Mommy Multiplication

I am a mother of multiples. I prayed immediately when faced with the possibility of having twins, that they would not look alike. My prayers were mercifully answered.

I am married and had the most supportive group of family and friends one could hope for as a help to me. When my twins were born, my oldest son was five years and one day old and my stepdaughter had just turned 18. My mom was there to run errands, my grandmother could entertain fussy babies, and we had a caregiver that helped out whenever we needed her.

I can not imagine 14 children. I still look at the Duggar family with wonder.

My husband tells of families who had 25 and 22 children. I know a family that had eight (single births) and too many grandchildren to count.

I am an only child of an only child....

Now, I don't believe in selective reduction, and I'm not sure how I feel about IVF because, even with my two miscarriages, I still was able to conceive and deliver without major issues. It would be heartbreaking to have to choose which child or children would be terminated.

I make no judgments on the young woman who just delivered the babies, but I know this, mommy multiplication is much different than standard multiplication. One sick baby can equal seven or eight sleepless days and nights, so even two sick ones can mean you get sick, too. Imagine the implications of four or six or eight ill at one time. One case of a contagious disease could mean 15, 16 or 17 if she and her parents aren't immune. She is going to need a lot of help and much prayer. Knowing that half of her other six children already have developmental issues causes me sadness because I hope that they will get the assistance they need.