Playgroup set up to support parents of ‘multiples’

Thirteen babies and toddlers, made up of five pairs of twins and one set of triplets, brought a parent or two along to the ‘Sweet Peas’ session at the Styx Centre.

Home-Start manager Emma Cusack said that having support groups specifically for parents of multiple births was important because of the unique challenges they faced, that would not always be understood by parents of single children.

‘By creating this platform for parents to share tips and advice that are specific to raising multiple children at once, we aim to provide a vital network of support, advice and community that can help ease the pressures and joys of raising more than one baby at once,’ she said. ‘Home-Start wants to foster a sense of belonging and connection that make the journey more manageable and enjoyable.’

About one in 70 births are ‘multiples’. About a third of twins or triplets are identical.

Contrary to popular belief, having identical twins does not run in families. Everyone has the same chance of having identical twins – about 1 in 250.

But there are some factors that make having non-identical twins more likely.

Mums over the age of 35 are more likely to have non-identical twins because they are more likely to release more than a single egg during ovulation.

And having non-identical twins does run on a mother’s side of the family, probably because of an inherited tendency to release more than one egg.

Non-identical twins are more common in some ethnic groups, with the highest rate among Nigerians, and the lowest among the Japanese.

That first session, run by parenting charity Home-Start, had been such a success that Ms Cusack was already planning the next one.

‘It has been lovely listening to everyone share experiences and to begin to foster that community. We are already hoping to run another playgroup in the new year,’ she said. ‘These really are the island’s super mums and dads.’

• Read more in Friday’s Guernsey Press.