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What will I need and what should I buy?
The lists on page 25 of the Preparing for Parenthood Guide are very useful and mostly relevant for your triplets. However some things we feel you might want to consider...
Sleeping equipment
Three Moses baskets take up a lot of space and can provide costly especially as the as the babies will soon grow out of them. Maybe consider rearranging your downstairs to put a cot bed in your living area. This will allow all 3 babies to sleep together and also then be able to be used when they are older for one of them to sleep in. Another cot can then be used upstairs for all three and then you will only have one more cot to buy as they get bigger and need separating. Another example is one cot and one moses basket so you can have two sharing (this will last longer than all three sharing). It is important that they have a safe space to sleep in your living area as well as your bedroom to follow safe sleep guidance.Bouncy chairs
These are a really useful piece of equipment for triplet parents as they act as another person to hold the babies. Bear in mind that when your babies first come home they will most probably be quite small so make sure when choosing a chair it is suitable from birth and check the weights. As they get older they will be able go in any chairs so I would consider only buying one or two to start with and then get another as they get bigger. (The ones for bigger babies are also often cheaper so this will also save you some money).Feeding pillows
You can buy double feeding pillows but many triplet parents find investing in two single ones can often be more useful as you can have one baby either side of you and still hold one. The double ones are great for feeding two babies at once but you generally have to sit in front of them which makes it difficult if you are holding baby number 3! This again isn’t essential and it might be worth buying one single one first to see if your babies like them. Again be mindful of the babies size, they often work better as the babies get a bit bigger also it is not advised to let them sleep in them.Play mat / baby gym
This is not essential for when they first come home however having one in the house to be prepared is not a bad thing. Please don’t go out and buy three. As the babies start to have more time playing they will be able to be rotated round different areas and equipment so one of these is plenty. Maybe consider buying one of the larger ones so then at times the babies can all go on it under supervision.
As they got bigger I found having different play equipment to put the babies in before they could move themselves was really helpful. I had a jumparoo, a bouncy chair, a play mat and a bumbo type seat and would rotate them around giving them different things to do whilst always making sure they were safe
Transportation
Buying a pram is an expensive process and it is important to be realistic before you part with your cash. Getting out and about with baby triplets is hard and even though it is something that you will be able to do alone, to start with it is most likely you will want support and an extra pair of hands with you. Many of our triplet parents often buy a double and a single pram. This allows flexibility and allows someone to be able to take one or two babies out easily or two people can take all three. If you then want to take them all out together maybe consider using a sling for one baby and the double pram. The triple pushchairs on the market are big and often very heavy but some parents have found them a god send. Just make sure you do your research before parting with your cash. If you are expecting quads again 2 double pushchairs could be purchased but often the quad buggies even though they are heavy and big would be the best option. They are expensive but double slings are quite tricky when trying to deal with two other babies at once and may make getting out and about even more tricky.
Car: Being safe when travelling by car is essential so whilst we advise for lots of equipment to be bought second hand, car seats should be bought new. It is also essential that they have one each. Many of our triplet parents tell us they also worried about how they afford a new car to fit all their family in. Work out if this is an essential purchase at this point, can you travel with two car seats in the back and one in the front (with the air bag off) and an adult in the back as well, if you don’t think that all three car seats will fit in the back? This should only be done as a temporary solution to spread out costs - safety guidance advises against travelling with babies in the front seat as a permanent solution if it can be avoided
Small reorganisational changes in your house can really help:
- Look at how you can optimise the space to make things as easy as possible for yourself.
- Having changing stations set up in different levels of the house means you don’t have to keep going up and down stairs and also makes it safer as you're able to watch all the babies and change them at the same time!
- Having everything you need to hand is essential to save time.
Other top tips from triplet parents...
"Minimise your most used rooms of clutter to make it easier to keep clean and organised as when the babies come you need to do the bare minimal."
"Online shopping is essential. Start whilst pregnant so you can set up shopping lists."
"Buy a tumble drier if you can. Not having clothes hanging everywhere all the time kept my head clear and made me feel less stressed."