Ready or Not...Here We Come! The Real Experts' Guide to the First Year with Twins

by Elizabeth Lyons

You've expanded (to the point where you've traded high-fashion maternity wear for your husband's XXL T-shirts), answered way to many questions about your babies' conception, and felt your belly bounce like jelly as your dynamic duo engaged in a boxing match. And the adventure has only begun!


In her first humor-packed guide to raising twins, Elizabeth Lyons and her "multiples" sorority offer the wisdom of their combined experience in the form of practical shortcuts, real-world strategies, and sage advice.


Topics
- Preparing the Mandatory Gear for Babies AND Mom
- Twinproofing Your Marriage
- Breastfeeding Strategies (and Why It's Okay if You Don't)
- Unsolicited Stories from the Trenches
- Getting Twins on a Schedule - Preferably the Same One


Lyons balances the day-to-day challenges of raising twins -- from double feedings to sleep deprivation to getting out while pretending everything's under control -- with a sanity-saving dose of camaraderie. By the end, you'll be smiling and shouting, "Thank heaven, I'm not alone!"

Genres: Parenting

ebook

First published July 1, 2003

About the author

Elizabeth Lyons is many things: mom, friend, writing and publishing coach, lunch maker, chauffeur, hostage negotiator, author, on-call plumber, tile layer, guitar student, window washer, designer, and on and on.

She demands the right to do things her way -- a way that often defies even the most creative imaginations--and she strives to inspire others to do things THEIR way (once they figure out what their way is!).

Elizabeth lives in Arizona with her five kids, crazy dog, four barely surviving organic gardens and whatever (or whomever) has taken up residence with them since her latest manuscript went to print.

Reviews

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book lets you know you are fuct in a very humorous way. The writer is very no-nonsense, no bs stuff. I generally steer clear of instructional books but, this is a good one.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, lively and practical guide to the first year with twins. I like that she also has an older child in the mix, and includes lots of non-twin sibling tips. She's also fairly open-minded as far as work and feeding options, including advice from friends that chose different paths than she did.

If you're expecting multiples I'd recommend this book. I think her ideas are good and her conversational writing style makes the book easy to digest.

[Susannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a ton of books on twins and what life would be like after wards. All the books said it would be super hard, that I was going to need tons of help. The books made it seem like having twins would be so difficult. However we have managed just fine. I'm glad I read the books, because instead of being overwhelmed, I've felt that it is easier than I thought it would be.

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the book was written for twins, I believe many of the tips will be helpful when we bring home our triplets, due in Oct. I already have a toddler & much of her advice makes sense in light of what I encountered with my son. There are great helpful hints for adapting the "how to's" to twins.

Can anybody recommend a book to me that's for surviving your 1st year with triplets?

[Cass · Rating 4 out of 5]

From this book, I learned I'm not alone! Other mother's have survived with their sense of humor intact. Witty and cute book about the first year with a toddler and twins babies. I wouln't call this a reference book, but rather a fun read with some great advice from a girlfriend who's been there.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about the first year with twins! Gave me lots of great ideas on how to handle the legistics of how to do basic and not so basic things with them. Great advice on what's important, and what's not.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because it was practical and talked a lot about baby equipment that the author found helpful for twins. It had a lot of practical ideas and advice. It's a quick read about the first year with twins.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite of the several "caring for twins" books I have read. Funny, realistic with an emphasis on going easy on yourself and the importance of nurturing your marriage as well as the infants. Full of great observations and advice.

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The very best book I found on managing twins in thier first year. Whitty, funny, and helpful while giving full respect to the healing power of chocolate.

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome. The author is actually from Naperville and gives you the real low down what to expect when you are having twins!

[Sam]

Suppose I should read this now that the twins will be here in the spring. Realistically I will probably start reading it in the delivery room.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trys very hard to be like the Girlfriend's Guide series, but falls short. Makes a list of things parents of twins don't want to hear and includes something about how hard it's going to be... spends rest of the book saying exactly that. Spent about a page on breastfeeding and about 5 on bottle feeding. Makes suggestions like "hire a night nanny."

I was looking for a "real expert" but ended up with someone who microwaves bottles and listens to the advice of her friend's physician for her friend's children in liu of listening to her own child's doctor.

[John Metta · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quite possibly the most trite of all of the baby books that I have yet read. This is ironic, given that the introduction was a treatise on how the author was determined to write a book telling the real truth in a way that no-one else had written. The "actually useful" assessment of how men could learn things like buying flowers or changing the toilet paper roll serves only to prop up a stereotype that is mindless and boring. If this book had been written in the 50s, it would likely fit nicely on the shelves.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book proved to be very useful. Before our twins were born we had no idea what stuff we needed and didn't need and this book helped navigate us through the mountains of baby products out there. It's fun to read and does a pretty good job of letting you know what to expect. If you have infant twins, or are pregnant with twins I highly recommend this book!

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice quick read about the multiples experience. I liked that she had a sense of humor and addressed how to deal with an older toddler. I'm also jealous of her close group of multiple moms, but I don't think this book is particularly useful unless you've never read anything else on the topic.

[Louise Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really enjoyable read about the realities of multiple motherhood from the personal perspective of an American mom/mum and her multiple mom mates. I didn't want to penalize star-wise but possibly fifty per cent of the advice isn't relevant to a UK parent.

[Michelle DeCarlo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read for expectant twin parents

I've read a few twin books during my twin pregnancy and this was the quickest and easiest, but also the most down to earth. I had been looking for a twin book I thought my husband would get though and this is certainly it.

[Katarzyna L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This woman came in my house and wrote a book! :) Life with infant twins.

[Crystal billian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This helped explain what I was in for when with twins. It is not sugar coated!

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, totally practical information. Way more down to earth, and here's what works, even if it's not exactly what you "should" do. And humorous.

[Haly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy for twins.

[Meghann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone expecting twins, it's hilarious. I think most parents would probably enjoy this book and the humor that the author uses.

[Apri]

Y wiil be patien with my twins baby.....

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for moms of twins!

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good product recommendations, but that is it. Tries to be conversational, but the style is annoying. Very little useful information.

[Sean Wylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written book about twins written by a normal Mom without a phd and with a great sense of humor.