OMG! It's triplets!!!

[Kiwithecat]

Last friday I had my first ultrasound and it's triplets!! First pregnancy after several years of infertility and (quite surprisingly) just one round of IUI. We are shocked. We were praying for twins in case (me being 37 and with infertility issues) couldn't conceive again. But THREE??!!

I read all the triplets threads on here, but still have so many questions and I can't find the answers online. They booked me to have an specialist appointment in the high risk pregnancy unit (translating from my language, I am outside UK) but they haven't called me yet.

Could I ask for some parents of triplets to tell me something about your experience with the whole process? I can do with any information, and I don't mind if you're blunt, quite the contrary, I would like to tell me the scary bits too.

For example: How big am I going to be? Did they doctors told you about risks and what were they? At what week did you give birth? How was the birth? Did you have any complications? Were your children ok? How are they now? What about the car?! And the stroller?! And how will they sleep when babies? Three cots? Honestly, tell me anything even if you think it will be irrelevant!!

On the plus side of all this, I'm quite enjoying telling people and observing the shock on their faces. I must be very stupid, because I know they are shocked for me and my future life, but, don't ask me why, it's being really fun to see.

Mum of triplets (and older sibling) here. There's an active Facebook group calles UK Triplet & Quad Mums that's worth joining - super helpful and friendly mums on there.
The hospital will follow the NICE guidelines which means you'll have regular scans and you'll have a C section early.
Feel free to ask any questions - and congratulations! It took me about a month to get my head round it but there's a lot of support out there for us multiple mummies.

Sorry I haven't read all the thread yet but I'm a triplet mum to 6 year olds

I'll make some time tomorrow to read the thread and answer some questions

Congratulations!

Ps don't be out off by my username

The hospital will follow the NICE guidelines which means you'll have regular scans and you'll have a C section early.

I thought that the OP had said that she wasn't in the UK?

Congratulations, I have triplets. They are teens now so probably can't remember all the minutiae but feel free to ask me any questions.

There used to be a UK triplets thread on FB many years ago. I don't know if it's still there though.

I have zero experience but just wanted to say congratulations - wonderful news OP!

I'm a triplet mum and to answer some of your questions (from a UK perspective) and my boys are now 6 so things may have changed.

You will be very big. Depending on your job you may need to finish early (if you can l, get signed off by a doctor and don't take may leave early).

They mandated a c section and I was happy with this. The maximum they take you to is 35 weeks and I had mine at 34+1. I had scans every two weeks and they monitored me closely nearer the time. They do get more interested after viability at 24-26 weeks. You may go for a scan and they go right they're coming out tomorrow! They will offer you selective reduction early on but they have to as per nice guidelines. I couldn't have any prenatal testing as it's not accurate so no point.

Grow those babies as big as you can.

Prepare for a NICU stay. I have many triplet mum friends and they all spend at least 2-10 weeks in NICU

Prepare and ask for help once they're home. Your husband /partner has to be heavily involved even if he's working. You will be very tired.

Don't prepare too much before the birth as you will see how your lifestyle may change. Ie buggies can be different depending on your lifestyle- I had 9 different ones 😂 I can let you know my favourites.

Don't buy three of everything as you won't need them. Apart from baby bouncers they can snooze in and cots. Your house and requirements will change as they get older.

Get to baby groups and get out when they're babies. It's tiring but breaks up the day. People will stare 😂 and ask you ridiculous questions.

Instagram and facebook groups are brilliant so get on them now. Twins trust is ok too.

As they get older you will need to 100% baby proof your house! Converting the dining room worked for us. And lots of baby gates!

Do go back to work. It's a break even if salary is swallowed with childcare. It's only a short time.

Your relationship will suffer so try and figure out before they arrive how things will work. Resentment is sooo real. Be kind to each other.

You asked for honesty so.... my babies didn't have any long term issues but I do no triplet parents that lost one in womb, one that lost them post birth and some that have long term disabilities. But I also know thriving sets of triplets and quads.

It's a very worrying and tiring time so prepare yourself mentally and physically. But you are capable and you can do it. Most importantly is make sure those babies get fat in the womb!

There are so many wonderful and amazing times as a triplet parent. Each age is different and I wouldn't change it. Experiences will be different than you anticipated but you are so unique. I spent a lot of time regretting and thinking I'd missed out but around a year old I got a triple hug and I knew it was all worthwhile.

Sending you all the best x x x

@Runandbecome
Thank you so much for your reply! Really excited to meet a mom of triplets! 😊Unfortunately I don´t live in UK now. I lived there for seven years in Manchester and that´s why I discovered and also developed an unhealthy mumsnet addiction.
I thought about joining the UK triplets group on facebook, but maybe being Spanish it will feel like an intrusion.

Cars
Citroen Picasso has worked for us but there are others - VW sharan I hear is good too. Take the car seats to the showroom.

Buggies -

Baby jogger city select single width converted to a triple - see YouTube videos - good till about 18th the

Zoe triple stroller (imported from America)

Quad wonderfold wagon also from America
Great for getting them from car to shops etc

The trippy was far too complicated and heavy. But my friend loved hers.

A single and a double for when you are with help.

I wouldn't do the double with one strapped to you. They get heavy and you don't get a break.

Remember bassinets are not used for a long time so I'd invest in a stroller more than a pram. Early days you won't be going many places to need the bassinets.

I'd recommend buying second hand where possible.

IKEA high chairs are quotable and stackable. Life saver!

Facebook UK and triplet mums may accept you if you message them

Wow @keepingsanity! Really, thank you so much for all that info!! 💖Also for your honesty about the dissabilities and loses part, I really wanted to know and I can´t find any stats about it.

Congratulations OP. I’m a twin mum, I can’t imagine having three at once! But how exciting! You’ll get a lot of attention when you’re out and about. I did with two and they aren’t identical.

Congratulations. Enjoy every moment of peace you get before your 3 bundles of joy arrive.

I can't imagine having twins! You are amazing too. Congrats OP ❤️❤️

Sleep: it's pretty brutal the first few months with wake ups and feeds. We were feeding every 4 hours weather they needed it or not to get their weight up but after that we dropped the 2 am feed. Early on it can take 1 hr + to do a feed 😬

Sleep improved after 4 months and then markedly at 18th months a and again at around 4.5 years- no probs after that.

A midwife said to me early on " don't start anything that you are not prepared to continue". I.e rocking to sleep all the time or naps in total silence etc - you just make a rod for your own back! You will muddle through though and find what works for you all

I also changed and fed every 4 hours to the bemusement of my friend. But if they've all been done then you know where you are.

Awwww OP, congratulations! You sound lovely, with your positive attitude I’m sure you’ll be fine!

Hi OP congratulations. Who are you having your appointments with at the moment? Is it your GP or gynaecologist who has told you you won’t be under specialist care? I’m in Spain, although on one of the Canary Islands, and both my pregnancies were classed as high risk as I needed extra monitoring just as a precaution due to medication I needed to take whilst pregnant so I was automatically under the care of the high risk gynaecologist at the main hospital. You need to challenge this decision or ask for a second opinion as surely you should be receiving specialist care

I've only had one baby at once but huge congratulations. How lucky to be having triplets.🎉🥳

@Kiwithecat these Podee bottles gave me freedom. I could "plug them in" and get out and about in the buggy.

Re: feeding mine were in hospital for 4 weeks to fatten them up as they were born at 32 weeks. I was meant to get 35 weeks but one of them was playing up in the womb. The hospital put them on a 4 hourly schedule and I stuck to it

Wear sunglasses when out and about so that all and sundry don't constantly stop you when you're out. Initially you'll feel like a celebrity but after a while you'll get fed up of strangers asking you the same questions all the time.

Being a triplet mum is great. As I said mine are teens and this is the easiest stage, for me.

I think sleep might be terribly important with multiples. My neighbour had twins and worked round the clock for ages and then got terribly unwell. I only had one but he had sleep apnoea and I also worked round the clock for years then got really ill. Neither of us has ever really recovered, so I think the heroics at the start were maybe not a great idea. The breastfeeding hormones can make the Mum feel kind of super-human and unfortuantely for some of us, it's just a feeling. LOL

It might be worth looking into whether you can hire help at night or something. I have no idea how that would work, but with hindsight, our whole lives would have been transformed by having a live-in nany or something just for the first few months. If I'd had someone there who knew what they were doing, they might have spotted the problems much much earlier than I did.

I think it's called a doula in the UK, but I'm not sure what it's called in spain.

Congratulations and good luck with it all. It sounds very exciting. You might want to think about contraception for afterwards. I've heard of ladies having the first baby with Ivf and then having another straight afterwards naturally.

Life changes enourmously after babies arrive, so take it easy and don't worry if you don't get out of the house for a while. Also make sure you can say "no" to you inlaws. This is a very very important skill.

Wear sunglasses when out and about so that all and sundry don't constantly stop you when you're out. Initially you'll feel like a celebrity but after a while you'll get fed up of strangers asking you the same questions all the time.

This is why I love MN. Where else are you going to get tips like that

Intrusive questions as well ... I was surprised at some of them. Wanting to know how they were conceived ... can't imagine anyone asking non multiple parents such a thing.

Also ridiculous questions .... my friend also has twins ... "are they identical?" ... "no, one is a boy and one is a girl" ... "Oh but are they identical". 😁

That really shows a true lack of understand of basically everything!

How wonderful, congratulations!