TwinsPlus Arabia

TwinsPlus Arabia provides support parents of multiples need

Starting a family is an experience like no other, and when your parenting journey begins with not just one new bundle of joy, but twins, or in my case, three and, for others, even more, coming along at the same time, it’s a whole other experience.

While having children close together in age is not unusual, parents of multiples (twins, triplets or more) face a whole new dynamic, with different pre and postnatal support required to start with, and the kind of support that cannot end in the delivery room.

Raising a family of multiples brings with it a very different kind of challenge to those who welcome single babies, and of course, double or even triple the joy. The kind of support needed when having twins or more is varied, and it was my own learning curve that led me to start TwinsPlus Arabia after having my triplets in Dubai 12 years ago. TwinsPlus Arabia is the first and only regional community organization supporting parents of multiples in the GCC. Established in 2011, we now have a membership base of over 2,200 families that empowers 47 different nationalities (at the last count) in their journey to parenthood and beyond covering fertility, pre and postnatal support alongside healthcare, mental well-being and family-based activities, discounts, in-person events, online support and products that make larger family life easier.

It’s easy to think that the needs of parents of multiples are surely the same as any other families, just intensified or ‘twice the work’; and the support required is similar too, but I say otherwise. TwinsPlus Arabia has grown to work alongside the professional sector to include a network of healthcare professionals and is seeking to partner with governmental agencies and forge relationships with providers beyond the region to be able to help more families in the GCC. Cross-cultural differences and language barriers mean that many are still not aware of the resources and the support available to them; not to mention they need a network of other multiple parents to become friends with, and of course, for a helping hand. 

The rate of multiple births — twins, triplets and above — has continued to rise worldwide over the past three decades. These families face significant challenges from pregnancy through birth and the first five years of their babies’ lives. However, there is little existing, evidence-based knowledge of these issues, leading to an under-estimation of the struggles of multiple-birth families and inadequate support for them. 

Here is a list of avenues to find support:

Small and Mighty Babies A community group of mothers who have experienced first hand the NICU journey and offer support and care to those families anticipating a premature birth, currently in NICU or who have recently come home.

TwinsPlus Arabia – An all-encompassing community support group via Facebook for parents of twins, triplets or more, for experienced advice, friendship, playdates and so much more.

Mighty Multiples – Antenatal classes specifically designed to support pregnancy, birth and early parenthood with twins, triplets or more. Email [email protected] for info with online and private classes available.

TwinsPlusArabia.comis the Middle East’s only curated site for twins and  triplets where you can rent a hospital grade breast pump, buy twin and triplet strollers and get bulk deals – registered families of multiples can avail a special discount code.

In person meet ups – Every Wednesday Twins Plus Arabia holds a weekly support breakfast created for those whose path to or through pregnancy, birth and parenting may have been a little ‘different’ but welcoming of all expectant and new mums seeking support and community.   

Breastfeeding Support Lala Langtry White provides peer counselling support to enhance confidence and success in breastfeeding 

Grab a bargain with the TwinsPlus Arabia Buy, Sell and Swap group. Lots of preloved items and sell your own outgrown items too. 

Livehealthymag.com is for every body and mind in the UAE. This magazine is all about moderation, making small changes, little additions and the odd subtraction.

Search

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Receive our newsletters right in your inbox.