding your number one priority and surround yourself with people who support your choice is indispensable. In my personal experience, well-meaning hospital personnel, family, and friends scoffed at the idea of breastfeeding twins. Other good advice suggests hiring help to do housework and cooking; or if that is impossible, enlist the help of family and friends. Above all, breastfeeding must become your number one priority to make it successful. Throughout the book are wonderful photographs of mothers breastfeeding twin infants and toddlers. In the event that breastfeeding problems arise, you can find helpful suggestions here. There is an extensive discussion on breastfeeding holds, pumping, and supplementing. There are also detailed instructions on how to rotate twins, triplets, or more from breast to bottle to give each baby their share of time on the breast. One area that I found misleading details alternative feeding methods for babies who are unable to feed directly from the breast. I doubt that a mother of twins will have the time to feed her infants expressed breastmilk from a cup or medicine dropper drop·per n. A device that produces drops, especially a small tube with a suction bulb at one end for drawing in a liquid and releasing it in drops. Also called instillator. dropper 1. if she experiences difficulty breastfeeding. This book may give an unsuccessful breastfeeder more guilt than she is already feeling. Other chapters in the book briefly cover sleep arrangements, Adjusting to Multiples, Adjusting as a Couple, Older Siblings siblings npl (formal) → frères et sœurs mpl (de mêmes parents) of Multiples, and a brief chapter on Multiples as Toddlers. Information is general but concentrates on attachment parenting Attachment parenting, a phrase coined by pediatrician William Sears,[1] is a parenting philosophy based on the principles of the attachment theory in developmental psychology. styles. Mothers who are expecting twins or more, and who are considering breastfeeding should read this book while pregnant. You will be best prepared if you know this information before the babies are born. Mothering Multiples makes breastfeeding multiples seem like a normal, expected activity for mothers. --Lori is a retired Medical Technologist  This article or section may deal primarily with the U.S. and may not present a worldwide view. ; currently a wife; and
mother to Tom, 2 years, and Mary and Mark, 8 months.
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