Stop the presses, people. My dear husband — who is, by all accounts, an excellent father — is reading a parenting book. He’s only on the first chapter, so I’ll let you know if the momentum continues.
Wondering why I’m so surprised? When I found out we were expecting twins (now that’s a surprise!), I bought just about every book I could find and read them voraciously in an attempt to figure out Exactly. How. We. Were. Going. To. Do. This. He, on the other hand, was fine with my “CliffsNotes version” (how do CliffsNotes exist in the Wikipedia era?) … which, I suppose, comes with the unanticipated benefit of my only communicating exactly what I’d like to communicate. Hahaha. Of course, after all of that reading — remember I am a Learner — I realized that only five books really made a difference in my life. And here they are: My Five Must-Have Books for New or Expectant MOMs!
When You’re Expecting Twins, Triplets or Quads. I credit Dr. Barbara Luke‘s advice with making it to 36 weeks with my twins … not a labor pain in sight. (I had a sort-of emergency c-section for other reasons.) Her statistics are so compelling that I feel obstetricians should automatically hand this book out as soon as they say, “There’s more than one heartbeat!”
Ready or Not … Here We Come!: The Real Experts’ Guide to the First Years with Twins. I love Elizabeth Lyons, who really tells it like it is. From mixing formula to devising a schedule by which you and your partner can both achieve a somewhat-survivable amount of sleep, she’s got the answers!
The Happiest Baby on the Block. Ummm, with a title like this, who wouldn’t read this book? The 5’s System really works on newborns. Heck, I wish I could still swaddle my big boys. The best news? This puppy comes in a DVD version. Perfect for your husband’s hospital room entertainment.
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Twins. I relied upon the original book, but now there’s a new version just for multiples. Establishing a sleep schedule for your multiples makes all the difference … both in their behavior and in mom’s sanity. The only additional thing I wished for was a sample schedule, so I could see what worked for other parents and modify it to meet my own needs. I plan to share our schedule in my upcoming e-book, Schedule Your First Year with Twins. You could set the clock by my kiddos, and it was fabulous!
Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood: Practical Parenting from Birth to Six Years. This book is a life saver. For me, it was magic on both my attitude and their behavior! Now I need to plow through the books for older children, because the need for love, logic and practical parenting Does. Not. End. at six years old.
There you have it! Five relatively easy reads, and — in my book (no pun intended) — you are good to go! As always, please remember that you should defer to your medical providers on any questions or concerns. I also firmly believe that each child is different and what works for one MOM may not work for another. The best we can do as MOMs is to share what worked for us … and then — without judgment — let other MOMs filter the advice they receive and decide what works best for their families.
Over to you! What books worked for you? Any books I should read now that I have “all grown-up” seven year-olds?
Book covers via Amazon. Photo of gorgeous boy/girl twins (in front of my Bubbly in Sweet Pea fabric) by Firewife Photography.
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