How to Cope With Triplets
From diaper changes to midnight feedings and colic, caring for a newborn or infant is highly rewarding, but also stressful and exhausting -- and you can triple all of that for triplets. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were approximately 5,503 triplet births in the United States during 2010. For these parents, the financial and emotional stress of raising a baby is multiplied by three. With planning and a strong support system, it's possible to cope with the stress of raising triplets.
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Instructions
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Stay healthy during pregnancy. Beyond getting plenty of rest, eating well and exercising, KidsHealth also recommends that expectant mothers find an obstetrician with past multiple birth experience.
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Purchase everything you need prior to giving birth. Because you're having three babies, you'll need triple the gear, including diapers, clothing and three car seats. If you don't have enough money for three cribs, WebMD says it's acceptable for multiples to sleep in the same crib in the beginning, but recommends moving them to separate cribs once they're able to roll over, move or wake one another up.
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Accept the helping hand of friends, family members and volunteers. If you're struggling to meet the financial responsibility and time required to care for three infants, don't hesitate to seek help from family members or your church. And if you can afford it, there's no shame in hiring some help, too; chances are you need it. KidsHealth reminds parents to be vigilant when it comes to finding help for their triplets. If the triplets were premature, its' especially important to ensure no one with flu-like symptoms is allowed contact with the infants.
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Create a schedule for the volunteers and the infants. Sit down with everyone willing to help out and schedule feeding, bathing and naps. Remember to keep everyone's personal schedule in mind. During the craziness, remind everyone to keep the babies on a strict diaper-changing and feeding schedule for the sake of the caregivers' sanity.
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Create three separate baby charts. To cut down on the confusion that comes with multiple caregivers, create a chart that keeps track of each baby's schedule. Ask the caregivers to write down when each baby was fed, changed, bathed and put down for a nap. Hang the schedule in a high-traffic area, such as the baby's bedroom, kitchen or living room.
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Maintain a regular feeding schedule, whether breastfeeding or bottle feeding your triplets. If you're bottle feeding, ask friends or family members to help maintain the baby's schedule. If you're breastfeeding, La Leche League International suggests mothers learn their baby's temperaments to determine which to feed first. For instance, if two babies are prone to crying uncontrollably when hungry, consider feeding them at the same time before feeding your more patient infant.
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Take time away from the children for yourself. You might feel obligated to stay with the babies constantly, but remember that it's acceptable to walk away and leave them in the hands of caregivers. Go to the movies with your spouse or enjoy a cup of coffee with your best friend.
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Tips & Warnings
Try to sleep when the babies sleep. This might be difficult at first if the babies are on separate schedules. However, if you continue to schedule regular feeding and nap times, eventually the triplets will sleep at the same time.
Consider taking turns feeding the triplets in the night with your spouse. If there's no one available inside the home, consider asking a different friend, family member or other trusted individual to stay over every other night to feed the babies. This provides you with every other night off, and allows you to get the sleep you'll need.
La Leche League International urges mothers to continue their previous high-calorie pregnancy diet to ensure they are producing enough milk to support three babies. Because breastfeeding three infants is time consuming, La Leche League also recommends mothers relax and enjoy this bonding time instead of worrying about keeping the house clean. If you're having trouble feeding three babies at your breast daily, consider either pumping breast milk so that others can use it to bottle feed your babies, or supplementing the feedings with formula.
References
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