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By DeAnndra Glenn
Media and Publications Department

Parenting multiple birth children presents its own assortment of unique complexities that only parents of multiples can fully understand. Multiples of America’s local chapter clubs provide resources and encouragement to parents throughout the childrearing journey. But if your local community doesn’t have a multiples club, how can you receive the support you need?

Multiples of America offers an affiliate level of membership. Hear from a few of these members, who discuss the benefits of affiliate membership.

• Debbie Ciardi is a mother of adult twins, a longtime member and volunteer for Multiples of America, who lives in Pennsylvania.
• Nancy Segal is a researcher and professor of psychology as well as the founder and director of the Twin Studies Center at California State University, Fullerton. She has authored nine books from her research on twins and she has presented for Multiples of America on many occasions.

DG: What drew you to join Multiples of America as an affiliate?

Debbie: I have been a member of Multiples of America since my identical twins were born. As a member of my local club, I found friendships, advice and companionship. My children made friends and enjoyed playdates, outings and family activities as members of the multiples community. Over the years, I held several positions as a volunteer in my local, state and national organizations.

Since moving to Pennsylvania, I found a desire to remain part of this wonderful organization. My twins are now 29 years old and on their own. I wanted to remain connected to the national organization because these ladies are my family also! With no local club near my town, I decided to join as an affiliate member.  

Dr. Segal: I am grateful for the organization’s support, which I have always received for my research. I support their goals and direction.

DG: What benefits do you enjoy from Multiples of America?

Debbie: As a member of Multiples of America, I attended the national convention in Louisville, KY. While there I was able to reconnect with several friends and enjoy the fun of being part of the group again. I can read news through their website, their Facebook group and in Multiple Connections.

Dr. Segal: Being part of an important group and being in contact with families who may participate in my work.

DG: Have you learned anything new about multiples since joining Multiples of America?

Debbie: I have learned a great deal about multiple birth children since becoming a member of Multiples of America. It was very enlightening and encouraging to see how other mothers of multiples (MOMs) were able to handle raising multiples, including triplets, quads, and some with more.

I learned about the challenges some parents dealt with when facing the health issues of their children, such as genetic or neurological problems due to multiple gestation. I also saw the determination and resilience shown by the children themselves when encountering physical or emotional obstacles. 

I was able to share what I learned about other clubs and their programs through my volunteering as a District Reporter. I learned a great deal from authors as the Publications and Resource Coordinator. I was also able to share stories of MOMs across the country, as well as my own local group, as a feature writer. Being a member of Multiples of America has made a wonderful impact upon my life.

Dr. Segal: They conduct many membership studies that are important. I had wondered about the names of twins and discovered a great study done by the membership.

DG: Have you ever attended a national convention? If so, share the highlights of your experience.

Debbie: Yes, I have attended several Multiples of America conventions throughout the years, including my involvement in hosting Get Your Kicks on Route 66 in Oklahoma City, OK. I always found interesting speakers, fun activities and workshops, and had FUN with a great group of MOMs!

Dr. Segal: Yes — I loved meeting the mothers.

DG: Why do you think organizations like Multiples of America are important in providing connections between parents of multiples across the country?

Debbie: In my opinion, Multiples of America is a rock and a sounding board for mothers and fathers of multiple birth children. It provides education, research, activities and camaraderie. The organization provides opportunities for personal growth, for scholastic opportunities and for acknowledgement of the special bond that exists between multiples.

Dr. Segal: Twins are unique, [but] twinning rates are [becoming] high[er]. Many new moms are unaware of how to manage things, and the best teachers are the moms who have gone through it — also clothing exchanges and equipment exchanges are so helpful.

I was at a local meeting once and a frazzled new mom with infant twins showed up. The other moms welcomed her — great to witness!

DG: In your opinion, what do organizations like Multiples of America provide to affiliate members that they cannot obtain through social media alone?

Debbie: Being an associate member provides a forum [for parents] to be heard and represented within a group of people who share similar life experiences and goals.

Dr. Segal: Personal support.

Hear from Another Affiliate Member
Graham Shelby is an affiliate member who lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where he and his wife, Gabrielle, raised triplet sons, now age 20. He is a writer and storyteller who served as keynote speaker at the 2024 national convention. 

As he so aptly expressed, “When you’re the parent of multiples, it’s easy to feel alone. My wife and I had never met anyone with triplets before she became pregnant with our sons. We lacked any real experience or reference for the specific parenting challenges that we faced, particularly as first-time parents. I remember so many people said to us, ‘I can’t imagine what your life is like.’

Organizations like Multiples of America connect you with other parents who don’t have to imagine your experience. They’ve lived their own version of it. They understand, respect and empathize with that experience, and that means a lot to parents who sometimes feel isolated.”

In Summary
It is important for parents of multiples to find others who relate to their own experiences. Membership with Multiples of America supports affiliates by providing access to publications, social media, the Members Only section of the website, Zoom Connects and through the new Multiple Match program, which is an electronic pen pal program that pairs families of multiples who are in similar walks of life.

There are lots of ways for members to get involved. One new method of involvement is volunteering as a National Ambassador, which allows you to learn more as you complete simple tasks to help drive the mission of the organization.

The reasons for joining Multiples of America as an affiliate member differ from person to person. However, whether you are a researcher, an educator or a parent of multiples, an affiliate membership has much to offer.

By Sara Barr
Media & Publications Vice President

If you’re looking to be inspired by other moms of multiples, this is the article for you. I had the privilege of interviewing three moms who have children with a range of different needs. These moms’ responses are raw, heartfelt and full of great tips for us as fellow humans, as well as fellow club members. Meet these rockstar moms:

• Sarah Breault of Upstate Parents of Multiples (SC), whose 5-year-old son has autism.
• Alison Leeds of Polar Bear Mothers of Multiples (NJ), whose 14-year-old son was diagnosed with functional abdominal pain syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome-C and pediatric migraines. After multiple severe illnesses, in 2024 he was diagnosed with specific antibody deficiency, a type of primary immunodeficiency. Both twins had multiple severe food allergies after birth, which one boy outgrew, and the other’s allergies morphed into lactose and fructose malabsorption.
• Melissa (not her real name) wishes to remain anonymous and whose child was diagnosed a few days after birth with a rare genetic syndrome.

SB: What’s been the most difficult adjustment since your child was diagnosed?
Sarah: I honestly believe that it’s less difficult now that we have an official diagnosis. Ryan was diagnosed at age 4. Having definitive “proof” that what we always suspected was indeed happening was reassuring. As he ages, the biggest challenge is to explain to his twin sister, his little brother and to other children that his brain just works differently—he doesn’t need to be treated differently, but he might do or say things you don’t expect. He might need extra attention sometimes and be very blunt—none of which is bad. He’s just unique, like everyone else.
Alison: Having my son at home all the time! He cannot be around people who even have a sniffle because his immune system does not make antibodies to things like the common cold, ear infections, sinus infections, bronchitis, pneumonia and some other scary diseases. His body also cannot break down the polysaccharide coating around bacteria and viruses, so when he gets a cold or anything else it becomes very serious. He missed half of his 8th grade year because he was sick. This year in high school he made it two days, but is currently on homebound tutoring. All the medical appointments, lots of them, home infusions, nurses and everything else that goes along with a child who has a rare disease. I think the worst part for him is that he is not in school. He misses his friends, the social interaction and everything that goes along with being in high school. His twin misses his brother and partner in crime. It is hard because his brother is “healthy.”

SB: How difficult is the struggle to get the help or accommodations your child needs to succeed?
Sarah: Ryan doesn’t need school accommodations, which is a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing in that we know he won’t struggle academically. It’s also a curse. Because he doesn’t need a formal plan, it’s been a challenge as he started kindergarten to draw attention to the things he does need. His preschool classes were smaller, so chatting with the teacher once was really all I needed to do. Now he’s in a class of 27 with two teachers. I have to remind Ryan to advocate for himself and also remind the main teacher that he has some needs (like needing to know in advance of any planned fire or safety drills that will be chaotic or loud, needing to be reminded to use the restroom, needing to be asked to participate in group activities rather than left on his own). 
Alison: My son has had a 504 plan since 2016 for accommodations within the classroom. Last year, since he missed 97 of the 180 days of school, it was suggested we petition the school district for an IEP. It has truly been a horrible experience for us. I feel like the school district doesn’t know how to deal with kids when their diagnosis is not cut and dry like autism or ADHD. We are currently under retainer with a disability lawyer who specializes in kids with rare and chronic diseases.
Melissa: School nursing coverage has been a challenge. There’ll be months when it’s so consistent we start to take it for granted—and it can be weeks of hoping and calling every day to advocate for a placement. 

SB: What support from friends, family or club members has been the most helpful?
Sarah: There are countless members of our club who had experience with BabyNet, with occupational and speech therapy and with autism, so they were very helpful in both pointing me to resources and also just empathizing with me when I needed to vent about the countless hoops of getting a diagnosis, health coverage, etc. Most people were really great about not offering advice unless they had the appropriate knowledge.
The members of our club have been great about accommodating Ryan at playdates, where he might not want to actually play with the other kids. They’ve been great about just meeting him where he is, but not making a big deal about it. He’s just another kiddo! We also have several members who work in related fields to the support I needed for Ryan, so they have been excellent at providing guidance.
Alison: We have our village here in our hometown, neighbors, friends and the school are all aware that he is sick. He has an awesome friend group that knows about him being sick. They try to plan small visits with him, and his friends isolate for two weeks before seeing him to make sure no one is sick and he is not exposed to germs. My mom friends also help us out in the same way, giving us support though meals, calls and other fun stuff. His twin brother is in the same friend group, and if anyone is sick someone always lets us know and they try to stay away from his brother at school also.
Melissa: Sharing stories (and clothes!) with other twin parents and a support group with other parents of medically complex kiddos has been paramount. There is so much kindness in the world. I still cry when I remember my dad waiting in the checkout to buy preemie diapers during the pandemic and they told him there was a limit to only one package per customer. He implored them, he was the only one to help get them for twins—but no exception was given. The customer behind him in line said “Oh, those are the kind I need too, I’ll take one” and she bought it for him and refused to let him reimburse her.
In the middle of chaos of premature childcare and learning to keep our baby with jaw differences breathing and fed, I remembered to contact our first twins club. They sent us a care package of preemie clothes and a gift certificate—it was amazing. We returned the clothes plus some, and knew this would help the next family. 

SB: What type of inclusion or support do you wish local clubs could provide to help their members?
Sarah: It would be great if clubs had directories of resources, like recommended service providers that go beyond just pediatricians or family practitioners. When parents go through the hoops and come out the other side, while exhausted, they should share what they can with their clubs (when comfortable) so that they can be a resource for others in the future.
Alison: I wish there was more support given to homebound MoMs or parents of multiples where one/both children have complex medical issues. It is hard being home all the time.
Melissa: A preemie care package, and hearing stories from other NICU parents. 

SB: Any advice for other parents who may face similar challenges with their kids?
Sarah: First, what you’re feeling in your gut is almost always correct. Second, medication is not necessary for all children, and if your service provider doesn’t believe that way, then please look for another opinion. Third, some children are too young to be officially diagnosed, so get a referral to occupational and speech therapy in the interim. If cost is a concern, apply for the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA) program. It’s needs-based, not income-based, and it covers what your insurance may not.
Alison: Take it one day at a time, sometimes minutes at a time and always remember to take time for yourself. That was the hardest thing for me to learn, but you will burn out if you don’t.

Melissa: Join a virtual support group. Postpartum International is where we found our online support group. Use all local services like a regional center and in-home support services, and enroll kid(s) in infant/toddler programs within the school system. 

SB: What’s one thing you wish more people understood about your child or their condition?
Sarah: I really dislike when people say, “Oh, my son is on the spectrum” as though it defines their child. No one needs to give excuses for their children being who they are, so unless it’s necessary to share it, I don’t. Labels have a way of unintentionally separating kids from their peers, so I try my best to make sure that we don’t label him to his face or behind his back. Autism is a spectrum disorder, and it takes many, many different forms. It’s not a handicap or a disadvantage, and it’s not something to fear. 
Alison: My son is a typical teenager. Just because he has an immune system that does not work correctly doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have feelings. He craves social interaction, misses his friends and wants to be “normal” like other kids and his brother. He is one of the strongest people I know, everything he goes through on a daily basis makes him one of my heroes.
Melissa: Our kiddo has craniofacial differences (and a trach) that are immediately noticeable. Teach children and adults to treat folks who look different the same. Try not to stare. Find out what they are into. Follow their lead about whether or not to talk about their medical device or facial asymmetry. Focus more on what you have in common instead of what makes them different from you.

 SB: Anything else you’d like to share?

Sarah: Autism is hereditary. It’s not caused by vaccinations, or anything you did during pregnancy. It impacts boys more often than girls, and many adults have autism without having been diagnosed. I can see many of Ryan’s traits in my husband. We noticed some of his emotional symptoms/responses by 18 months. People chalked it up to him just being a toddler, but I know it was different, in part because his twin sister didn’t do the same things.
One of the biggest clues for us, beyond his emotional outbursts, was that by 18 months Ryan knew his letters, numbers, shapes and colors almost obsessively. He would line up his toys by color, shape and type. He got upset if something was a millimeter out of place, often when we couldn’t even tell. He loved routine and could navigate us places better than the GPS. This continued to get more obvious as he aged. While amazing, it was also a sign that his brain was different than those of his peers. Thankfully our pediatrician also agreed, and we were able to get him diagnosed at age 4.
Alison: I have been through the different stages of the shock, denial and everything else that goes with a rare diagnosis. It is very different when it is your child. Very different.

Most of us know that Luke Skywalker’s twin sister is Princess Leia Organa, but did you know that Hello Kitty has a twin sister named Mimmy? Or that Mario and Luigi are fraternal twin brothers? Did you remember that Superman’s biological father Jor-El has an identical twin brother named Nim-El? Even Boss Hogg from The Dukes of Hazzard had a twin!

Stories of twins date back to Romulus and Remus of Roman mythology, as well as the Olympian god Ares and his twin sister Athena. Multiples in fiction have given us The Wonder Twins from Super Friends; Dr. Seuss’ Thing One and Thing Two; sweet Raggedy Ann and Andy; triplet chipmunks Alvin, Simon and Theodore; superheroes He-Man and She-Ra; the creepy Grady Girls from Stephen King’s The Shining; twin Transformers named Mudflap and Skids; and even Alice’s Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

Sometimes the fact that a character has a twin isn’t central to the story’s plot, but it adds opportunities for twists and intrigue. A few of my favorites are Sheldon Cooper of the CBS television sitcom The Big Bang Theory and Lisbeth Salander in Stieg Larsson’s Millennium novel series.

Multiples are a source of fascination for fictional writers. They offer storytellers an ideal mechanism for presenting common yin-and-yang contrasts. Remember when Austin Powers discovered Dr. Evil was his twin brother? Funny stuff, but thankfully art doesn’t always imitate life.

LITERATURE
William Shakespeare is credited with some of the oldest twins in literature. In 1601, Shakespeare created Viola and Sebastian in Twelfth Night. Two sets of identical twins are central to the plot of mistaken identities in Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors.

Hansel and Gretel are often portrayed as twins, although it isn’t clear in the original tale by the Brothers Grimm published in 1812. Charles Dicken’s Nicholas Nickleby, published in 1838, featured identical twin brothers Charles and Ned Cheeryble who, as the name implies, offer a kindness and generosity that ensures Nicholas a happy ending.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, feature a number of multiples. Another fantasy series is A Song of Ice and Fire by George Martin – its popularity led to the television adaptation Game of Thrones. Other popular novels involving multiples include the Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight saga, Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles and Pat Conroy’s The Prince of Tides.

 Looking to young adult novels, we find identical twins Sam and Eric, featured in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, who are so in sync they are known as Samneric. Jessica and Elizabeth are central characters in Francine Pascal’s Sweet Valley High series, which includes several hundred books written primarily by ghostwriters. The television series quickly became popular, as well as numerous other Sweet Valley book and TV spin-offs.

Popular twins Fred and George Weasley are found in the Harry Potter series. Born on April Fools’ Day, Fred and George are fun-loving yet trouble-making. A running joke throughout the novels (all made into movies, of course) is that they look so alike even their parents can’t tell them apart. Twins Padma and Parvati Patil are also J.K. Rowling’s creations.

Children’s books also feature plenty of adventurous multiples, including triplets Snipp, Snapp and Snurr and The O’Sullivan Twins. Erich Kastner’s 1949 novel Lottie and Lisa features twin sisters separated shortly after birth who, as teenagers, are reunited at summer camp and begin a quest to reunite their divorced parents (the basis for The Parent Trap Disney films).

One of the longest running series of children’s novels is The Bobbsey Twins written by Edward Stratemeyer under the pseudonym Laura Lee Hope. First published in 1904, the series had approximately 100 books to follow over the next 100 years. The books tell the adventures of a family with two sets of twins.

COMIC BOOKS
Comics have produced more twin tales than perhaps any other genre. Multiples found in comic books have included the Apocalypse Twins; Lightning Lass and Lightning Lad from planet Winath where twins are common; Northstar and his twin sister Aurora; as well as the mutant supervillanous Kleinstock triplets.

The list goes on to include Ferro Lad and his twin brother Douglas, members of the Legion of Super-Heroes; Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver of X-Men; Green Lantern’s boy-girl twins Jade and Obsidian; the Great Gambonnos, identical twin acrobats who work for the Circus of Crime; and superheroine Mary Marvel, twin sister of Captain Marvel.

Let’s not forget these enemies of Spider-Man: two supervillains named Fusion who became a radioactive two-headed being after a nuclear accident. Luckily, both personalities remained intact and Spider-Man was eventually able to separate them.

Too much? We’re not done yet! The Collective Man is an identity shared by the Tao-Yu quintuplet brothers. They possess the mutant power to merge into one body and also share a psychic link that allows them to communicate telepathically.

TELEVISION
Twins Lance and Cally Stone believe their fates are set by a comic book – they are the main characters in the television series Dark Oracle. Skins offers twin sisters Emily and Katie; and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia gives us twins Dee and Dennis. Niki Sanders one of three identical triplets on NBC’s Heroes. In the more recent Heroes Reborn, Claire’s twin children Malina and Tommy team up to save the world.

Since identical twins share DNA, numerous crime dramas have used multiples for clever plot twists. You’ll find plenty of multiples in comedies as well: Phoebe Buffay from NBC’s sitcom Friends spun off from her identical twin sister’s character Ursula on Mad About You.

The Simpsons has a few multiple sets: Marge’s older sisters Patty and Selma Bouvier, and Bart’s classmates Sherri and Terri Mackleberry who are later revealed to have a third triplet.

Daytime soaps have given audiences plenty of multiples over the years, probably because they naturally add intrigue and interest. Too many to list here, but know that the characters are countless and plot twists are endless.

In the live-action sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch that began in 1996, Sabrina was an only child, but she had an evil twin (somehow by different parents) named Katrina Spellman. Background trivia: Sabrina actually debuted in the Archie’s Madhouse comic strip and also appeared in the Archie Comics’ animated series and TV sitcom.

Younger viewers can’t turn on the television without catching a set of multiples: from Liv & Maddie and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody to Dipper and Mabel Pines on Gravity Falls. And many of us remember Jesse and Becky’s twin sons on Full House, Nicky and Alex, who are now grown up on the new series Fuller House.

For many decades, we’ve enjoyed Daisy Duck’s triplet nieces April, May and June, and Donald Duck’s triplet nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. Current animated series include CatDog, Shimmer and Shine, The Powderpuff Girls who are triplets with superpowers, Princess Amber and Prince James on Sophia the First, Kim Possible’s younger twin brothers, twin steam locomotives in Thomas & Friends, Phil and Lil on Rugrats, and Dora the Exporer who has younger twin siblings.

FILM
A few adult comedies centered around multiples include Big Business, Twins and Stuck on You. Don’t forget the henchman twins in The Matrix Reloaded.

Many Disney movies feature multiples: The Bimbette triplets fawn over Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, Si and Am are twin Siamese cats in Lady and the Tramp, Flotsom and Jetsam are eel minions in The Little Mermaid, then Cloak and Daggar appear in The Little Mermaid II. Pixar offered identical triplet boys in Brave, twin Mazda Miatas Mia and Tia in Cars, and twin pill bugs Tuck and Roll in A Bug’s Life.

Disney has called multiples all sorts of annoyingly wonderful names, including triplets Fluffy, Muffy and Tuffy; twins Zin and Zang, triplets Ned, Jed and Fred; and the Twirley Twins named Chaz and Jaz.

Many of the situations fictional multiples find themselves in, thankfully, are far beyond the scope of reality. Soap operas have offered as many unrealistic plot twists as science fiction! No matter where we see them, or what their superpowers may be, both live action and animated multiples sure are fun to watch, aren’t they?

By Sara Barr
(originally published 2016)