Trying again....any triplet mums out there? :)

[BarbarellaNz]

HI,
I posted last week asking if there was anyone out there having triplets. Mine are due in April but will be taken out at 34 weeks (if I get there!) which will be the beginning of March. I have twins sharing a placenta and a singleton with its own one. I am 15+2 and have 16 week scan on Friday. Have been scanned every 2 weeks since 8 weeks so looking forward to reassurance of seeing them alive and well again. I have started showing a bit, am wearing maternity jeans, but not as big as I was led to believe I'd be at this stage. Should I be worried?

Would love to talk to anyone with triplet experience or anyone a first time mum like me!!

Love, BarbarellaXX

Hi, there are a few triplet mums on our daily thread.....will link it.......

we chat here daily there are a few triplet mums in there. I have linked them here as well so hopefully.........

Jump in on our thread, just remember to shout loudly, we chatter so much at times you can get lost. I will hoover and lay out a footstool for you............

Hi,
This is a quickie but promise to come bck, I am a worn out mum of 10 yr old b/b/g trips! I only put on a stone and a half and was still wearing my ordinary clothes at 16 weeks, do not worry! Ask then at the scans for the babies weights and measurements, they can do it. Must dash, back later. Mine were delivered at 32 weeks,4lb.3oz, 4.7oz and 2.15oz!

Hi B
have posted on the other thread
COngratulations.

Hi there, I don't get on this site much as i have 3 yr old triplets, twin identical boys and a girl so I am too knackered to move once they are in bed let alone sit at the computer! Mine were conceived naturally (I was just trying for a baby and 3 appeared) my waters broke at 22 weeks as i was working in london during the July 7th bombing and I think the worry and anxiety brought it all on. I carried them until 31 weeks on bed rest in hospital in Harlow and they are all healthy and fine absolutely no problems apart from 3 yr old tantrums!!! I wouldn't be without them but they are lots of hard work. worth it though. If I can help with anything email me through this site and I think it links to my home email. for feeding I put them all in bouncy chairs and propped one up on the sofa with a bottle raised on a blanket. I was alone most of the time so cared for them alone. My husband is away a lot so it was tough. Get and take as much help as you can if people offer to wash up for you say YES! Take care Emily

Hi there, my boy trips are just a year old now. I had to leave work at 28 weeks because of tiredness, but some of my clients hadn't noticed that I was pregnant! And it's not as though I'm fat either. Mine are the same as yours- two identicals and a singleton. All have completely different personalities and are a complete bundle of fun. It is very hard work, but once you sort out the routine that works for you then life slots back into place. We also have a 3 year old boy and no local family to help, so have had to learn to take our new extended family in our stride. If I can help or you wish to chat then e-mail me at any time. If you intend to breastfeed then I can let you know our strategy. I have only just given it up. All the best.

Hi Madderthanaboxoffrogs and 3plus1,

Thanks for your replies. I am having my 21 week scan today and am feeling (as usual) a bit nervous as I still haven't felt any definite kicks. I get the odd flutter and a kind of 'shifting' sensation from time to time, but nothing really definite. I thought that with three in there I should be by now? I am being scanned every two weeks (thank goodness) and the waiting in between is torture as it isn't till I see them moving around on the screen that I know everything is ok. When did you feel your first kicks? I will definitely be emailing you for advice - breastfeeding and feasibility of using cloth/reusable nappies in particular!!

Love, BarbarellaXX

Hope all went well with the scan on Monday Barbarella. Re fluttering pains- I did feel them about 20 weeks, but then this wasn't my first pregnancy. I think with the first one I thought I felt something odd happening around 23 weeks. I think it's a matter of knowing what to look for with later pregnancies. 'Odd flutter and shifting sensation' seems plenty to feel at this stage. I think first kicks were a bit confusing with three. Perhaps they were kicking each other rather than me. Oh- the stomach was kicked lots going by the amount of heartburn I had later on. There were definite kicks towards the end, but the boys were born at 33 weeks, so not as strong as you'd expect if you went to a 'normal' 40 week term. Used cloth nappies from the time they reached 10lb in weight. will gladly let you know what we do. In the early days, when we had no time, we were horridied by the nappy mountain we were creating even with the tiny nappy sizes. Don't find the cloth ones a problem at all.
All the best Jane

Thanks 3plus1

Can I trouble you for some more advice?

1. After trying my best to research, it seems the triple pram by Inglesina (called a Domino Trio) is the best to get for triplets. It can be used from birth to 3 years old as seats can start off flat then be raised to sitting up as they get older. We live in an apartment building on the top floor and have a very small lift - this pram folds small enough to get it down in the lift. It costs 750 pounds (!!!) but if it's going to last 3 years I hope it will be worth it?? What did you use?

1. I have also been researching cloth nappies and have decided on trying BambinoMio nappies. Have you any experience of these or can you recommend any other brands. We really want to give it a go with cloth nappies but will obviously have some disposables as a stand-by incase we get too snowed under!!

1. Breastfeeding - I really want to breastfeed and doctor says it's possible but that I probably wouldn't be able to do it for longer than 3 months. Could I still breastfeed combined with formula. What did you do?

1. Car seats - Can you only use car seats with lap belts? Our car has two lap belts and one middle belt in the back - does this mean we can't have three car seats in the back? And, subsequently, does this mean we have to buy a different type of car?

Sorry to ask so many questions but we really are clueless!!

Thanks

Sorry for delay in reply. Have not logged on for a while, and onviously life with trips is quite busy, but not helped this week by writing off my car in a crash- no one hurt though!
Re buggies- I don't know what ours is- can find out with a bit of research. It is three side by side, amazingly light in its aluminium construction, and compact relative to things like mountain buggies. Also quite stylish, but probably not what you're looking for. Made in the States, we have been told that it would be almost £1000 new, but we bought ours off e-bay for £285 in excellent condition. If you trust e-bay, I highly recommend you to do this. Usually there's only one or two triple buggies listed, but if you find a good one you don't need to worry so much about making a mistake- you can always sell it on and try another one.
Bought a Philand Ted's twin buggy also from e-bay. One of these where one baby sits in lower seat behind the other. At one year old I can still wear our lightest baby on my front, so can go on buses too.
Re nappies, we used Motherease which fits from birth to potty for our first boy so stuck with them. You need to get outer waterproof wraps for the different stages, but we got by with only buying small then jumping to the large size. again- expensive to buy new from the shops, but on e-bay there are often people selling them brand new. People whose good intentions to use them paled once the baby came along. We used disposables until babies reached 10lb. Before that - their skinny legs don't fill the nappywrap enough to make a seal, so they leak. Also, we use disposables at night. Dry babies give us a better night's sleep!
Re breastfeeding, would tandem feed two(ie one each side) and feed the other a bottle of formula at first. This continued in strict rotation. I don't produce so much milk, even with my first singleton, so I did have to top up breastfed babies before long with formula. I continued this until one year old. The babies themselves decided they no longer wanted breastmilk.Although I wanted to breastfeed for full feeds, I had to accept that there would never be enough to do complete feeds, but I have heard of people who can fully feed all 3. It is good to find out who the hospital brestfeeding expert is to give you all the help you need.
I think baby seats need 3 point seat belts. However, in my car(before I crashed!)the middle seat in the back had a lap belt only. As the seats squash so closely, I would wedge the middle one between the other two with the lap belt. Not sure if it's legal, but it was pretty secure. We have the extra child- so we've ended up investing in a camper van with an extra row of seats. But this is for holidays too.Will check this thread sooner in case you write again. Take care

hi BarbaraellaNz and Congrats!!

I have 4year old g/g/b triplets and g/b twins who will be 1 in a week, so for some strange reason I don't get on here very often!!

I'm typing answers to your questions as I read them so sorry if this is out-of-date!

I didn't show too much at first, but believe me, once I started showing, there was no missing that bump! I'm 5'11 so that might be why I didn't show at first, so no, don't worry about not showing, especially if you're tall. I had them at 35 weeks, and they were quite healthy thankfully.

I felt them kick about 21 weeks, but it was tiny flutterings and I would have missed it if I wasn't paying attention! It sounds fine what you're describing, so long as the scans are showing they're fine, try not to worry!

We used the Inglesina triple but we could only use it when they were little and they soon grew out of it... Then we bought the triple runabout which was great. I like the look of the Triple Decker stroller- the one where you can take out the carseats and go. That would have made life easier!

Carseats, I think that you do need 3 point belts, we bought a new car with an extra row of seats, but that was also coz we had trouble finding carseats that were small enough to fit in one row side by side.

No idea about cloth nappies I'm afraid, we were daunted by the thought of it, but good on you for considering it!

IGNORE YOUR DR WHEN HE SAYS YOU CAN'T BF FOR MORE THAN 3 MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I breastfed for 14 weeks and would have continued but they had the worst reflux you can imagine and dt1 didn't putting on weight properly andn was hospitalized at 12 weeks, so it was far too much hassle in the end . Shame on me!

You can top up with formula, but beware of nipple confusion.... also, you might find that if they've been in NICU and bottlefed they struggle to feed from bottles when you get home... if that happens, you might want to check you're using the same bottle tops with the same size holes.

When I was bfing, i tandem fed dt2&3 because their reflux wasnt as bad as dt1s so requuired less attention and were easier to feed. Just wait and see what suits you and if tandem feeding doesn't work, don't panic. Just go with what you think is right and don't be too hard on yourself.

I can't stress getting into a routine enough whether you end up bfing or not. It can be really difficult to stick to routines, especially when you've got all 3 going through a growth spurt, but it's well worth it. I know I wouldn't have survived without a routine. Our routine was for me to express enough milk during the day for the night feeds and then I would go to bed very early, like 8-9pm or even earler depending on what the day had been like! My dh would do the 9pm & 12pm feedings, while I got uninterrupted sleep (without a baby monitor on). Then he would come in the room where I was sleeping, turn my monitor on, then go into a different room to sleep (one without a baby monitor on). Then I would do the 3am and 6am feedings. For us, it worked great, but you might find a routine that works better for you.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP!! IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING ASK!!

I'll leave it here but I'll try and check in as often as I can to see if you have any more questions/need more info. If you do have questions you need answering quickly you can always email me at littlemissmuddle at usahotmail.com and I'll get back to you asap, the girls on here'll probably reply quicker though if truth be told, but I'm here to help!

Good luck!

Thanks so much 3plus1 and TripletsandTwins

Your advice was so helpful! I am now at 23 weeks and all seems to be going well. No sign of TTTS with the twins and all three are measuring the same size and the right size for their age which is reassuring. I am just hanging out for Christmas day because I will be 24 weeks and can feel A BIT more relaxed... a friend of mine had her baby last week (at 25 weeks) and it has scared the sh**t out of me! I am willing myself to get to 34 weeks which the doctor has set as my 'target'.

I will have more questions for you in the new year!

Thanks again, BarbarellaXX

Hi Barbarella

I posted to you re the nappies on the other thread...

I don't know anyone else with triplets so i'm as keen as you to meet other mums with multiples. I was in hospital for four months with mine and we have only recently come home but they are all fine!

Nicki

Hi Nicki!

Congratulations on your triplets!! What are their names/sexes? Why were you in hospital for four months with yours? Were they premature or did you have to be on bed rest in hospital? I would love to keep in touch with you - I sometimes feel very 'lonely' when I think about how different my experience of pregnancy/motherhood is going to be!!!

Ours were conceived on our sixth round of IVF (lost first IVF baby at 12 weeks) so we are VERY excited, and feel really lucky - BUT it is also scary!! We only had two embryos put in but one kept dividing into a set of identical twins so...triplets

How are things now you have the babies at
home? Are you breastfeeding? Are you getting much sleep?

We have our 24 week scan on Wednesday and, as I said in my previous post, we are trying to hang in there as much as possible to get to 34 weeks which is what the fetal medicine specialist I see has said is my 'ideal target'....here's hoping!

Hope all is well with you and look forward to keeping in touch!

Love, Barbarella XX

Hi Barbarella - I have a friend who breastfed triplets until they were 2. As far as I know, she tandem fed two of them, and expressed and bottle fed the third (in rotation I think).

Congrats - very exciting. I have 9mth old triplets and a 4.75yr old and a 3yr old. I second get on a schedule it lets everybody know what is going on and people know when to pop in to help ie. feeds.
The girls were born at 32.5wks and I managed to express while they were in NICU but didn't have enough milk to feed one. I originally wanted to tandem 2 and then bottle 1 and rotate.
I was on 3wks of bed rest at the end in hospital and put on about 18kg only 3 more than with the other 2. They were all single babies (3 eggs).
I was told that the most crucial time to rest is between 24-28wks as this is the real viability period. The body feels that it is full term so to speak but the babies will be at a greater risk until 28wks after that it is still a bit risky but safer than say 26.
Pushchairs we have an abc triple buggy from NZ. It is 2 wide and 1 high and is great. Lies flat for newborn and props up for toddlers but fits through most doors etc. I'm sure that they would ship to UK.
I've used cloth on all mine, made teeny tiny premmie fitted nappies with a cover while they were small. Now they are moving primarily use pockets. Fitted naps such as tots/bimble are good as with the cover you get a double layer of protection from leaks. Once moving pockets are good. You do need a ton of them though even washing often.
We had to buy a people mover for a car as we needed to fit in 5 car seats.
Read as much as possible, most of the multiples books are based on twins but there are bits of advice in there that could be relevant and is worth banking. Take as much help as you can, if you can't think of anything when somebody asks, say a dinner would be good. Nothing like having a meal cooked and delivered to you at 5.30pm once the babies are home.
The girls had silent reflux (well 1 did) the other 2 were sicky with it. I was lucky?? that I had it with ds so was quick as anything to get some help with it and it made a big difference. NICU will get you in a schedule try to keep it as much as possible. Ours were fed 4hrly in NICU so we kept that at home they were fed 8,12,4,8 etc. They dropped the 4am feed after they were home about a month and started waking at 6am. We then dropped the midnight feed and found they still woke between 4-6am. We then fed a proportion of the formula they would have at that time ie. 6am wake they would get about 50ml. By a month past their due date they were doing 8pm-8am, don't let people be negative about what it will be like, it hasn't been too bad for us.
Good luck!

Hi, I am nearly 30 weeks pregnant with triplets (twins plus singleton like yours). They were conceived on our first round of IVF, with one of the two eggs splitting. My 40 week due date is 1 April but I have also been told I should get to around 34 weeks which is mid Feb. We are still gearing up in readiness and probably won't really know what has hit us until everyone arrives but I completely agree on the advice to read as much as possible on multiples and talk to people who've been through the process - I've spoken with a couple of triplet families but have also gained alot of ideas from parents of twins. Routine, routine, routine seems to be the way to go!
We are looking to buy a twin mountain buggy - they are big but have been recommended to us by several people, and they are a NZ brand (we are from the southern hemisphere..), and will buy a single buggy and use slings etc if I am out on my own. We are looking at ebay options as there are plenty of secondhand pieces around which are good quality. We are also still debating the car and car seat issue - not many cars, other than people movers, appear to fit 3 seats across. We are hoping to be able to manage with our volvo estate but are also looking at alternatives. We've bought 1 car seat and borrowed a couple of others from friends so that we can go armed with them when looking at cars. I'd also recommend you talk with TAMBA (Twin and multiple birth association) as they have buggy/stroller guides, good book suggestions and good advice for families expecting multiples.

I am hoping to use a combination of breast feeding plus formula or expressed milk on a rotation basis. We shall see how we go! I finished working at 27 weeks and was ready to do so at that point. Although I feel well and my pregnancy has been healthy so far, it's a relief to be able to relax and rest when I want to. My work colleagues were incredibly supportive - they still are! We live in West Berkshire, so if you want to keep in touch or meet up once your trips arrive, just let me know. All the best! Katharine

Hi Katharine,

Thanks so much for your post - how weird that we have had exactly the same thing happen!! (two embryos transferred, three babies!). We are also from the Southern Hemisphere ( I am from New Zealand, my husband is South African) and have heard of the Mountain Buggies - unfortunately, we live on the fifth floor of an apartment building which has rather narrow hallways which mean the Mountain Buggy won't fit . We have been told by a triplet mum that she used a twin pram and a sling for the third for convenience sake. I have been reading LOTS of books etc. on triplets but many have conflicting advice - one thing I have taken on board is the need for a VERY tight schedule!

I am 28 weeks on Thursday so very close to where you are! Do you still worry a lot? I am always a bit nervous if I don't feel them kicking as much one day as the next etc. I still feel fine although my tummy feels very heavy and I get a bit breathless and sore if I try to walk too much. How are you feeling?

I would love to meet up for a chat once the babies arrive - I think we have spent so long hoping for ONE baby we can't quite believe our luck! It would be lovely to have someone else in the same situation to speak to.

Hi there
good to hear from you. My personal email address is [email protected] if you'd like to get in touch offline.

I am from Melbourne but my husband is from NZ (wellington). Good to have other antipodeans to relate to!

Yes I do worry about things - i like to feel them moving around and wonder if all is ok if I don't feel them for a while. I also get v tired if on my feet or moving around too much, whereas pre pregnancy I was very active. I also feel heavy and slow. Why don't you send me an email with more details and we can plan to meet up once kiddies arrive and exchange strategies!
Keep well
cheers Katharine

just reading your posts and think it is wonderful for you all i have twins so can imagine the work triple work but triple joy good luck to you all i was never big either and some mums with one were bigger than me mine were 5lb and 4 15 and early so it will be fine if you are pregnant REST NOW you wont have a chance later !!! good luck all triplet mummies

Katharine, BarbarellaNZ, I met a guy down at the beach last weekend who knew someone who was in UK having triplets who sound due when yours are with NZ connection. I was thinking to myself wouldn't it be a coincidence if the person they were talking about with twins and a singleton was one of you. We were down at Narrowneck Beach on North Shore of Auckland if that means anything to either of you.

Chuffed I have many friends and family living in Auckland so very likely! What was his name?

Barbarella, are you going to fold the buggy in your lift each time you want to go out? can you not chain the pram downstairs?

I would recommend to get a twin pram (which I used for all three triplets in the first month) and eventually carry one baby in sling/baby-bjorn when they don't fit any more. sell it on when this gets too heavy and get a double buggy with a toddler seat - i have the valco power twin.

good luck with the delivery.

Didn't get his name Barbarella. He was a friend of a friend. We were at Narrowneck Beach anyway.
Good luck with your decision and birth.