Becoming a parent requires careful planning, more so in the case of multiple births, says parent coach and senior social worker Steve Libreri

Having children is a unique experience. It is even more unique when the parents are expecting multiples.

In recent years, high order births – which are multiple births of twins, triplets or more – have seen an increase, following the introduction of new fertility techniques which have tripled statistics of multiple births. The only decrease is in the birth of four or more children, which have become statistically more uncommon.

High order births are unique in many respects. They present idiosyncratic dimensions at every stage, particularly during pregnancy, but also after birth and during childhood.

Adequate preparation is key for parents to adjust to the coming of the new babies. Like most new parents, parents of multiples follow the pattern of research during pregnancy to accumulate information which can be useful for them both during the process of the pregnancy and afterwards.

Resources are widely available in a variety of formats, ranging from ante-natal and other parenting courses to documentaries, books and magazines, all offering extensive information about expectations during every stage of the process. Some sources are medically oriented and offer insights into the realities of the pregnancy and labour. Other material offers reflections about the journey of parenting.

Essentially, the body of literature presents a highly valid option for those with an interest in researching the topic and boosting their preparation for what is to come.

A recent qualitative study conducted by the Willingness Malta team suggests that parents of multiples felt that their preparation was either insufficient or not entirely appreciative of the differences between caring for one baby and multiples.

While the research confirms the benefits of the available resources, suggesting that those who do not access information are at an even more disadvantaged position, it also highlighted the perceived inadequacy of the material when it comes to describe the uniqueness of caring for twins.

Parents of multiples felt that their preparation was either insufficient or not entirely appreciative of the differences between caring for one baby and multiples

A number of scholars have argued that the rarity of multiple births has created a market which seems to target primarily singleton pregnancy. This means that in general it is much easier to find information on singleton babies than on two or more children.

An example of such information are the campaigns on breastfeeding. Rightly so, there has been a move in favour for breastfeeding babies. The health and nutritional value has been validated in many studies and a good number of parents prefer to adopt this practice. While the advantages of breastfeeding singleton babies are clearly explained, this is not as straightforward for mothers with twins or more. Cooper (1997) suggests that the practice is possible – however, specific techniques and physical arrangements are necessary for a successful breastfeed with multiples.

It is for this reason that a group of professionals from Willingness Malta have dedicated their efforts to compile a portfolio of information to form the basis of a workshop intended to help parents about to have multiples to better prepare for their family’s new journey. This workshop highlights the tacit complexities of caring for more than one baby and introduces the audience to a number of strategies which have been considered game changers in the parenting of multiples.

The ultimate aim of this initiative is to provide an accessible platform for these parents to have real information about what it feels like to have multiples. In so doing, the Willingness Malta team hopes to help parents reduce feelings of shock, which has been an astoundingly frequent report by many of the parents of twins.

Hopefully, a well-prepared parent should be able to better face the challenges of multiple births and as a result enhance the enjoyment of the experience of parenting their children.

■ A workshop on multiple births will be held at Razzett l-Antik, Qormi at 6pm on Thursday. The main speaker will be counsellor Anna Catania. This workshop is one in a series of Parentopedia workshops organised by Willingness Malta. For more information, visit the Parentopedia page on Facebook.