Tauranga embraces multiple birth parents

Tauranga will briefly become the centre of New Zealand's expanding universe of multiple births next week when it hosts a national conference of parents who face the challenges of raising twins and triplets.

Sixty-five delegates from 23 multiple birth clubs will gather on October 7 for a conference entitled "Sun, Sail and Surf - The Bay with Plenty".

It will be the second time in the 30-year history of the Tauranga Multiple Birth Group that it has hosted the national conference.

"It will be funky, fun and colourful," the group's chairperson Roz Irwin said from under an umbrella at yesterday's rained out Multiple Birth Awareness Week's fun walk at Mount Maunganui.

About 5 per cent of all pregnancies result in multiple births and the number is increasing due to the use of fertility treatment.

The conference, from October 7 to 9, will be based at Hotel Armitage and has involved a lot of work by some of the 50 families belonging to the Tauranga club. A major fundraiser will be a garage sale this Sunday at the Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre from 10am to noon.

Mrs Irwin said having twins and triplets was the same fundamentals as having one baby, but with different dynamics.

A large proportion of the current members had identical twins and there were four sets of triplets in the group.

The group provided support for multiple birth parents and held a playgroup each Tuesday at Welcome Bay.

Mrs Irwin said hosting the conference was a big achievement and the five-strong committee had worked "above and beyond" to make it happen.

The Tauranga group mainly attracted people from pre-birth through early childhood until the children reached school age.