The End of Premature Births?
Scientists do not know exactly how or why labor begins during a full term pregnancy, what magic switch starts the birthing process. But researchers at the University of Sheffield’s Medical School in the United Kingdom may have found it.
While researching experimental drugs called histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), which stop uterine contractions once they begin, scientists discovered a chemical called TNF. TNF is naturally produced by a woman’s body and released once the uterus gets too inflamed, causing the contractions that begin labor. TNF actually caused muscle contractions to start again even after the HDACi drugs had successfully stopped them.
“Understanding how to prevent this inflammation, or how to stop it blocking those key genes needed to stop contraction of the womb, would lead to new treatments to prevent premature births,” said lead researcher Dr. Neil Chapman. Read the full article here.
Continue reading Medical Research Updates – Premature Birth Prevention, NEC
In honor of Mother’s day this month, we are featuring articles from some of our volunteers about various aspects of motherhood.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” the nurse on the phone asked me. “Yes,” I said tearfully. I was filling out the paperwork to donate our eleven remaining embryos and had called with questions. My husband and I had already had our HIV tests and we were confident, albeit emotional, in our decision. Five years had passed since we’d had triplets via in-vitro and now we had to give up our storage space in the freezer Continue reading An Embryo Donation Story
In honor of Mother’s day this month, we are featuring articles from some of our volunteers about various aspects of motherhood.
 Homeschooling for us was not something that I felt called to do from the beginning. I thought we would just send our little one off to school, maybe a Christian school, and that would be that. Then we had triplets. When our triplets were 18-months-old we found out we were expecting twins. We had a house full very quickly! Suddenly, a Christian school was way out of our budget. And the thought of five different schedules, five different teachers, five sets of homework and five lunches to pack – everyday – was just too much.
Then, as our children reached the age of about four, it became very clear that they would benefit from homeschooling. I had one triplet reading from the encyclopedia, one triplet rarely talking and the other triplet in between, and two little ones right behind. I started talking to my friends who were homeschooling, asking lots of questions, and we attended a state homeschool conference. There is a vast amount of information available, a variety of curriculums to choose from and tremendous support.
Our children are thriving in this atmosphere. They are each performing at grade level or above and they love the flexible schedule. They are able to take sewing, piano, swimming and gymnastics and still be done with all schoolwork before 3 p.m. I highly recommend homeschooling. And if you think you surely can’t be qualified to teach, just remember that no one knows your children like you do, no one loves them more than you do, and no one wants them to succeed more than you do. That is all the qualification you need.
 MOST thanks Sarah for being one of our trusted volunteers. Sarah became a MOST Mentor volunteer in 2012. Please meet Sarah through her introduction below.
Hi, I am an Area Coordinator for MOST from Massachusetts. My husband and I became parents for the first time when our BBG triplets were born. What a wonderful journey it has been! Continue reading Meet Sarah Rogowski a MOST volunteer
A compilation of tips from 20 years of advice from MOST families
Edited by Lauretta Shokler of TX, Mother to 2 singletons and triplets. Here are some tips, signs of readiness, and words of support from other HOM families.
Introduction: How do I potty train multiples? This common question for parents of triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets, and more is often asked with trepidation, desperation, or sometimes, just plain fear. While the process varies for each family, the first and most important facts to remember are 1) you are not alone and 2) it can be done without losing your mind. Continue reading Tricks of the Trade: Potty Training Multiples
With Daylight Saving s Time beginning again, we thought we’d ask MOST advisor Kelly Ross, MD, for some tips to get your children on the right track.*
Studies show that getting enough sleep reduces childhood injuries and obesity and improves school performance and social success. How much sleep do kids need? Use the chart below as a guide and follow the tips below.
| Age |
Hours of Sleep Needed |
| 1-4 Weeks Old |
15 – 16 |
| 1-12 Months Old |
14 – 15 |
| 1-3 Years Old |
12 – 14 |
| 3-6 Years Old |
10 – 12 |
| 7-12 Years Old |
10 – 11 |
| 12-18 Years Old |
8 – 9 |
| Adults |
7-8.5 |
1. Make a Bedtime Routine: Try the 4B’s: bath, book, breast/bottle, bed. Repeat nightly (or as much as possible) so your children’s minds and bodies can slow down and transition to sleep. Older kids can read in bed by themselves, or you can read aloud to them.
2. White Noise: Having a white noise machine or fan to create a sound barrier helps children fall asleep and stay asleep. Avoid a TV or radio because they keep the brain alert and lead to poor sleep.
3. Nighttime Tool Kit: Keeping kids in bed is important for sleeping! Children over age 3 can have a box of tissues, a flashlight that turns off when the handle is no longer squeezed, and a cup of water. This allows them to take care of their needs before falling asleep, or if they wake during the night, without getting out of bed to find you.
4. Limit Late Night Activities: Extracurricular activities that end around bedtime can derail good sleep habits. Advocate for activity times that end early enough to allow children sufficient time to transition to sleep.
*Adapted from Dr. Ross’s November 2012 article on ChildrensMD.org.
 As you might expect, most home businesses start out of convenience. When you have a large family to manage, saving time and money on commuting and childcare can really make a difference. But starting a business, whether large or small, is not easy. We asked families with multiples who run home-based businesses to share their stories and tips for success. Continue reading Families make the MOST of home-based businesses
This was originally published by MOST member Riley D. Smith in Supertwins magazine’s Father’s Forum.
For several years now I have wanted to put into writing what my personal journey as the father of a wonderful set of quadruplets has entailed. It seems that I just never really had the time, or, more likely, had not known just what I really wanted to convey. I actually did, over the course of the last eight years, sit down several times and start to write it all down, but my attempts (for whatever reason) quickly became either blocked or rapidly got bogged down in the details of this pretty hectic life we lead! Finally I decided that what I really wanted to talk about was what I personally went through, how I coped (or didn’t cope so well) with the numerous issues we were confronted with, and how I might help some of the other fathers (and fathers-to-be) meet and perhaps understand these challenges. Along the way, I was hoping that I might even learn a bit more about myself and the “how and whys” that life as the father of higher order multiples has changed me and the way I view myself as well as life in general. Continue reading It’s OK to Cry (My Journey with Higher Order Multiples)
 What is it like to have multiple teen-agers in the house? Whether you have been there, are there, or will be the following is a humorous look at life with 5 teens! Thanks Maureen Boyle for sharing your outlook. Continue reading Five Teens in the House
This is at the beginning of the program on FiOS1 NewsThank you all that gave to MOST and the Adopt A Family program this year.
Thank you so much for your gift and for celebrating this benchmark birthday with us! We have been honored and delighted to serve as a resource for support and information for you for 25 years. We have grown and changed a lot during that time and we’re looking forward to more. Please take a moment to let us know what you’d like to see MOST do next. Visit our birthday page and put your wish in the wish box. Didn’t give your birthday gift yet? There’s still time. All gifts made before December 31 st count toward your charitable giving for tax purposes. Visit our website or call 631-859-1110.
Maureen Boyle, MOST Executive Director, shares her thoughts about an unexpected but much needed gift as she starts a new chapter.
I received the most unexpected & much needed gift today- from ME (of all people). Continue reading The Most Unexpected & Much Needed Gift
 As part of our new year, new chapters theme this week, we wanted to share a terrific poem about teenagers by Linda Gober, grandmother of the Peake quadruplets and their sister. You can read it on our birthday page. Enjoy!
Are you a parent of multiples that are 3 or older?
Many multiples families struggle with the school and/or class placement of their children. Every spring, the questions start popping up, “Should we home school, send to private school, or send to public school?” “Should I put the children in the same class or separate classes?” “How do you handle the logistics of school, homework, conferences, etc.?” There is little current research on multiples in educational journals.
Lisa Share, PhD, is a full time faculty member at Walden University and a mother of triplets. She created a survey for MOST, approved by Walden University, to ask families the questions most frequently asked. She plans to share the research with multiple birth organizations. If you have multiples that are three and older who either attend school or are educated at home, please complete this survey on Survey Monkey. It will take no more than ten minutes and will help many other families who ask the same questions.
If you would share this link with any of your multiples friends or local multiples’ groups, that would be great. She would love to learn and share as much information as possible. If you have any questions, please email lisa.share@waldenu.edu.
The survey is open through October 2013.
Thanks for participating!
 As 2012 draws to a close, we’re thinking about new chapters and new years. Maybe you’ve just joined the MOST family. Maybe you’re knee-deep in school issues. Maybe you are sending your children onto the next chapter of their lives, whether it be college, the military, or the working world.
For many multiples, it is the first time they will not see each other every day.
We asked some of our multiples “veterans” and their parents to tell us how they feel about being a multiple now that they’re older. Read their comments and celebrate MOST’s new chapter (25 years of service!) with a birthday gift.
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