Surviving the First Year of Parenting Triplets
You and your spouse just found out that you are expecting triplets and this is going to be a major emotional roller coaster ride at first. Parents worry about the expense because everything now comes in three. Diapers, wipes, clothes, coats, snowsuits, shoes for the next 18 years. As overwhelming as parents are feeling, this can be a very exciting time preparing for multiple births, so it’s best to stay organized and start getting everything together as quickly as you can after you have past the first three months. In addition, parents are also going to need 3 cribs, playpens, extra dressers and plenty of space. Remember you are going to be having a big adventure when your triplets arrive. Here are some tips for the first year with your new brood of three children.
Organize
The most important thing is to be organized in the first year with your triplets. Also, outsourcing is a good idea. You will not be sleeping much so remember where all of the things you need are in the middle of the night. Try to keep everything organized and close by to the cribs of your triplets in the wee hours of the morning. There are nice cubbies you can purchase for a reasonable price and put everything you need and have these items right at the tip of your hands. This way you will be able to run your home smoothly once your family comes home. If you are not the organizational type then you can always outsource and hire someone that is an expert to help you set up your nursery for three. It’s important to outsource because you and your spouse are going to feel overwhelmed, so take advantage of hiring help, ordering items you need online, grocery shopping online, and help with your babies. Many stores deliver now or you can just run into the store and your items will be ready. Let as much go as possible. Take care of your children and keep your health up. If by chance you don’t have time to do something, let it go because it might not be important anyway.
Birth
The majority of triplets are born premature and the average pregnancy is 33 weeks. This causes the babies to actually have two different ages, their due date and their adjusted age at birth. The real age means how old they are depending on when they were born, and the adjusted age means how old they would be if they reached full term before birth. This is called the gap and isn’t as important when the triplets get older. The first year triplets reach milestones based on the development of their adjusted age. You can’t really compare your triplets to each other because they each reach their own milestones at different ages during the first year. One may walk by age one, another may still be crawling and the third one might be laid back and let the other two get them what they want. Talk to their pediatrician if you have any questions or concerns but it’s still exciting to watch how your triplets develop during the first year.
Sleep
Each baby is going to require a different amount of sleep, so keep a schedule because this can be very helpful. You might be a bit depressed because each child sleeps at a different time. You can still make a schedule and put them on the same nap and bedtimes and be a bit flexible for each child. You might have one or two that are awake or colic more than the third one and you will find that eventually triplets program themselves to sleep through their siblings crying.
Going outside
Going outside can be overwhelming at first and the best idea you can do is to create a system. The system should allow for one parent to take all three out with them on walks and errands. It might be a good idea to find someone like a relative or teen to help you with your errands and the triplets. It’s nice to have that third hand when you have three children. You are going to have bad days but having someone with you can be great fun and helpful. You should be prepared for anything when you plan a trip. This may include car problems which can be stressful. It’s important to always carry a phone and have a towing service attached to your insurance carrier or Triple AAA. Things get easier as you become more experienced dealing with three children at once. It’s good to be flexible and plan. The first year is probably going to be the easiest for getting outside with three children. Once they start walking and getting into everything, your world changes again and you better expect to start learning how to run quickly.
Make sure you baby proof
It’s crucial that you know when it’s time to baby proof. You are going to have to do some rearranging but babies are smart and can push chairs and climb and open the refrigerator at a young age. Put all medications away, buy baby proof locks for the cabinets and refrigerator, buy gates and install them and make sure everything is high enough and out of reach for the babies. Make sure you keep your doors locked and cover your screens because these kids can easily push holes through screens and open doors and go outside. You might not even know they are out, so take all precautions.
Baby Books and Journal
Some nights are going to seem to last forever and your first year with triplets might become a blur. Take pictures because babies grow fast, keep a scrapbook and write down who and when each baby did what. Write notes, take videos and hang pictures of your trio on the family wall. Have your family help you take these pictures so you and your spouse can be in the pictures as well. There are going to be days you won’t have time to shower or change but don’t worry, take the pictures anyways. In years to come, you won’t care because it’s the pictures that are important for you and your spouse. Don’t forget about the trio, because they will know how much you love them by looking at all the pictures and reading about themselves and how they grew up. Parents always look back and wonder how they survived the first years of triplets.
