Plan ahead for multiple births

¢ Contact your health insurance company. Let them know you’re expecting multiples to avoid confusion after the births.

¢ Get a second freezer. Stock it with pre-made frozen meals.

¢ Stock up on burp cloths. Many multiples have acid reflux. Cloth diapers work well.

¢ If breast-feeding, invest in a hospital-grade, hands-free pump. It will enable you to multi-task.

¢ If using formula, have a good blender on hand. That will make it much faster and easier when preparing several batches at once.

¢ Use zipper plastic storage bags. They can be handy for keeping each child’s items (pacifiers, medicine, a change of clothes) separate inside a diaper bag. Color-coded bags make things even easier.

¢ Set up sleeping and changing stations in rooms where you’ll be spending a lot of time. At least set up one on each floor. Keep all necessary supplies within arm’s reach.

¢ Visit a family that has multiple infants. It will give you some idea of what to expect.

¢ Make friends with parents of multiples. Talking to someone who is or has been in the same situation can be very comforting.

¢ Find a local multiples club and see what resources it offers. Some may offer advice on area doctors, group meetings and consignment sales, or even a stock of newborn clothing for borrowing.

¢ Line up help. You’re going to need it. If people offer help, “get them signed up on a schedule before the babies are born,” says Jane Herschelman, mother of triplets. “Don’t say you’ll call them when the babies are born, because you don’t have time to think, to call or the memory of what they said they’d do.”

¢ Get a larger-than-normal laundry basket.

Online resources

National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs: www.nomotc.org

Twinslist: www.twinslist.org

Twinsight: www.twinsight.com

Triplet Connection: http://www.tripletconnection.org

Center for the Study of Multiple Birth: http://www.multiplebirth.com