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Multiple births

When do you start showing with twins? What is life with twins like? Join the conversation on our Multiple Births forum.

Do you know any triplets, quads or more?

116 replies

julz87 · 05/01/2023 18:11

My midwife said in her 35 year career she's only ever delivered quadruplets once, and had less than 20 triplets.

It got me thinking, how common are they? And what kind of life would you have being one of many? Do you know of any, young or adult?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
SleepingStandingUp · 12/01/2023 21:53

BloodAndFire · 12/01/2023 21:29

I'm 42 and this scares the crap out of me

I had identical twins at 38, we're three and done now but the idea of triplets at 40+os why DH is getting the snip 😂😂

letitb · 12/01/2023 21:53

I've worked in childcare all my life, I have know one set of natural identical triplets and one set of unidentical. Never met quads. Know lots of twins personally and through work.

CoodleMoodle · 12/01/2023 21:57

One of the staff at my DC's preschool had teenage triplet boys. She's the only person I know, or even know of! I have cousins who are twins and so does DH, but that's it.

bravotango · 12/01/2023 22:04

My brother had two sets of triplets in his class at primary school! And another set in another year. Don't know any quads

chocolatepudandchocolatesauce · 12/01/2023 22:12

@fabricstash 👋

PollyEsther · 12/01/2023 22:15

Yep! Friend of mine had spontaneous triplets a few years ago: two boys and a girl, all non-identical!

PartySock · 12/01/2023 22:23

I think twins are fairly common but anything else unusual.
I have never met any multiples other than twins

KindergartenKop · 12/01/2023 22:25

I know FOUR sets of triplets!

  1. School friend
  2. Client with work
  3. Colleague
  4. Friend at playgroup
Mariposista · 12/01/2023 22:26

My mum had identical triplets in her class. First week, she made them wear colours badges to tell them apart (until they learned to swap them over and play the 'I'm not Peter, I'm Bob' game.

KindergartenKop · 12/01/2023 22:29

KindergartenKop · 12/01/2023 22:25

I know FOUR sets of triplets!

  1. School friend
  2. Client with work
  3. Colleague
  4. Friend at playgroup

Oh and 5) Another colleague had triplets

Blogdog · 12/01/2023 22:35

I worked with a man about 15 years ago who was father to two sets of twins and a set of triplets.

sunshineandshowers40 · 12/01/2023 22:37

There were triplets a couple of years older than me at secondary school and DC1 had triplets in the year above them in primary school.

Supersimkin2 · 12/01/2023 22:39

One set of ivf triplets in their teens. I’m staggered there are so many trips reported - they’re really rare,I thought.

Are ivf trips banned? I have a feeling they are.

Msstakes · 12/01/2023 22:42

I had triplets in my year at school. Two were identical, short and chubby and one tall and thin. I always used to imagine he got squashed between his brothers. They were very naughty lads as teenagers but pretty nice.

Supersimkin2 · 12/01/2023 22:43

triplets odds are 1:62500. Twins are 1:250.

LubaLuca · 12/01/2023 22:43

I know just one set of triplets, the only ones I've ever known. No quads, that really is unusual.

Isittimetogohomeyet · 12/01/2023 22:59

I wonder if any of those mentioned on this thread are the same families 🙂

JoeMaplin · 12/01/2023 23:02

My husband is a triplet. There are 2 sets at my kids (large) secondary.

BloodAndFire · 13/01/2023 04:19

Supersimkin2 · 12/01/2023 22:39

One set of ivf triplets in their teens. I’m staggered there are so many trips reported - they’re really rare,I thought.

Are ivf trips banned? I have a feeling they are.

I believe these days in the UK you can't have more than 2 embryos implanted (have not had ivf myself but friends have)

I guess 1 of the 2 could split but not sure that's any more likely than in a natural pregnancy.

The triplets I knew were from the early days of ivf (Early 80s) and were 2 boys and 1 girl, none identical

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 13/01/2023 04:25

Someone I used to work with has quads. They’re 8/9 now. Not IVF, massive shock. They did remarkable well imo - I’d have freaked out.

I’ve met 7 or 8 sets of triplets over the years, but I worked for 18 years on a peripatetic basis in primary schools so met more than the average number of families!

Q2C4 · 13/01/2023 04:38

I know of two sets of identical twins and one set of identical triplets.

OneTitWonder · 13/01/2023 04:42

I know one set of triplets, they are 17yo.

mrstea301 · 13/01/2023 07:38

One of my friends had triplets (not through fertility treatment) but I remember she had a really tough pregnancy. I only remember two sets of twins from when I was at school.

I work with a twin who's about 16 years younger than me, she said there were multiple sets of twins throughout her school - she's from a wealthier area in our city so I did wonder if this was potentially a result of more access to fertility treatments rather than pure chance!

Laureatus · 20/01/2023 00:22

There were just 2 sets of twins in my year group at secondary school I think (out of 100 kids). I know 2 sets of triplets local to me (one in their 30s, the others are about 5). I had clients who had quads, lovely family.

Anotheranonymousname · 20/01/2023 01:30

Growing up, I was friends with a set of triplets and there was another set in the same year at school as one of my siblings. As a teacher I have taught triplets twice. Interestingly, all four sets of triplets have been two girls and a boy. None were the result of fertility treatment and all were unexpected!!

My great aunts were triplets, born about 1906.