Hi, my name is Jessica. I am 27 years old, I am 15 weeks and 5 days into my triplet pregnancy and I am completely overwhelmed on how to prepare. This is my first pregnancy and the first multiple pregnancy for either family. My husband and I are new to babies period, let alone our own. We wanted this pregnancy but I'm sure as some of you know when go for help you end up with a few more than originally expected.
Both of our families are excited and supportive but we live in NM (2 hours from our hospital) and they all live in TX (6 hours from us or the hospital), and we really don't know anyone in NM. Very few of our friends and family have any experience with multiples and I just wanted to reach out and hear from people who have been through this or are going through this.
So far we have bought the books and read blogs and forums, but not much else. I'm already having problems getting around, and I'm worried I won't get enough done before I get put on bed rest or babies show up. So any advice on any of the following topics would be great!

- Good questions to ask doctors
- Things to pay attention to on ultrasounds
- What and how much to buy
- Good products / bad products
- Stroller advice
- What pregnancy symptoms did ppl have and how soon?
- What to pack for hospital bed rest
- Sleeping and feeding schedules
- Basically any good advice or tips you wish you had had before your triplets came around

Thanks for any and all responses. All positive/realistic advice is appreciated.

This site has been slow for the last year but I still pop in to check now and then.
Though my triplets will soon be 16 years old, I will share my memories.
Most of all, remember every pregnancy is different. My experiences may not be yours and certainly there will be others who disagree with my advice. It is important to find a doctor you trust and communicate what your body is doing and how you feel to the doctor.
Now to your questions-

- Good questions to ask doctors
1) Who will deliver the babies? (If you work with a high risk doctor, they may manage the pregnancy but not deliver) How many sets of triplets have you/they dealt with?
2) Who can be in the room with me?
3) Can we visit the NICU before delivery?
4) What is your philosophy on bedrest, home uterine monitoring, nutrition, prenatal tests, medications?
5) What is your policy on phone calls after hours/weekend questions?

- Things to pay attention to on ultrasounds
Depending on your background and the quality of the US, you probably won't be able to descern much on your own. Do ask if the doctor has concerns for any. You can check to see if their estimated weights/sizes are close. Hopefully the doctor will share what s/he sees and would let you know of any big issues (cords, placements, organ malformations etc.

- What and how much to buy
This will vary by what your preferences. Some like to put all 3 in one crib, some separate, some use bassinettes. Some like boppy's some like swings, some like swaddling.
My suggestion is to only get one of any product you think you will like. If it works, you may want more.
The only thing you definitly need 3 of is carseats!
We had 3 bassinettes then 3 cribs. We used 1 swing, and various play mats and rotated them rather than have 3 of everything.
I didn't like boppies but preferred to hold and prop my children for feedings.
I did nurse for the first 2 weeks but then had to switch to bottles. We made 1 gallon of formula and kept it in the fridge to pour 4 oz bottles as needed. My girls didn't care which nibble was used but some babies are very picky so don't buy too many until you know which they will take.
Maybe because my girls were born in July, they didn't like to be swaddled.

- Good products / bad products see above

- Stroller advice I definitly suggest getting a triplet stroller. Even though you may think you will never go out alone, the ability to take a walk around the block can make a really long day with crying children much easier. Some like the kind that you can snap the car seats in and out of. We just had a Peg Perego and found it easy to slip the kids in and out of carseats. It also meant we could use the same stroller for many years. Look for a used one. They are VERY expensive.

- What pregnancy symptoms did ppl have and how soon?
Again, this will vary with each person. I had very little nausea controlled with an occasional pretzel. Some people are sick for months loosing 10-15 pounds in the first trimester.
You will show earlier than with a singleton pregnancy and you will get enormous! I am 62 inches tall, only gained 33# with my girls and measured 58" around before they were born (at 36 1/2 weeks. Plan on getting a few xxl tshirts and stretchy maternity pants.

- What to pack for hospital bed rest
I was never on real bedrest (hospital or home). We have an older son (he was 151/2 mos old when the girls were born) so I really couldn't go on bedrest. Hopefully the others will help you with this question.

- Sleeping and feeding schedules
We were very strict with our schedule. I think especially because we had another child, I needed to be sure I had time for him and didn't just get wound up in the babies.
Our girls ate on a 3 hour schedule so everything revolved around that.
Awake (and we did wake them to keep them on the same schedule), change diaper (and by the way, we used cloth and loved it), feed, back to sleep. I could change and feed all 3 and be back to bed in 1 hour.
For nightime, my husband helped me with the 8pm feeding, I stayed up on the couch half sleeping, half watching TV until 11pm feeding and did it by myself, then went to bed until the 2am feeding which I also did myself. My husband did the 5am by himself and I was up for the 8am again.

- Basically any good advice or tips you wish you had had before your triplets came around
Our families both live in our town so we were lucky to have them help on a regular basis. I don't think I could have had either of our parents come live with us but that is my personality.
We did have a high school girl come 3p-5p after school M-F so I could take some individual time with each baby, have some semi adult conversation, start dinner, throw on laundry etc. The nice thing was, by the time we were ready for a babysitting, we were very comfortable having her watch them. She had LOTS of experience by then.
The schedule really helped us because we knew what to expect and others knew when it was convienent to visit. My father in law came every day around 11am to help feed and my mom came every night at 8pm to help feed. FRiends knew not to bother during nap time.

Good Luck!

Judie and Victor
lucky parents to
Frankie 3/95
Maggie 7/96
Rose 7/96
Elizabeth 7/96

First congrats!! My babies will be 3 in August. Some of my advice that I can give to you is:
Do what your doctor tells you
If you think that something is not right ask your doctor
What for preterm labor
If someone offers help take it and ask for help
Have a set schedule for the babies
If one eats feed them all
Diffently get a triplet stroller until they are aleast a year
You don't need three swing, I had two and did great with them
You will need three bouncy seats, car seats and cribs

Not everyone goes on bedrest but some do. I was on bedrest from 18 weeks and hospital bedrest from 25 weeks. I delivered at 30 weeks. I had a lot of preterm labor and that is why I delivered so early. There are some on here that have delivered as early as 25 weeks and late as 36 weeks.

Thanks! We had been very torn on whether or not to get a triplet stroller because of the cost, but I am definitely reconsidering now. The information is great to know, and its comforting to hear from people who have experienced the same thing. Appreciate the help so much!

Congrats! Triplets are a blessing I have three girls who are now happy healthy 6 month olds (ajusted age 3 1/2 months)
I was on hospital bed rest for 5 weeks, I went in at 24 weeks because my body started shutting down. Learn the risks to your body so you know what to look out for. I had no preterm labor so I have no advice for what to look out for. But being in the hospital so long I can definatly recommend what to pack. Lots and lots of snacks and drinks. Hospital food isn't very good and gets boaring reall fast. They also don't give you enough to feed 4 people. I made friends with the staff who delivered the food and took orders so they always gave me extra and packed me lunch sacks for the middle of the night. Make sure you get net flix to help pass the time I was in an older hospital that didnt have internet access so I had to get a Tmobile account. It was expensive but worth my sanity. Also don't buy too many maternity clothes you will outgrow them very quickly the last few weeks of my pregnancy I was gaining 3-8lbs a day and even XL maternity shorts were too short to cover my belly I recomedn packing 3xl wwomens camis and stretchy Tshirts for hospital stay they are alot more comfortable. Also your chest grows quickly too pack some large sports bras. Maternity pants alkso get too tight sweat pants and yoga pants rolled under your belly work great.
Two thing I wish I would have known to pack/ be prepared for: big granny pannies that go above your waist I had no idea that the bleeding was so much you needed two pads and that underwear dont come up high enough over the c-section incesion. I hope I'm not being too personal. The nurses will put you in a binder too after the delivery your stomach will be very uncomfortable the binder helps alot but feels better when its ontop of the granny pannies instead of on your skin. Also buy spanx its alot easier then getting in and out of the binder they keep your stomach in I still wear them because my tummy still feels loose like its going to fall out of my belly button. I have friends who also have experienced this feeling the nurses said it goes away in a few months but mine hasn't yet. The other must have is mens button down the front shirts for kangaroo/ skin to skin. My littlest was only two pounds and since she did so well they let her hold us the day after she was born. The nicu didn't like using privacy screens with babies that little incase of emergencies. It would have been alot more comfortable with a button shirt than an open hospital gown but you will be so in love with holding your baby it won't really matter. I always carried a shirt in my purse in hopes they would let me hold one of my babies. Ok I'll stop rambling lol but one more thing schedules and routines are so important. You will do great don't worry Bridget

Congrats on your trips! I have 4 1/2yo B/G/G, born at 32w5d. First baby was home in under 2w. Look for a local Moms of Multiples club. (nomotc.org or mostonline.org) They can help with a lot of things and many will let you join during pg for free to try them out.

Have you read Dr. Barbara Luke's book on What to Expect When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads? I found it very helpful even if I couldn't eat all she recommended. Some interesting recipes in the back and who knew pumpkin was so good for you. Start drinking large quantities of fluid so you get used to it. As your uterus stretches, you will need more fluid intake to keep your muscles (i.e. your uterus) hydrated to keep from cramping (i.e., contracting).

Questions to ask docs--when would they put you on bedrest and what type (modified or strict)? At what point would you need to go to the hospital (since you're so far) when ctx are a certain length apart or even if they have a week in mind?

U/S--hopefully you won't have as many of these as some of us have--generally they'll give you the info, and by the second or third time you've seen them you'll know when something looks out of place. FYI, if an experienced tech tells you they need to ask the doc how to measure something, the news following it is probably not good.

What and how much to buy? 3 carseats (we had a smaller car (Nissan Altima) and went with the Graco bucket seats at first and a double snap n go (again cheaper thru your local MoMs garage sales; then we moved on to the Sunshine Radians now known as Diono--narrowest seat on the market). My triple didn't get much use and I wish I hadn't bought it. Much cheaper and easier to get a double and wear the third. Attracts a lot less attention too. Admittedly this is easier if you have one that is smaller. FYI after they get to 20lbs you should be carrying them on your back and not your front. I have a Beco Butterfly II, but there are a ton of carriers out there, so you may want to research this and pick one that is suited to you (some fit better than others based on your height). We had one swing (again all purchased used) one bouncy, one playmat saves on space and money. We started with 2 cribs, but quickly had to add a 3rd (some hitting going on between the girls at a month old). We did end up with Dr. Brown's bottles, but do what works best for you. You'll probably want at least one pack n play to separate one from the other in certain instances. I tried pumping but gave up after 6w.

PG symptoms--mine started at 6w with nausea. For me, I had to eat or I would become nauseous, so I was eating about every 2 hours, always something with protein as it takes longer to digest. Doesn't have to be meat. Dairy (i.e., cheese, yogurt (Greek yog is especially high) and nut butters have protein too. Pressure down there is something you should be calling your dr. about. I had very few symptoms that I was having ctx. Walking is generally ok, but standing for long periods is not. Went on bedrest at 22w for ctx 8 min. apart, quickly followed by hospital bedrest for PTL--shortening, funneling cvx, ctx 4 min. at 23w4d, none of which I really felt. Spent 7w on hospital bedrest and another 3w at home on bedrest after that. Ask about the betamethasone shots and how many times and at what point they would give them. Some questions you may need to ask your hospital--what level is their NICU? You want one at least Level III or higher. At what point would they work to save the babies?

Packing for hospital bedrest--we had no notice, so my husband brought me things. We did eventually get a small fridge and a DVD player (belonged to the hospital). I borrowed a laptop from the office and we had wireless so I was able to work from the hospital. Otherwise, puzzles--suduko, crossword, etc.;knitting, embroidery, scrapbooking, reading are some ideas. I wasn't too worried about clothes, because I wasn't allowed up for quite a while. As to hospital food, unfortunately ours was on a 2w rotation (wish it had been longer)and breakfast was the best meal they had. I met with the nutritionist and explained I was trying to grow babies not generate energy, so I had double protein and regular serving of carbs for my meals. Our only restriction was they wouldn't allow McD's, so DH would occasionally bring fries from downstairs. As you get further along it will be more difficult to eat as there just isn't any room. Some days it would take me all afternoon to eat lunch (i.e., they would take the lunch tray when they brought me dinner).

Sleeping/feeding schedules--our NICU had our kids on a 3 hr. feeding schedule when they came home and 4 years later we're still basically on it, with either a meal or a snack. It actually fit in perfectly with our local elementary school's pre-school eating schedule. Sleeping--get it while you can. Our kids did sleep more and better when they were younger (i.e., about 6 mo. - 18 mo.) even when they were teething.

Best advice I can give is freeze meals now as you can, because there will be days you are too tired to do anything other than throw food in the oven (micro or otherwise) later. Don't worry too much about following others' advice because your babies will be their own wonderful little beings and what works for others may or may not work for you. Come and vent here at will when you're frustrated. Trust your gut. If you think your child should be walking, talking, whatever, and they are not, think about having them evaluated early by Early Intervention. The services are there to be used and the earlier you can take advantage of it, the easier it is for them to catch up. Speech and language delays are quite common in multiples--another book I found very helpful (will also help with feeding) is No One Ever Told Me (or my Mother) That. I know at the beginning it's very difficult, but keep in mind there is only one you. To help take care of them, you need to take care of you too. Good luck!