Untwinned

Book excerpt: When a twin dies during pregnancy, this experience can leave a vague but profound sense of loss in the mind of the survivor. In this book is reflected current, ground-breaking research into the death of a twin, both at birth and before, plus stories and poetry written by the survivors themselves. This extraordinary collection of twenty articles about the death of a twin from a variety of perspectives reveals the astonishing truth of how it can actually feel to be the survivor when your twin has died in the womb. Recent research has shown that as many as one in eight people are the sole survivors of a twin pregnancy, and many of them have no proof of ever having had a twin. Ultrasound scanning now reveals that many more tiny twins are lost in the womb than was ever thought possible. The editor is Althea Hayton, who is director of "wombtwin.com," an internet- based research project. She provides information, help and psychological support for the sole survivors of twin or multiple pregnancies. Michael J. Shea, Ph.D. of the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute says about this book; "This is a great addition to a psychological understanding of prenatal development and gives a comprehensive view from a wide variety of experts in the field. A must read for anyone interested in pre- and perinatal psychology, and especially anyone who thinks they may have had a twin." Some of these chapters will be of particular interest to pregnant women who have experienced "vanishing twin" syndrome. Therapists and psychologists who are studying the pre-birth origins of various psychological conditions such as depression, blocked grieving or suicidal thoughts will find the case studies in this book very enlightening. The personal accounts of the loss of a twin before birth are of interest to all, and raise some important issues about the nature of pre-born consciousness. It seems that we all carry some vague impressions of our life in the womb, and surviving twins have a particularly interesting story to tell.