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In This Issue: SUPERTWINS 18 2 |
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FEATURES |
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Communicating with Your Health Insurance Company
This article contains critical information for all families, especially families of multiples, about working with your health insurance company. The article offers tips on communications, walks through the appeals process, and has an extensive Q&A section developed from real questions asked by multiple birth families. See Part 1 of this series titled ‘Health Insurance 101’.
Resources on Health Insurance:
MOST Celebrates 20 Years (Read the series online now! PDF)
Take a trip down memory lane with three more MOST families featured on the cover of MOST’s SUPERTWINS Magazine over the years. Find out how they are doing today!
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EXPECTING MULTIPLES |
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What You Need to Know About the Terbutaline Pump
Many expectant mothers of multiples are prescribed the Terbutaline Pump or T-Pump to help prevent or treat preterm labor. This article provides information about this important medication and treatment as well as comments on the T-Pump from two Perinatologists who regularly provide prenatal care for mothers expecting, triplets, quadruplets and more.
You’re Expecting What?
Part #3 in our series of stories from MOST families on the day they found out they were expecting higher-order multiples. This issue contains two ‘Expecting What’ stores: one from a mother of quintuplets and one from a mother of triplets. Funny, heartwarming, and each one a gem, these short stories are sure to be a popular SUPERTWINS feature.
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THAT WAS THEN THIS IS NOW |
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The Leamons
From birth to sixth grade, journey with the Leamons as they tell us about their triplets and the early surgeries, endless diaper changes, multiple family challenges, and what they are looking forward to today.
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MEDICAL NEWS |
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- Parents’ Experiences Concerning the Care of Their Premature Infants in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
- Maternal Caffeine Consumptions Raises Miscarriage Risk
- Gestational Diabetes Does Not Always Raise Subsequent Diabetes Risk
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IN THE BEGINNING - INFANTS |
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Reflections on My First Year as a Quad Mom
A mom of quadruplets and an older son reflects on the past year. Find out how her miracles have grown and developed their own personalities. Read how the family faced not only the arrival of quadruplets, but moved to a new city, started a new business, and sent big brother off to Kindergarten. Despite the all-night feedings, endless diaper changes, and constant juggling, mom wouldn’t change a thing!
Tips for Helping a New Family of Multiples
This article contains a variety of tips to help volunteers understand the unique challenges and joys facing new parents of multiples. This volunteer opportunity can be a special experience for everyone who shares this precious time together, so MOST provides these tips to help volunteers learn how best to help families facing the challenge of caring for three, four, five, or more special newborns. The article also makes a great handout for families who have individuals wanting to help during those early months.
Resources for Volunteers:
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TODDLER TIMES |
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Group Hugs and Ring Around the Rosie: Keeping Toddler Multiples Entertained
How do you keep three, four, or more toddlers entertained? Do families of triplets have more fun? Learn the secrets every family of multiples knows, but are sometimes to busy to remember. Take on the challenging toddler phase with a sense of wonder and adventure. Even learn a few new tricks along the way!
Resources on Immunizations
Guide Me! The Abstract Art of Finding the Right Toddler Management Book
Writer Elizabeth Lyons is on a quest to find the perfect toddler management book. After trying over 8 books, find out which ones worked for her, and what you might want to look for in book for your multiples.
Resources for Books:
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SCHOOL AGE QUANADRIES |
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Chores and Multiples
A mom of triplets plus one tells MOST families how she launched a chore program with her multiples and why you should too! Don’t miss the special chart listing age-appropriate chores for children ranging from 12 months to 6-years-old.
Resources on Family Chores:
Beautiful Music
Do your multiples want to learn to play music? If so, this is the article for you. A middle school music teacher, and mother of 4, including triplets, offers her advice on playing beautiful music. Learn what to look for when buying instruments, how you can safely save money and what not to skimp on. Also learn how to handle those all important music lessons, and what you can do to help.
Ask the School Psychologist
One parent asks why her middle school children suddenly started behaving like absent minded professors. Jennifer Brout, psychologist responds with great advice on how to help children during this transitional phase develop the organizational skills they need.
Student Book Review
Looking for a good book for summer reading about travel? Don’t miss 11-year-old Rebecca’s review of the book Teddy’s Travels: America’s National Parks
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SPECIAL IN MANY WAYS |
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A Kiss on the Head: Our Journey through Early Intervention
Her triplets were born at a robust 32 weeks and all weighing over 3 pounds. Despite this good start, her daughter suffers a Grade III Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH) in the NICU. Learn how this mom responds to the news, and how she vows to advocate for her daughter’s progress beginning with services from an Early Intervention program. This story is bound to touch you heart.
Early Intervention Programs and Multiples
This complementary article on Early Invention covers the basics of Early Invention using a Q & A format. Learn what EI is, who qualifies, what services are offered, by whom, and much more. This information is a must-have for all families of higher-order multiples and is also part of MOST’s Infant Multiples booklet
Resources for Early Intervention (EI):
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WOMAN-TO-WOMAN |
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Learn to Avoid Over-committing Yourself
Do you feel overwhelmed? Do you regret saying yes almost as soon as you say it? If so, learn how to avoid over-committing yourself by following a few simple steps to help you establish which activities best align with your priorities, evaluate and compromise on requests, and understand what the consequences of over-commitment truly are.
Resources on Running a Multiple Birth Household:
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FATHERS FORUM |
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Don’t Run in the House
A father of 7, including quadruplets, shares a tale of what really happens when children run in the house. His story starts as a rambunctious romp and ends with a heartwarming moment between multiples.
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SIBLING SPOTLIGHT |
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Will’s Role Model
A young man tells a story about his younger cousins: triplets born 3 months premature, and how one cousin, after facing a variety of challenges since his birth 11 years ago serves as his role model today. Learn how the courage of this tiny preemie inspired his cousin to know what to fight for and to never give up.
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WHAT’S HAPPENING AT MOST |
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MOST Family Support Forum
The MOST Family Support Forums have surpassed 17,000 posts and are still growing. Come join our thriving online community and share your questions and insights with other parents of multiples.
What’s New at MOSTonline.org
Great information is being posted to www.MOSTonline.org all the time. See where to get the latest news about multiple births families, check out our new membership renewal options, visit the ALL NEW MOST Supertwins Store, and more!
Adopt A Family 2007: A Huge Success
Read about the families served, the program donations, and see a collection of photos from the volunteers who made it all possible. Also be sure to read just some of the touching thank you letters received from adopted families.
Area Coordinator (AC) from Kentucky
MOST introduces our Area Coordinator from Kentucky: a mother of 4, including a 22-year-old son and 20-year-old triplets. Learn more about multiples in Kentucky and read this MOST Area Coordinator’s story.
MOST Volunteers: Area Coordinators (AC) Listing, Resource Volunteer Topics
See lists of both MOST volunteer resources: the local Area Coordinators who help families in there area, and our resource volunteers who help families facing specific issues.
Donors and Announcements
Find out whose generous support is making all the efforts at MOST possible! Also be sure to catch-up on which families are expecting multiples, announcing the birth of their multiples, or who have just joined MOST.
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LOST ANGELS |
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MOST says goodbye to a 90-year old triplet, a 1-year-old triplet who sadly contracted pneumonia after surviving her preterm birth*, a mother and of triplets who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly, as well as a important leader in the multiple birth community. See our Memorial Page for more information about some of these losses. *Don’t miss a father’s tribute to his 1-year-old daughter.
Raising Higher-Order Multiples After a Loss Part 2: Teaching Survivors About Siblings
Beth Pector, MD offers SUPERTWINS readers a poignant and candid look at life after loss for families of higher-order multiples. This article, the second in the series, was developed from a joint study conducted by Dr. Pector, Jean Kollantai of the Center for Loss in Multiple Birth (CLIMB), and Maureen Boyle and Pam Chay of MOST. Part 2 discusses the emotional impact and needs of surviving siblings.
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STORIES FROM THE HEART OF MOST (MOST member-only forum) |
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SUPERTWINS Cover Families
Find out who our front and back cover photo families are for this issue including our cover family featuring 18-year-old quintuplets, and our back cover family with 4-year-old triplets.
Kids Say the Darndest Things!
An adorable tale of life from the point of view of a singleton whose family is dominated by multiples. Exactly what do you call yourself when you are the only singleton in a house with both surviving quadruplets and twins? Find out!
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Updated 5/01/08
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