At sixteen weeks pregnant, Kathy Tepper was told she was having triplets. At 21 weeks, a fourth baby was confirmed. Four weeks later and 15 weeks premature she gave birth to quadruplets.
When Lynne Dunoon walked into Kathy’s home, she was handed a baby. Then a second one. Kathy was feeding a third baby while being pulled at by a toddler. A fourth baby was still in the hospital.
It is generally acknowledged that caring for a baby is far from easy, so imagine multiplying that baby by two, three or even four.
Like many multiple birth babies, the newborns spent almost three months in hospital before being taken home to rural Swan Hill. With her husband still at work, Kathy juggled caring for their three-year-old daughter and the four new additions to the family.
“It was overwhelming physically and emotionally,” says Kathy.
Finding the right support network
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2015 only 1.4 percent of births resulted in twins and only 0.03 percent produced triplets or higher order multiples. Yet, it is clear that the impact of multiple births on a family is significant.
Lynne was living in the neighbourhood when she heard Kathy’s story. She visited Kathy’s home and saw first-hand how much Kathy was dealing with, despite having some help from her family. Lynne knew it was not enough and decided to lend a hand.
Lynne recruited and organised 120 women volunteers to help Kathy at home. They cooked meals and made clothes. This generous assistance was a first step to what would become the Multiple Birth Volunteer Support Foundation (MBVS).
It made an enormous difference in my ability to cope – Kathy Tepper
Seven months later, Lynne received a call from a mum in Wheelers Hill who had just had quadruplets and was also in desperate need of help.
“That was the beginning of a rippling effect that has never stopped,” says Lynne.
The rewarding experience of being a volunteer
It wasn’t until thirteen years later in 2011, after a decade operating under the Australian Multiple Birth Association, that Lynne officially incorporated the MBVS Foundation. For 22 years, Lynne and her volunteers have helped an estimated 200 families.
Jill Lucas has been volunteering with MBVS for about 18 months. She has assisted three families by being an extra set of hands, helping to give mothers some reprieve.
Her first family, who she stills sees weekly, have a set of twin children and triplet babies. Having only two arms and three babies to keep track of is “just impossible”, says Jill.
The second family she helped was a family where the mother’s medical condition had temporarily debilitated her from caring for her twins and an older child with a disability. The temporary assistance provided by our volunteers was very much valued.
The third, current family Jill volunteers with, is an immigrant family of six from northern Africa.
The mother was 36 weeks pregnant when she packed up her life and moved her six-year-old daughter and three-year-old twin boys across the world. After the birth of their third son and fourth child, her husband returned home to finish his Masters.
During a regular check up, her maternal and child health nurse suggested she contact MBVS.
She was very concerned. I was in a miserable state, alone and overwhelmed. She saw that I needed help – mother of four, including twins
She now has six volunteers coming into her home for 2-3 hours, five days a week which helps her have contact with the outside world.
Creating a circle of trust for families
Isolation is a serious problem for mothers of multiples. While most mothers can generally pop their one baby in a pram and go to lunch with a friend, taking multiple babies out on your own is not always possible.
For families we support, having trusted volunteer support means they are able to have a more normal routine and connect back with society. The mothers can go shopping, go to the playground, or even just take a well-deserved nap.
“Families need the physical help but it can be so much more. As a volunteer with MBVS, we help people who haven’t got all the support they need.” Jill explains.
Kathy adds “there is limited existing support for, and limited awareness of the impact of multiple births on a family. That’s where MBVS can help.”
The next MBVS chapter
Lynne Dunoon celebrated her 80th birthday last year. She hopes her recent membership into the Order of Australia will help MBVS receive more funding so that the organisation can broaden its reach to more families in need across Victoria.
Kathy Tepper is now the secretary at MBVS, giving back to the organisation that once did so much for her family. Her quadruplets celebrated their 22nd birthdays in February.
If you would like to join our generous volunteers or need help in your home, please contact us.
By Mikaela Turner, Journalism student at Swinburne University
