Multiples Illuminated

Touching stories of families with multiples, each told with humor, honesty, and heart.

You know what it's like when you find your people, your tribe, your community, the ones who you only have to look at in a certain way, and they say I know and you know they mean it? That's exactly what Multiples Illuminated is for the parents who share having more than one baby at a time.

I wished for twins since I was a little girl, and though I have three children, I did not have the rare fortune of more than one baby at once. I wish I would have been a more efficient birther, because to have two Alecs, or three Xaviers, or four Auggies, would have been my delight. Reading Multiples Illuminated allowed me the chance to daydream about the What Ifs. Even without twins or triplets, quadruplets, I found myself able to share in the stories of bed rest, high risk pregnancy, NICU, coming home with monitors - this is where we as mothers find our common ground: we do what it takes for our children to thrive.

Multiples Illuminated is edited by Alison Lee and Megan Woolsey, both mamas of multiples and they have done a tremendous job of selecting stories for this anthology that represent all the feelings that must go along from first finding out you're having multiples, on to pregnancy, delivery, bringing them home, and then through life with more than one baby at a time. If you know someone with multiples, this is the book for them: they'll smile through the pages as they nod along in recognition of  the special world they live in.

The stories included cover infertility, birth, and what comes after. Useful and considerate additions to the book include a resource guide and sections with practical advice on how to deal with the infertility process, tips on taking care of yourself during pregnancy, how to handle a possible NICU experience, and lists for what to pack for your hospital bag and necessities for your twins/ triplets during the baby years. The print version includes pages for journaling each step of the first few years of being a parent of multiples, which has the book serve as a guide and keepsake.

With this anthology, Alison and Megan have created a community. Multiple births are rare, twins account for 3 in 100 births in the United States. And 1 in 837 births are triplets or more. That puts you in some slim company - if you don't know any families who share this event of multiples, you certainly will find your sisterhood in these shared stories that are heartfelt, funny, tender, and honest.

We never know what life will give us, sometimes it's more than one baby at a time. Through hearing of others tell of struggling through the uncertainty when they find themselves in the land of multiples, you'll come to realize how we may not always have all the answers, but with encouragement and a shared story, we will find love and friendship.

The editors, Megan and Alison, say it best:

"Multiples Illuminated is a collection of stories by parents of multiples, for parents of multiples. It takes the reader on a journey from conception to the first few years. We have stories about infertility and trying to conceive, pregnancy, labor and delivery, and various aspects of the early years. In between the sections, there is practical advice on how to deal with the infertility process, tips on taking care of yourself during pregnancy, how to handle a possible NICU experience, and lists for what to pack for your hospital bag and necessities for your twins/ triplets during the baby years. In the print version of the book, we included pages for journaling each step of the first few years of being a parent of multiples. We want our readers to have the book as a guide and keepsake."

Multiples Illuminated can be purchased via Amazon.

SIGN UP for the Multiples Illuminated giveaway on GoodReads! Ends April 16!

For more information and getting to know about life with multiples, visit multiplesilluminated.com

 

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