Mommie-Blogging…A New Revolution!

Today, I was doing a bit of research on my latest project and did something mundane and really silly, or so I had thought. I Googled myself. It was just for fun and to see what would happen. After all, they say many prospective employers Google their prospective employees to see what they will find on them.

I didn’t expect to see what I found. I found myself mentioned on another site for the things that I write about here on my blog with Red River Moms. I was very surprised. I know it may seem odd, but I really was.

The piece was about the growing popularity of Mommie-blogging and what a wonderful means of communication it is becoming. It touted the concept as a means of getting good advice and making friends in what can be a very lonely time in a woman’s life.

It really made me stop and think about what it is that I do each day. I am not just checking in to document my babies’ daily lives anymore. Writing my blog has become very therapeutic for me and it’s something I do on a regular basis. It gives me a place to vent about life and issues within our community and the ability to share my experiences with others and express myself creatively.

I only wish I had been able to blog during my pregnancy so that I could have documented more of what it was like carrying the triplets. Alas, my tummy grew too quickly and was much to cumbersome to be able to perch on the side of my bed to try and type anything on the computer, much less even check my email.

I suppose that’s the main reason I do this. I was constantly on a never-ending search for information about my triplet pregnancy. I researched everything from triplet birth experiences and to try and figure out the average gestation period for a triplet pregnancy to what it’s like having a preemie in the NICU.

I discovered that there were such a thing as multiple child discounts at some major retail stores and that there was something such as multiple child incentive programs through the major formula companies and some diaper companies.

Unfortunately, I also learned that there is an extreme shortage of information out there on triplet gestations and what to expect when you’re expecting higher order multiples. There just isn’t very much good information out there on the subject.

I figure that if I write about my life and what happened to me, then maybe there is someone out there who could benefit from my experiences. Maybe I can help them feel a bit more comfortable and secure in their decisions and even in themselves if they can find something in common with my experiences and what I have gone and am going through each day.

Becoming a triplet mom is an experience unlike no other. One that isn’t well documented or even clearly defined in general. Mom’s carrying triplets don’t have a manual they can turn to so that they can gain some sort of understanding that what is happening to their bodies is normal given our situation.

In many cases, we don’t have much out there to tell us when what we are experiencing and feeling ISN’T normal which is really what we need to know about. I did find out through my own research that it would appear that there isn’t any standard for triplet mum’s because each case can be so varied and different. However, I was able to find similar situations and bits that I could use to further understand my situation.

My pregnancy was very lonely in that I couldn’t find very many people who understood what it was that I was going through. The average pregnancy just isn’t filled with worry from day to day, or week to week over if you were still going to be carrying three healthy thriving babies or lose them all because your body decided that something wasn’t right in there. There is a huge and vast difference between expecting one baby, and finding you are expecting three or more!

There are supposed to be support groups out there, but the only ones I could find that were active are online. I really do want to help other Mom’s out there like me. Unfortunately, my babies are more susceptible to disease due to their being preemie multiples and that keeps us from being able to do some of the things I would like to.

I would love to find a way to organize a group of mom’s to solicit donations of used baby items (preemie babies grow out of extra-tiny clothes before they even have time to stain most times!) and take them to the area NICU’s where preemie clothes and baby items are needed the most.

I would also love to be able to get donations for care packages and be able to take them to those mom’s on bed rest in the hospitals who have to be away from their families so that they can try to safely carry their babies as close to term as their bodies will allow.

That group could also take turns visiting the area hospitals and make rounds to visit those lonely mom’s to be. There are also mom’s who have babies in the NICU’s that need someone to talk to and a little encouragement.

Sometimes a word of encouragement makes all the difference in the world. Many of the Mom’s who have babies in the NICU are from out of town and often have had to leave their families to stay with their newborns. I met a few while my babies were in the hospital. Sometimes, it’s not possible for some Mom’s to be able to stay with their babies at the hospital.

It would appear that the lack of information has led to the evolution of Mommie-blogging as a means to bridge these gaps. Not only can I write about myself, but I can read about the experiences of others first hand and even forge new relationships with others like me. I can trade advice on raising my babies, and give advice as well. We are becoming the basis of a new force to be reckoned with.

Maybe if enough of us band together, and write about ourselves, our bodies, and our babies and our experiences, we can overcome that lack of information and lack of support groups and make our world a much less scary place for those mom’s yet to come! Mommies of all areas unite! I encourage all of you to join us on our Mommie forums and even start your own Mommie blog.