mommymedia : multiples

Your Developing Baby: Conception to Birth

Satya — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:22:00 GMT

By Peter M. Doubilet, MD, PhD, Carol B. Benson, MD and Roanne Weisman

Your Developing Baby is filled with pictures of 3D, 2D, color Doppler, and spectral Doppler ultrasound images. Authors Doubilet and Benson are both parents as well as professors of radiology at Harvard Medical School and their book is written with a sweet and personal tone. The information is reminiscent of a beginner’s guide to reading ultrasounds and once you read through the book, you will be able to look at ultrasound pictures and point to the kidneys, heart chambers, umbilical cord, and many more parts of a developing baby.

The book features images from every stage of pregnancy. You’ll be fascinated to learn the exact week the brain begins developing and to see photos of babies showing emotions in the womb. The book also covers twin and other multiple pregnancies and gives the reader a good lesson on how to identify them on an ultrasound. Lastly, the book covers pregnancies that were saved through ultrasound technology, such as one baby who was found to be anemic through ultrasound and given blood transfusions while still in the womb. Unfortunately, information about the risks associated with many procedures such as amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling are completely absent.

Every expectant parent who reads this will feel confident looking at ultrasound pictures and have a general idea of what is what. Even before an ultrasound, the book provides a mental image of how your unborn child is growing, providing a great bonding experience in the earliest weeks. Pick up a copy here.

Twins! (2nd Edition): Pregnancy, Birth and the First Year of Life

Satya — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:15:00 GMT

Since 1980, the increasing use of fertility treatments and the advancing age of many mothers in the United States has increased the birth rate of twins by nearly 45 percent. For mothers-to-be who are part of this rapidly growing group, it can still be difficult to find helpful, thorough information to guide them on their journey of carrying, delivering and raising twins. “Twins!” is a must-have pregnancy book made specifically for parents of – what else? – twins! Authors Connie Agnew, M.D., and Alan Klein, M.D., refer to the voyage from pregnancy through a lifetime of parenting twins as a “truly epic journey,” incorporating in their book a combination of helpful facts, educated opinion and candid discussions between the authors and a panel of twins' parents, which nicely outlines the journey’s first course for expectant parents of multiples. The format of “Twins!” is similar to the ever-popular “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” breaking information down into chapters of gestational weeks, outlining basic fetal development, mom’s changing body and other transitional issues. Chapters are further enhanced by illustrations of a mother’s pregnant body and her developing twins. One reader says, “The resource guide for parents [of twins] is excellent,” as, she says, is the information about immunizations and supplemental medicine. The other half of “Twins!” focuses on the first year of parenting twins, the challenges you might face in your relationships with you children and with each other. If you’re having twins, read this book! Pick up a copy here.

Expecting Twins, Triplets, and More: A Doctor's Guide to a Healthy and Happy Multiple Pregnancy

Satya — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:03:00 GMT

Rachel Franklin, author of “Expecting Twins, Triplets, and More,” is not only a writer, but she’s also a doctor and a mother, which is one of the reasons why her book is such a thorough guide to mothers-to-be of multiples.

The book’s format takes the reader through each trimester of a multiple pregnancy. One of the most interesting parts comes when Franklin gives the scientific reasoning behind certain symptoms that can occur in pregnancy, such as stretch marks and varicose veins. The post-partum section of the book is the most valuable, as she tells new mothers to stay strong and reassures them that things will get easier with time.

In addition to sharing first-hand experience with her readers, Franklin also offers the knowledge of a doctor. Her personal journal entries combined with her extensive knowledge of obstetrics give the reader a real understanding of carrying and giving birth to multiples.

While it’s full of helpful information, “Expecting Twins, Triplets, and More” is a fairly quick read. Anyone expecting multiples will benefit from it.

Pick up a copy here