Tips to prepare for Triplets first months

Here are some tips to prepare for triplets' first months (from my experience)-

1. Prepare your home- you will not have time for this after  the babies arrive. So during your pregnancy, make arrangements to do some modifications  to the house and furniture. Try to arrange a space with good light and ventilation, where you can put a carpet on the floor and lay the babies. A comfortable chair close by, so you can feed them.

You need a counter with a tap and sink where you can place babies' bath tub and wash the baby without having to bend down. All necessary toiletries should be kept close by.

You should have cot sides so babies won't fall down. Find out nice spaces where you can have cribs placed.

2. Baby blues and postpartum depression- This is for the daddy. Your wife might be depressed and anxious for quite a few days after the babies' birth. Be patient with her. If you are not, then it can result in her being even more depressed, and that can be for a longer period, with at times, dangerous results. It is quite understandable that with three infants at home, the whole family will be very busy tending to their needs. But instead of concentrating all your attention to the babies, make the mom happy and energetic by giving her abundant love, so she can easily tend to the babies' needs- and you will be surprised to find that she can tend to them in a much better way. 

3. Feeding the babies- Read the post on formula feeding. If you are lucky to produce enough milk for the babies, then work out a schedule for feeding. If you have decided on formula feeding- 

- Be aware of the quantity of milk- consult the neonatologist or pediatrician

- Be careful to sterilize the bottle after each feeding.

- Take rotations in feeding. If you are feeding Baby- A in the morning, and daddy is feeding Baby-B and granny feeding Baby-C, in the afternoon, change it so you feed Baby-B, daddy Baby- C and so on. Look at the baby and smile and speak softly or sing softly while s/he feeds. It builds up a very strong bond.

4. Diapers- Read the post on diaper use. I personally find them to be very helpful. But you can always potty- train babies sooner, if you have the time and patience.

5. Monthly budget- Be aware of the financial demands- Roughly you should budget for the new life. Assuming that you are feeding babies formula alone, you will need one tin formula for three days in the beginning. After 3 o 6 months you all need one tin per day until they are three years old. That is Rs.400/- per tin, makes Rs.12,000/- per moth on formula alone. Then if you are going for diapers full time, you will need two packets (20 numbers) average, per day (for triplets). That is another Rs.6,000/- Other expenses like salary to the nanny (if you have one), baby clothes, feeding bottles, medicines/ visits to doctor, toys etc. will be additional to your monthly expenses, which itself may increase due to increased use of electricity, water use etc. Roughly an additional average expense of Rs.35,000/- can be expected in the first six months to one year.

    

Baby-A.

Baby- B

Baby- C

6. You may find these items very useful in the coming months-

a. Good quality Feeding Bottles
b. A good quality Breast pump (Philips Avent Breast Pumps Manual Breast Pump I recommend this,     eventhough for me it was of no use), and Nursing Bra 

c. Baby carriers (Chicco Soft and Dream Baby Carrier New Fire (Maroon) - We did not use these        much either, but they are very useful while travelling or doing house chores)

d. Car seats

e. Re-usable diapers

f. Travel bag for babies

g. A basket in which bottles and food can be kept without spilling during travelling

h. A nappy changing table

i. Baby pacifiers

j. Baby nail cutter

k. A good audio/music player and CDs of lullabies. (our trio still need 'Omana thinkal kidavo..' to sleep)

l. Baby beds and cribs

m. Baby bath tub
n. High chairs for feeding
o  Potty
p. Baby hair trimmer (these last three items you will need only after several months)

and of course, toys, clothes, towels, absorbent mats, wet wipes etc.
 There are online stores providing specialized items for multiples. Good collection and very useful items, you can check them out. They are towards the expensive side, though.

7. See post on the Architecture for multiples

The trio

Baby A and B

Our babies were always made to lie down  on their belly, which was good in many ways. There is a risk called SIDS, but this happens only when we leave the baby unattended, in a situation where s/he can get hold of something that might choke her/him. We were always careful about this. 

As for me, a lady comes now to bathe the babies as well as me, a Kerala special postpartum care package. Feels good. She bathes me after applying turmeric, Rakthachandanam and coconut oil, and then feeds me hot rice mixed with raw moringa  leaves (drumstick tree), supposed to increase breastmilk. This, and many other tablets that I have had has no effect on the milk supply, but at least it feels good to have this hot rice and then breastfeed my babies (they latch on and try to drink, but I suspect all they get is gas) sitting on the bed. It creates a special bond between us. Blessed custom! 

We named them Suryanarayanan, Devasaraswathy and Balavinayakan. We call them Raman, Kutty and Balu.

The days are now too hectic, a lot of pressure on all of us, a lot of discords in the house, depression, health problems and so on. But this too shall pass.

Breastfeeding vs Formula

NEXT: One month old weights