Hello! Here today to talk about all the best parts of raising triplets, and the few not so great parts! Being a mama to triplets has without a doubt changed me as a person, and opened my eyes to SO MANY things I never even knew existed.
(yes, I’m very aware that many of these qualities apply to siblings in general, regardless of age difference. This is just my take on my three girls, and how being a triplet sister may be different than being a sister. Please don’t be offended and don’t send me hate mail. Now that that’s said, let’s move on.)
First of all, I love that they naturally have built-in BFFs for life. They will always be there for each other, even when they ‘hate’ each other during the teen years. I know they will fight. They already fight over toys. But they also show love to one another in the sweetest ways that melt me every time. Even just a few moments after a toy-fight, they’re already back to playing together and working as a team. Yes, I know it won’t always be that way and eventually they will hold grudges for longer, but I also believe they will always stand up for one another and share a love that only triplets can share. I mean, they’ve literally been together since conception. That’s a unique bond that very few people get to share.
Being triplets means they always have someone to play with. They don’t depend on me to entertain them, which is really nice sometimes! I love watching them imagine together and pretend to save each other from apparently tragic situations. I love that they entertain themselves for the most part, but they also are comfortable in individual play. They are literally never bored. There’s always something to do and someone to do it with. Because they are the same age, they are interested in the same games and adventures and shows. This may be different from other siblings who are a couple years apart as they might have differing ideas of play.
On that note, I love how triplets learn to share from the very beginning. They’ve shared everything, literally everything, since they were in my womb. They never got to experience life without a sibling. There are very few items in our house that belong to just one child. This is different from other families because a first sibling gets everything to themselves until baby comes. And even then, the baby toys are different than the 3 year old’s toys, etc. And yes, I know other kids still fight over toys. I’m not that dumb. But I do think maybe multiples understand sharing at a younger age than other children. Plus, they kinda just don’t have a choice. (Disclaimer: my kids are not perfect; they are human and they fight just like everyone else.)
I love how every time Pressley sneaks into the cookies (or whatever treats she finds when she breaks the rules and slides a chair over to the counter) she always gets three and shares with each of her sisters. She is so adamant about making sure everyone gets one that she will chase them into other rooms to hand them the treat before she takes a bite of her own. (It’s also kinda hard to be mad at her when she’s being so sweet…. now I wonder if she does that to make me less mad… currently reevaluating my parenting skills.)
I love the way they care for each other, and genuinely miss one another when separated (which is rare). Occasionally, we will split them up and I’ll take 1 or 2 with me somewhere while Brandon has the other(s). They LOVE the extra attention when sisters aren’t around, but they also ask quite often where the other one is and what she’s doing. When they’re reunited, they act like they’ve been apart for months. It’s kinda hysterical and precious and adorable all at the same time. They are very aware that all things should be done in three’s, and whether or not the third sister has brushed her teeth yet. Even if we forget how many we’ve done, we are quickly reminded that “NO BUGGY HASN’T GONE YET IT’S BUGGY TURN!” I love that they genuinely feel sad for the sister that is hurt, and want to give hugs and kiss booboos and get bandaids for her. They love to return a ‘lost’ cup or toy to the girl who’s been looking for it.
My kids are all in the same life stage all at the same time. When we potty train in a few weeks, I’ll be done with diapers forever. They were a giant part of our budget for 2.5 years but I’ll never have to do it again! My kids will all start school at the same time, which in turn means they will all finish at the same time. They’ll go to college, and I’ll be an empty nester immediately (okay, this part is actually really sad and I’ll be lonely, so someone needs to be prepared to be my friend in 2034). It’s definitely chaotic right now, and I’m sure it always will be, but I kinda like the fact that they enter and exit life stages together.
Financially, I assume triplets are more expensive because I had to have three of most things (cribs, seats, swings, etc), whereas other mamas could save items and pass them down to each baby. Don’t even get me started on clothes… having three girls in the same size means, again, that we need triple the amount of clothes. I will say, though, that we have been extremely fortunate with some awesome friends in town that have passed on their girls’ clothes to us which definitely helps the budget!
Quite possibly one of the best things about having triplets, THREE-FOR-ONE pregnancy!! I’m definitely not one of those people who loved being pregnant and wants to do it a million times. I actually kinda hated it. Granted, I have never have a “normal” (singleton) pregnancy so I have nothing to compare this to. However, I was deathly ill for 20 weeks. Migraines every day, so sick I’d puke. Couldn’t hardly eat anything, yet was constantly pressured by my husband and doctors to eat more protein. My 120 lb. body was supposed to take in 3000 calories and 130 grams of protein a day. I had three blood-clotting disorders and had to give myself shots each day. I’ll spare you the details, but there were also major complications after delivery. All in all, I’m incredibly grateful for the experience ((only)) because it brought me my three babies, but I really do not desire to go through that again.
People ask me what it was like to have three newborns, and how in the world did I do it?! My answer usually is “a whole lot of Jesus!” Yes, it was absolutely crazy having three newborns with the same needs at the same time. (Again, I feel incredibly blessed with our community and family that surrounded us and supported us when we needed it most.) One thing that makes me sad about having triplets is that I didn’t get the opportunities to snuggle and just watch baby sleep and admire all the little movements and noises and facial expressions. I couldn’t rock one baby to sleep because I knew I couldn’t rock 3 babies to sleep every time. I didn’t keep track of how many minutes baby ate on each side and the number of wet vs poopie diapers. (by the way, they all grew and lived so I kinda feel like that’s unnecessary, but to each his own.) We went through a gazillion diapers every day. Nighttime feedings took 90 minutes each time and I still had to pump after nursing. (Shout out to rockstar hubby who did all the feedings with me) The newborn months were more like survival mode for us, and there was just not a lot of time for cuddles and admiration and watching baby sleep so peacefully. Jumping into instant “zone-coverage” for parents requires tremendous teamwork, and I’m lucky my teammate was all hands on deck.
Sooooo…. Besides the constant craziness and chaos and crying, having triplets is the best and I think everyone should do it 🙂
Check out my post on what I’ve learned from raising triplets as well as my favorite baby products and favorite toddler products!
