Abstract
The revelation to parents that more than one infant has been conceived offers special opportunities for practising midwives. This chapter will explore the enhanced role of the practising midwife when caring for mothers expecting twins or a higher order multiple birth. The need for expert care is particularly pertinent at this time as in vitro fertilisation becomes more readily available resulting in a steadily increasing number of the higher multiples.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Alexander T P 1987 Make room for twins: 42–6. Bantam, New York
Bowlby J 1958 Nature of a child’s tie to his mother. International Journal of Psychoanalysis 39: 350–73
Broadbent B A 1984 A study of the effect on the family of a multiple birth. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Manchester
Broadbent B A 1985a Twin trauma. Nursing Times 81 (32): 28–30
Broadbent B A 1985b Multiple births—Women’s needs. Midwife, Health Visitor and Community Nurse 21: 425–30
Bryan E M 1977 Twins are a handful. Journal of Maternal and Child Health 348: 53
Bryan E M 1984 Twins in the family. Constable, London
Bulmer M G 1970 The frequency of twins. In Biology of twinning in man. Clarendon Press, Oxford
Corrigan A 1977 Social aspects and psychological needs of multiple birth families. Australian Mother of Twins Association
Edwards I 1989 Sleep patterns in twin children. Twins and Multiple Births Association Bulletin no 28. TAMBA, Stourbridge
Eriksson A W, Fellman J 1967 Twinning in relation to the marital status of the mother. Acta Genetica et Statistica Medica 17: 385
Goshen-Gottstein E R 1980 The mothering of twins, triplets and quadruplets. Psychiatry 43: 189–204
Jouppila P, Kaupilla A, Koivisto M, Moilanen I, Ylikorkala O 1985 Twin pregnancy: the role of active management during pregnancy and delivery. Acta Obstet Gynaecol Scand 44 (supplement): 13–19
Klaus M H, Kennell J H 1976 Maternal—infant bonding: the impact of early separation or loss on family development. Mosby, St Louis
Koo S K, Green K 1975 Twin pregnancies, influence of antenatal complications,hospital bed-rest and misdiagnosis on prematurity and perinatal mortality. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 15: 179–88
McMullan P 1986a Twin pregnancy. British Journal for Nurses in Child Health 1: 264–65
McMullen P F 1986b Northern Ireland twin study 1983. Ulster Medical Journal 44: 131–35
National Center for Health Statistics 1978 Congenital Anomalies and Birth Injuries Among Live Births, United States 1973–1974. National Center for Health Statistics, US Department of Health, Education and Welfare, series 21, no 31. DHEW Publication No (PHS) 79–1909. Hyattsville MD
Patel N, Barrie W, Campbell D, Howat R, Melrose E, Redford O, Mcllwaine G, Smalls M 1983 Scottish twin study, 1983 preliminary report. Social Paediatric and Obstetric Research Unit, University of Glasgow
Powell T J 1981 Symptoms of atypical depression in mothers of twins. Unpublished MSc thesis, University of Surrey
Robinson H P, Caines J S 1977 Sonar evidence of early pregnancy failure in patients with twin conceptions. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 84: 22–5
Saunders M C, Dick J S, Brown I McL, McPherson K, Chalmers I 1985 The effect of hospital admission for bed-rest on the duration of twin pregnancy: a randomized trial. Lancet ii: 793–95
Spillman J R 1984 The role of birthweight in mother-twin relationships. Unpublished MSc thesis, Cranfield Institute of Technology
Spillman J R 1985 ‘You have a little bonus my dear’: the effect on mothers of the diagnosis of multiple pregnancy. The British Medical Ultrasound Bulletin 39: 6–9
Spillman J R 1986 Expecting a multiple birth: some emotional aspects. British Journal for Nurses in Child Health 1 (10): 298–99
Spillman J.R 1987a Emotional aspects of experiencing a multiple birth. Midwife, Health Visitor and Community Nurse 23 (2): 54–8
Spillman J R 1987b The emotional impact of multiple pregnancy: the midwife’s role in support of the family. Midwives Chronicle 58–62
Spillman J R 1987c Double exposure: coping with newborn twins at home.Midwife, Health Visitor and Community Nurse 23 (3): 92–4
Weekes A R L, Menzies D N, De Boer C H 1977 The relative efficacy of bed-rest, cervical suture and no treatment in the management of twin pregnancy. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 84: 161–64
Suggested Further Reading
Bryan E M 1983 The nature and nurture of twins. Baillière Tindall, Eastbourne
Bryan E M 1984 Twins in the Family. Constable, London
Clegg A, Woollett A 1984 Twins from conception to five years. Century, London
Linney J 1983 Multiple births. John Wiley, Chichester
McDonald D 1983 More than one: the prenatal and postnatal care of twins and triplets. Ian Henry Publications
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 1990 Jane Spillman
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Spillman, J. (1990). Multiple births — parents’ anxieties and the realities. In: Alexander, J., Levy, V., Roch, S. (eds) Antenatal Care. Midwifery Practice. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-20974-3_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-20974-3_9
Publisher Name: Palgrave, London
Print ISBN: 978-0-333-51369-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-20974-3
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)