Talking with the author, Susan Heim

It's Twins!

Susan Heim: Raising any child is a challenge, but when they come as a pair, the issues are magnified. As any parent of multiples will tell you, sometimes talking with another parent who's been there can get them through the difficult times and help them to cherish the moments that make twins truly "double the love." It's Twins! Parent-to-Parent Advice from Infancy Through Adolescence is a complete guide to raising multiples from birth through the high-school years. It arms parents with the information they need, from breast-feeding to classroom placement, from dispelling myths about twins to ensuring equal treatment while fostering individuality and combating competitiveness. Best of all, It's Twins outdoes all those "dry" parenting manuals by offering real-world wisdom and experiences from other moms and dads at various stages of twin-rearing, making this guide not just informative but entertaining as well.
 
Lauren Smith: Why did you write it?

Susan Heim: When I found out I was expecting twins, I naturally wanted to read all I could about raising multiples. Regular parenting books were beneficial, but they didn't address the special issues that parents of multiples face, such as: How do you breastfeed two babies at a time? How do you nurture each child's individuality when they look so much alike? Is it better to put them in the same or different classrooms? How do you handle the competition between children who are the same age? How do you get two babies on a sleeping schedule? In addition, parents of twins don't have a lot of time or energy to pore through encyclopedic parenting manuals. I wanted to write a book for parents of multiples that is easy to read, entertaining, and yet has valuable information written in language that any sleep-deprived parent can read without wanting to take a nap.

Lauren Smith: What's the most surprising thing about having twins?
 
Susan Heim: Having twins is like living in an action movie that never ends! If one twin is sleeping, the other's awake. If one is heading toward the kitchen, the other's scaling the dining-room table. If one wants to do a puzzle, the other wants to play Power Rangers! There never seems to be any "downtime" with twins, especially when they're young. Parents must learn to juggle the needs of two very different children who just happen to be the same age without succumbing to exhaustion. 

Lauren Smith: There are a lot of parenting books out there, but not a lot on twins. Why do you think that is? 

Susan Heim: With the many advances in infertility technology, as well as women delaying childbirth, more and more twins and multiples are being born. Both in vitro fertilization and fertility drugs greatly increase the chance of a multiple birth. Approximately 70 percent of twins are the result of fertility treatments, and the number of triplets has increased tenfold since 1980. With more multiples being born these days, the parenting literature is just now starting to catch up to the need for specific information for families with twins and more.

 
Lauren Smith: It must be both a blessing and a bit scary when parents-to-be find out they're going to have twins. What would you say to someone who's just found out there are two babies on the way instead of just one? 

Susan Heim: Be prepared! The more information you have before your multiples are born, the better you'll be able to handle the unique challenges that accompany them. Books like It's Twins! Parent-to-Parent Advice from Infancy Through Adolescence specifically address the issues that arise with raising twins and multiples. And this advice comes from the real "experts" those parents who are already rearing twins. Join a multiples support group and talk to those who have walked in your shoes. Most importantly, get plenty of sleep before the twins arrive!
 

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