Any mother facing a complicated pregnancy will benefit from reading The Pregnancy Bed Rest Book by Amy E. Tracy. It's a practical guide for preparing a mother -- and her family --for the hardships of bed rest during pregnancy.

One of this book's best features is its section of checklists, entitled "Names, Numbers and Notes." It's good information to keep handy, even if you're not on bed rest. Another feature that readers will find reassuring is the inclusion of comments from experienced bed rest veterans. The author herself lived through it during pregnancies with both of her sons, so she speaks from experience. However, recognizing that no two situations are alike, she provides viewpoints from a variety of "Bed Rest Book Buddies" who share their perspectives on everything from telling your boss to managing housework. Their suggestions, tips and encouragement give the book a very personal feel that readers will find comforting. It's like having a support group in every chapter.

Although it's not specifically written for mothers of multiples, Tracy does recognize the unique needs and concerns of mothers of twins, triplets or more, and provides information for them when warranted. For example, in the section on nutrition and diet, she suggests adding extra servings of food groups to help multiple moms gain weight early in their pregnancy.

The one place where the book does lack support for parents of multiples is in the "Back On Your Feet" chapter, describing the process of getting back to normal when bed rest concludes. Although there are some good tips for physical recuperation, the hectic pace of life with two infants isn't really represented in the advice. However, that's certainly a subject for a whole other book!

Tracy's comprehensive approach to bed rest addresses all the major issues of bed rest, and also identifies the impact on affected family members, friends and coworkers. Understanding the implications will definitely help families prepare and handle the situation in the event of bed rest during a pregnancy. Although there is really not much that moms of multiples can do to prevent or avoid bed rest, reading this book is certainly one way to effectively prepare for it -- even if it proves to be unnecessary.