- Louise Brown and Ella Rachamim
Parents & experts share their tips to help new parents of twins cope during pregnancy & the 1st year
People say that nothing prepares you for parenthood. Now think of that unpreparedness… and double it.
The growing numbers of twin parents soon realise that the best people to speak to are others who have been there. Be Ready to Parent Twins is a no-holds barred guide to how to prepare and survive pregnancy and the first year. sharing the experience and expertise of Dr Ella Rachamim and twin buddy Louise Brown alongside first-hand accounts of many other parents they have surveyed, interviewed and met. However they managed, they’ve all been through it and are still standing and smiling (or lying down - give them a break, sleep deprivation is real).
“A fabulous book for any twin parent or parent-to-be. It is really accessible and comforting to read the words and advice of mums who have been there and done it all, especially when one also happens to be a paediatrician! Full of practical advice and experiential wisdom, I think my patients would really welcome this book.” Dr Ellie Cannon, GP, broadcaster, columnist and author of Keep Calm: The New Mum’s Manual
Advice and personal accounts
The book takes parents through every stage highlighting what’s important for twin parents. There are personal insights into premature delivery, c-sections and natural births as well as breast and bottle feeding, routines, weaning and the reality of childcare options. Parents can dip into the chapter most relevant at each stage – essential when you are a very busy twin parent – but it would be a great read during the wait for those bundles of joy to arrive.
"It's real, funny, practical and full of tips. Written in "informed best-friend" style makes it a pleasure to read, much more than a reference book." Dr Sue Laurent, consultant paediatrician and author of Your Baby Month by Month
Even if this is not a first pregnancy, take a deep breath while Ella and Louise welcome you to a new world of seriously big bumps, tandem feeding and dealing politely with the army of strangers that say ‘double trouble?’ every time you leave the house.
Supporting parents
There is no one way of raising twins, no sure-fire way to get them to feed or sleep, but we hope our book will support parents’ ability to cope and make choices that are right for their family for a happy start to an incredible journey.
10% of the authors’ profits will be donated to Homestart, a charity helping thousands of parents who need support - including many with twins or more.
"I would definitely recommend this book to anyone having twins." Clare Byam-Cook, trained nurse and midwife and author of What to Expect When You’re Breastfeeding … And What If You Can’t?
Dr Ella Rachamim
As a paediatrician and mother of three including identical twins, Ella had been thinking for a while about writing a book on multiples, presenting a very practical perspective on how to manage two or more babies when you only have two hands. Louise approached Ella to co-write this book and she jumped at the chance.
In addition to her NHS work, Ella offers antenatal classes for parents expecting twins and paediatric first-aid courses. She also regularly runs accredited training days for childcare and health professionals on sleep in children, breastfeeding, reflux and allergies, post-natal depression and caring for multiples and premature babies.
Louise Brown
A digital content and product consultant as well as parent of twins, Louise wanted to write a book that combined the wisdom of the crowds on Facebook (without trolls), the positivity of Instagram (without filters) and the knowledge and experience of her twin buddy, Ella. She hopes to save twin parents time and hassle and give them the faith in their ability to cope that her twin buddies gave her.
Once you tell people you are expecting twins or more you will be quite the centre of attention. During the final months you will be very tired, very large and may get a little bit tetchy with the repeated comments about your size and the arrival date. Get used to it, it only increases once they arrive. People take a lot of interest in twins and can ask quite private questions - one woman at a bus stop asked Louise “were they natural?” to which she replied with a blow-by-blow account of her vaginal birth only to realise she meant were they conceived by IVF.
But there is something remarkable and exciting about twins and the community seems to feel this. Once they are born, you will be stopped a lot and asked whether they are twins and how you manage and asked if they are identical or not and so on; be prepared and think about what information you want to share, and how politely to inform them, for example, that no, boy girl twins can’t be identical.
Nearly at 40% after just over a week and more gift pledges!
Thursday, 21 March 2019
Being at nearly 40% after one week is so heartening for us after all the hours of work for this labour of love so a massive thank you to all those who have already pledged.
For new and early pledgers, also worth noting we have some great new gift pledge levels which we're delighted have already been taken up, which means we can pass on our knowledge and experience either to people you know, or…
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