Thursday, May 10, 2012

1+2=triblings

ok. We finally are out of the first trimester and can breathe a bit (13wks tomorrow so we are looking at an October trip to India). We have been keeping one thing close to the vest (some people actually guessed it). One of our surrogates is pregnant with twins. That is three all together!!!!! We are excited, scared, grateful, panicked, and ready for the babies to come--all at once. We finally told our friends and families and the reaction has mostly been "how are you going to take care of three babies at once?" We say we don't know exactly but we know it will work out. It might be a bit of of a rough first year but in the end M and I will have the family we have always dreamed of. We are trying to figure out a bit about logistics (i.e. will we need to be in India longer? if so, how will we deal with work? how will we transport the triblings?) so if anyone has any advice or experience that would be wonderful. I think we will have to join some triplet forums. Overall we are excited and grateful to the clinic, the doctors and the lovely surrogates carrying our children.

Here are some pics. (actually pics of pics to hide surrogate details for their privacy)




11 comments:

  1. Congrats on 13 weeks! Huge milestone! We are right behind you 12 weeks tomorrow for us! Congrats on 3 precious miracles, that is so amazing and you guys will definitely figure it out and it will be hard but WONDERFUL! Congrats again!

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  2. Huge congrats on your triblings! (Love that name) I don't have any advice for you, but I think your idea to join some triplet forums is a good one. This I do know...you'll figure it out and all will be well. I always remind myself of this when I'm worried about how I'll handle something. All will be well. :0)

    Take care.

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  3. Wow - THREE! WEEEEEEEEEE!

    My partner and I were in India around October in 2009 and the weather was wonderful. Congrats on getting out of the first TRI and good luck with the rest of the pregnancy.

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  4. YAY FOR TRIBLINGS! So happy for you guys!!!!

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  5. Congratulations.
    I know a fair amount about this topic!!! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to connect. (faithtovishwas@gmail.com)
    I can promise you that you'll be very busy...
    Re baby pick up, you'll need another person to come along with you because the airlines only permit one baby per lap, unless you buy a seat for the third baby.
    Best wishes.

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    1. thanks I will hit you soon with a list of questions

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  6. Robert,
    Two things that might help while it is still fresh in my memory.
    1. We booked seats via United Airlines next to each other in the bulk head row to utilize a bassinet for the twins. Ultimately, the flight crew made one of us move because they said there is only one infant oxygen mask in the row. John ended up sitting 7 rows back so we should of each had a diaper bag. Instead, we ended up running back and forth to share diapers, wipes, etc. I swear I remember seeing 2 bassinets and 2 infants in the same row on our last trip to India. Perhaps it was a different type of aircraft.
    2. We brought enough of the premixed baby formula in 60 ml bottles for the babies' trips to the US Embassy, the FRRO officee, and plane trip home. It just makes it easier no to have to mix formula and clean bottles when you are away from home - especailly with multiples. You use a one time disposable nipple for each bottle. I bought the formula and nipples from the Similac website. Just to be safe, I bought the Similac Sensitive in case one of the twins had digestion issues. In India, however, we used the same powdered formula the twins were fed at the hospital. It was called Pre-Nan and later Nan 1 - both made by Nestle. They had no problems tolerating it. It is sold in grocery stores. The proper baby stores only seemed to sell Western brands like Similac and Enfamil which are pricier in India.
    Once again, Congrats! Gregg & John in Harlem

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  7. Robert,
    Two things that might help while it is still fresh in my memory.
    1. We booked seats via United Airlines next to each other in the bulk head row to utilize a bassinet for the twins. Ultimately, the flight crew made one of us move because they said there is only one infant oxygen mask in the row. John ended up sitting 7 rows back so we should of each had a diaper bag. Instead, we ended up running back and forth to share diapers, wipes, etc. I swear I remember seeing 2 bassinets and 2 infants in the same row on our last trip to India. Perhaps it was a different type of aircraft.
    2. We brought enough of the premixed baby formula in 60 ml bottles for the babies' trips to the US Embassy, the FRRO officee, and plane trip home. It just makes it easier no to have to mix formula and clean bottles when you are away from home - especailly with multiples. You use a one time disposable nipple for each bottle. I bought the formula and nipples from the Similac website. Just to be safe, I bought the Similac Sensitive in case one of the twins had digestion issues. In India, however, we used the same powdered formula the twins were fed at the hospital. It was called Pre-Nan and later Nan 1 - both made by Nestle. They had no problems tolerating it. It is sold in grocery stores. The proper baby stores only seemed to sell Western brands like Similac and Enfamil which are pricier in India.
    Once again, Congrats! Gregg & John in Harlem

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  8. Thanks Guys. That is great advice. Does that mean if they are on Pre-Nan or Nan-1 we can give them Simlac sensitive just for day of FRRO?

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  9. They were on Pre-Nan when they were first discharged because they were pre-mies. When they started to put on weight, the doctor said we could switch to Nan-1. We fed them them the Similac Sensitive the day we had to take them to the US Embassy for DNA testing, the day we took them to the FRRO, the days we had to take them back to the doctor for two follow-up appointments, and for the flight home. They had no problem taking the 2 different formulas. I opted for the Similac Sensitive because John is lactose intolerant and I thought the babies may be too. I didn't see pre-mixed bottles of any brand in India so I'm glad we brought them. Don't forget the nipples are sold separately.
    You'll need to bring the babies to the FRRO for your morning appointment. They specifically asked to see them. They told us that we didn't need to bring them back in the afternoon when we returned to pick up the VISA.
    John just informed me that there is a bulkhead row back by the restrooms on the plane that can accommodate 2 bassinets and they may have 2 infant oxygen masks. Due to the long processing time of the DNA tests, we had to re-book our return flight and could only get the bulkhead row that could accommodate only one bassinet. Perhaps thats why there was only one infant oxygen mask in that row. Just make sure you are in the correct bulkhead row when booking.

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