Raising Twins: From Pregnancy to Preschool

Offering practical, “can-do” advice for anxious parents expecting or already caring for twins, this handbook guides from the first news of twins’ impending arrival and continues through their early childhood. From how to set up the nursery, synchronize feeding and sleeping schedules, and potty train two children at once to discipline, family dynamics, and fostering individuality, this doctor-cum-mom shares her experiences of what works and what doesn’t and encourages parents to not only survive but also enjoy their twins’ early years. A special appendix on caring for triplets as well as preterm babies is also included.

Customer Reviews:

Practical and balanced

By A. Bornstein - December 12, 2009

As a pediatrician taking care of many families with multiples, I find that Dr. Flais' book is a practical and east-to-read guide which answers many basic care issues that parents face. She strikes a nice balance with her advice, recognizing that not all families function identically, and that there is not only one specific solution to all problems (which is a characteristic of parenting books that should be sought after in general). She also acknowledges that not every individual situation that parents encounter will go as smoothly as hoped, but if one stays true and consistent to your goals as a parent, increased success will generally be obtained over time.

There are a number of very practical tips in this book to help parents of multiples streamline their days, to be more efficient with routine tasks (feeding, toilet training for instance) and to be more cost-conscious at the same time. Many of her suggestions are applicable for raising any child (singleton or twin)... read more

I expected more from a pediatrician / mother of twins

By maiurano - February 6, 2010

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. 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 recommend the book -- When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads -- very highly.

Best of the Twins Books I've Bought

By S. H Schlosberg "SuzanneInBend" - January 15, 2010

I'm a mom of 2 1/2-year-old twin boys, and I own five different books about raising twins. Flais' book is the best one by far because it's more honest than the others. She is very adamant that synchronizing your twins' skeds is key -- when one wakes up to eat, you wake the other one up. Period. I totally agree. Feeding them back-to-back will make you insane. Also, it is refreshing to read from a doctor that pacificers are not a good idea. I never used them -- just one more habit to break.

She also reminds you that you need to treat your twins as individuals, something that is easy to forget when you are so busy.

The best tips are in boxes, so they are easy to find. Plus, this book is short. No mom of twins has time to read more!