Lizzie Tyman with twins Lilly and Harry. Photo / Natalie McNally
By Eva Kershaw
The irony for those who’ve had multi-births is that it can be a lonely experience.
Just ask Lizzie Tyman, who said of raising newborn twins: “Leaving the house is just such a mission.”
That’s where Multiple Birth Club Hawke’s Bay steps in.
The group is providing an opportunity for mothers of twins, triplets and higher multiples who once needed support with their newborns to pass on the good deed to others.
The organisation is a branch of Multiples NZ, a community that partners new mothers with those who have been through their experience and are willing to offer their support.
When Tyman learned she was having twins, she hadn’t heard about the local club. She joined and was paired up with a mother of older twins for support throughout her pregnancy and afterwards.
“It’s been really valuable,” she said, “because we hold events so you can catch up with people who have twins, and they just get it.”
Furthermore, friends with single babies don’t always understand.
“For people that might struggle, you’ve got your [support] person there to always talk to.”
The club also partners with Bellyful – a volunteer-led charity that cooks and delivers free meals to whānau with babies or young children and offers hire equipment such as portacots, buggies and playpens.
“I hired a breast pump, just for a month. I think it was $5.”
As Lilly and Harry grow older, Tyman will be able to pass on her baby accessories to newer mothers in the club.
Anna Catley is one of those offering support and says she sees the club as a way to give back.
She recalled being able to count on two hands the number of times she left the house in her first four months with twin girls.
“I just lived in my pyjamas because it was so awful. It was so busy and tiring.
“Honestly, I just can’t stress how bloody hard it is having new twins, and a lot of people just don’t understand.”
For Catley, having a community of people who understood her experience, and who could offer advice, made all the difference.
“You just feel like family because you’ve got this automatic connection with them and understanding of what each other’s been through.”
Ultimately, she hoped the support could offer “a light at the end of the tunnel”.
“Honestly, now that the girls are older and easier, it is the coolest thing ever – [I] would not change it for the world.”
The 19-year-old disappeared without her wallet or mobile phone.