Please click below for frequently asked questions related to Infants & Toddlers.
Multiples in the NICU
- Will my multiples need to stay in the NICU, and if so, for how long?
- The doctors and nurses tell me how big my babies are in grams, but I’m more familiar with pounds and ounces. Where can I find out how to convert grams to pounds and ounces?
- What are the most common complications my multiple birth infants will face?
- What do all these medical acronyms mean doctors use when referring to my multiples’ medical conditions and treatments?
- I feel like I am an outsider in my babies’ lives since the nurses and doctors are taking care of them. With so many, how can I be more involved and keep track of what is happening since I am not at the hospital 24 hours a day?
- How do I deal with the insurance issues and hospital bills?
- Can parents of multiples participate in skin to skin (kangaroo) care?
- How do I visit one or more multiple in the hospital once the one or more of the other babies go home?
- Can two or more of my multiples share a crib?
- Do multiples do better on a set schedule?
- Should I choose a pediatrician who specializes in multiples?
- Will I need volunteers or paid help to care for so many infants?
- What is the best way to manage volunteers who offer to help when the babies come home?
- How much baby equipment will I need for triplets or more?
- Where can I find a stroller that will hold more than 2 babies?
- Do companies offer multiple birth families discounts or special offers?
- How do I manage transportation and car seats for all these babies?
- Will my children’s development be based on an adjusted or corrected age that factors in the number of weeks the babies are born premature? If so, for how long?
- How do I deal with congratulations from friends and families while my babies are in the NICU, but I’m not quite ready to celebrate?
Breastfeeding
- Will I be able to breastfeed my new triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets, sextuplets?
- Where should I begin when deciding if I want to breastfeed?
- Why should I nurse so many babies?
- How do I provide pumped breast milk if my babies are too small to breastfeed?
- Will I have enough milk to feed ALL of my babies?
- Will I be able to breastfeed two of my babies at once?
- Will my babies be able to nurse if they are premature?
Questions from Friends, Family and the Public
- What do I say when I suspect friends and family members are afraid to send their congratulations because the babies have complications and needed to stay in the NICU?
- What is the best way to handle unwanted attention when out in public with multiples? Also, what do I do if I think someone is pretending to be a multiple birth family (faker/hoax) to get attention or donations from me?
- How do I respond to questions like “are your multiples natural” or “you must be finished now”? Also, what is the best approach for telling my multiples about their conception?
- I received a great deal of help and support from other families of multiples during my multiple birth pregnancy and shortly after. How can I help another family through this process?
Toddlers
- Should I be concerned about the development of one or more of my multiples?
- Does being a multiple affect language development like developing Twin-Talk?
- How do I baby proof my home and car for multiples?
- How do I potty train multiples?
- When and how should I transition my multiples from cribs to beds?
- What is the best way to travel with toddler multiples?
- What are some ways to help each multiple feel special?
- Is raising triplets three times as hard as raising a single child?
- How do I make one on one time with each child and my spouse?
- Will my multiples fight each other, and what can I do?
Please Note: Raising Multiples provides these FAQs for informational purposes and cautions visitors not to use the content below to make treatment decisions without personally consulting a qualified health care provider. Reuse of this content without proper citation is a violation of copyright. To obtain permission to use this content contact us.