0:00:03 > 0:00:05INTERCOM BUZZES
0:00:06 > 0:00:10Carl and Kelly have become parents to a baby girl.
0:00:10 > 0:00:11Hello!
0:00:11 > 0:00:13She's definitely got my toes.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16KELLY LAUGHS
0:00:16 > 0:00:18And this baby boy.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Oh, and this other baby girl.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Carl and Kelly haven't got just one baby.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27They've got three.
0:00:27 > 0:00:32And they're going to face a whole other world, bringing up multiples.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Oh!
0:00:34 > 0:00:36They sleep, they eat...
0:00:36 > 0:00:37That's it.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40But they're not alone.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43SONG: "Voodoo Child" by Rogue Traders
0:00:48 > 0:00:52In the last ten years, the number of parents with multiples
0:00:52 > 0:00:54has shot up by a third.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57LITTLE BOY SCREAMS
0:00:57 > 0:01:00We're going to show you the challenges Carl and Kelly will face
0:01:00 > 0:01:03by meeting parents with multiples aged nine months,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06two years and five years.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10You sit there in tears, thinking, "How will you get through this?"
0:01:10 > 0:01:14We'll fast forward to find out how you feed them...
0:01:14 > 0:01:18One bowl, one spoon, three mouths. Gets the job done a bit quicker.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22- ..how you dress them... - Where's your tie?- I don't know!
0:01:22 > 0:01:24..and how you get them to the shops.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28Once we're out I think, "Why don't we do this more often?"
0:01:28 > 0:01:30And this bit reminds me why.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Nappy-changing,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35juggernaut buggies...
0:01:35 > 0:01:39- Get out now!- ..and tantrums multiplied by three or four.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41That's naughty!
0:01:41 > 0:01:44This is parenting at its most extreme.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47We're triplets! End of!
0:01:59 > 0:02:04In Leeds, 27-year-old Carl Copeland and 29-year-old Kelly Wright
0:02:04 > 0:02:06had triplets born just five days ago.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09So, over here we've got Corenza.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12She's the eldest out of all three.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Hiya, chicken!
0:02:15 > 0:02:18This is the feisty one. This is the one that likes to have tantrums.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23I like the fact that they've got this feistiness to 'em, though,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27cos they're so small. It makes you feel like they're not so vulnerable.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31And then we've got Carissa. She weighed the same as Corenza,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33but she does look slightly smaller.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36She's the youngest out of the lot of them,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40and she's the one that's gaining the biggest personality.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42HE CHUCKLES
0:02:42 > 0:02:45And then this is Cassius.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50Hello, son. You can see they all look like me.
0:02:50 > 0:02:51HE CHUCKLES
0:02:51 > 0:02:54The triplets were born 11 weeks prematurely,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57and weigh just under three pounds,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00so to help them gain strength, they're in incubators.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02You don't realise how...
0:03:02 > 0:03:05how much of a wonderful feeling it is to hold them,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08but when you've not been able to hold them for a week
0:03:08 > 0:03:12and then you finally get a cuddle, it's so nice.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Cassius is Carl and Kelly's first son.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17That's something special in this family.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19I'm over the moon. I've finally got a son.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Don't get me wrong - I will never treat him any different
0:03:23 > 0:03:27to any of my kids, but...poor lad's got nine sisters!
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Because I've got three from previous relationships,
0:03:31 > 0:03:36Kelly's got three, and then we've got Sky and then we've got the triplets.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Meet the Copelands -
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Kelly and Carl,
0:03:41 > 0:03:4310-month-old Sky,
0:03:43 > 0:03:47and Kelly's other daughters, Ayesha,
0:03:47 > 0:03:48Chloe,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Sophia.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53When the triplets come home,
0:03:53 > 0:03:57all nine of them are going to live in this rented three-bedroom house.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Carl and Kelly have been together for two years.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03After the birth of their daughter Sky,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06they thought their family was complete.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09I actually went to go see about having a snip.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12I was told that they'd prefer me to be over the age of 30.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16When we went for the first scan, she said, "You planning more after this?"
0:04:16 > 0:04:20I was, like, "No, at all." She goes, "I've got something to tell you."
0:04:20 > 0:04:24"You're having triplets." I actually went sort of dizzy, in a way.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27It was like a head-rush. I couldn't believe it.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30I laughed and cried at the same time.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32'It was just, like, "Oh!" You know?'
0:04:32 > 0:04:37It's going to be a challenge, and we'll have to be ready for it.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39- I'm ready.- Yeah.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42One baby is hard enough to look after,
0:04:42 > 0:04:46let alone three. What Kelly and Carl will need is a routine,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49key to bringing up multiples, as any other parent knows.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Fast-forward to when babies are nine months,
0:04:53 > 0:04:55and meet 29-year-old Megan.
0:04:55 > 0:05:00She's mum to triplets. She knows only too well from experience
0:05:00 > 0:05:02why routine is important.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05She's got it down to a T.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08I think it helps you to plan things a bit better,
0:05:08 > 0:05:12and you know when they're well rested and well fed,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15they're happier, and in my mind that's got to be better.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Yes, it helps me feel sane, I suppose,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22but if they're happy, it has a knock-on effect on all of us,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26whereas if you have no routine, when they cry,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28you don't really know why they're crying,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31because you just don't know if they're over-tired,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34if they need some stimulation. If you've got a routine,
0:05:34 > 0:05:36it just gives you a better understanding.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Meet the Jacksons.
0:05:39 > 0:05:4129-year-old Megan and 36-year-old Mark
0:05:41 > 0:05:44have nine-month-old triplets,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Fergus, Isaac and William,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50as well as two-year-old Phoebe.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54The Jacksons live near Bath and have been married for three years.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57After Phoebe, they thought they would have one more child -
0:05:57 > 0:06:01but one unexpectedly turned into three.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Shock. Yes, that's the obvious emotion, isn't it? Shock.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08You kind of have a plan for your life, don't you,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11your hopes and dreams for the future, and then all of a sudden,
0:06:11 > 0:06:15someone delivers you a piece of news that completely turns that on end.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17I'd wake up at two o'clock in the morning.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22My mind would be racing with what this is going to mean for us, really.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Whenever I'm at work, I just play a little video clip on the phone to myself,
0:06:26 > 0:06:31which reminds me why I'm at work and why I've got an easier job.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34BABIES WAIL
0:06:39 > 0:06:42With nine months' practice under her belt,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45and after preparing nearly 300 meals,
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Megan's learnt less is more.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49You're nearly done.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52In the early days, we might have started off with three spoons,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55but you soon realise that you just need to go for
0:06:55 > 0:06:59whatever's easiest, really. It's a lot quicker and easier
0:06:59 > 0:07:02to do it this way - one bowl, one spoon, three mouths.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04It gets the job done a little bit quicker.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Do you want a bit more, sweetie? BABY CRIES
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Fast forward to 21 months old, and babies are now toddlers.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18There's an extra dimension to simple things like dinner -
0:07:18 > 0:07:23hard enough with triplets, but Emily Bates has quadruplets.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30We've got Leo, our little man,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32and we've got...oh, Kayleigh. I had to look,
0:07:32 > 0:07:36cos they look the same. Oh, no. That's Kayleigh.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39And that's Jessie May, and then the other one was Carrie.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Yeah, I'm going to get your din-dins.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47It's 5:30, and tea-time for toddlers.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49The quads have outgrown their high chairs.
0:07:49 > 0:07:55Instead, Emily has bought a miniature dining-room suite for four.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Come and sit at the table! Come and sit on your chairs.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Good girl, Jessie.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04There's Carrie's. They've only been doing this a week.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07They probably could've done it sooner.
0:08:07 > 0:08:08A little bit more and you're done.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12I could just leave them to it, but I like to make sure,
0:08:12 > 0:08:14and they're used to me watching them.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17They don't all eat at the same time, then you've got the issue
0:08:17 > 0:08:20of when you bring in the pudding next,
0:08:20 > 0:08:24that they see it, so then they don't eat their dinner.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26No!
0:08:26 > 0:08:31No, you don't hit your sister! It's not funny!
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Meet the Bates family from Peterborough -
0:08:35 > 0:08:39Emily and Simon and their quads Jessie, Kayleigh,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Leo and Carrie.
0:08:41 > 0:08:4431-year-old Emily and 36-year-old Simon
0:08:44 > 0:08:47have been together for eight years.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50They wanted to start a family four years ago,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52and after trying for three,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55they eventually went to Turkey for IVF treatment.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00While I was pregnant, it was concentrating on getting through the pregnancy
0:09:00 > 0:09:05and them all being OK, and then it was reaching the C-section date.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09I think it was more focused on that than anything else, wasn't it,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12not the fact of actually what you do afterwards.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15It's tough enough being first-time parents,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18but Emily and Simon had four babies at once.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22The night-feeds were killer. Imagine the logic of it!
0:09:22 > 0:09:25You'd be, like, feeding one, and it would be, like, "Oh, God."
0:09:25 > 0:09:28And then there'd be the second, and two more to go.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31You sit there in tears, thinking, "How will you get through this?"
0:09:31 > 0:09:34And then you've got to get up and do another one.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37It's just dealing with the now, not what you often get from people -
0:09:37 > 0:09:40"What you going to do when this happens?"
0:09:40 > 0:09:43or, "What you going to do at school and later?"
0:09:43 > 0:09:45You don't think about it.
0:09:45 > 0:09:46But now the quads are nearly two,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Emily and Simon have more time to reflect.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51It's not what you'd choose,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54but I couldn't imagine life to be any better now, to be honest.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57I think we're lucky and it's really special.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59But if you'd asked us that a year ago,
0:09:59 > 0:10:03I wouldn't have said the same thing.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Come on, Leo, cos your hands are mucky.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08HE CRIES No. Sit down, Jessie.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12At 21 months, the quads are becoming a force to be reckoned with.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16Oh, here we go. Sit down, Kayleigh. Sit down, babe.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Sit down.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Freed from the constraints of the high chair,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23tea-time turns into mayhem.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25That's naughty! No!
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Hard to concentrate for this amount of time.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31There we are. Little bit more and you're done.
0:10:31 > 0:10:32Little bit more.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Oh, who's that? See them do their little ritual.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39SHE LAUGHS Are you going to give Dads a kiss?
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Yes! Thank you.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Simon works full time as a construction manager,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48so most of the parenting is down to Emily.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52But so he doesn't miss out, she's saved the best jobs for when he gets home.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56You don't want to film this. This will be a bit of a smelly.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58Be a bit of a smelly one, isn't it?
0:10:58 > 0:11:02It's an hour since supper, and the evening regime has run according to plan.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05But there's one last task.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Come on. Night-nights. Go on, then! Up you go.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12- Night-nights. - Up we go! Come on, go-go-go-go!
0:11:12 > 0:11:15- Come on, mister.- Go on.
0:11:15 > 0:11:16Come on.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Four years on, and the daily routine becomes even more complicated
0:11:21 > 0:11:23for multiples of school age.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25In Pontefract, Yorkshire,
0:11:25 > 0:11:2924-year-old Ricky and 29-year-old Rachel are picking up their kids.
0:11:29 > 0:11:34They have five-year-old twins who started school in September.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36This is Eva. Say hello, Eva.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40Where's Eliot gone? Eliot! Are you going to come and say hello?
0:11:40 > 0:11:41Hello.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44But their brood doesn't stop there.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46They've also got four-year-old triplets,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49and they're joining them in the same year.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51- Harry, going to say hi?- Hi.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55- Where's Alfie gone? - Hello.- Say hi, Billy.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57- What?- Say hello.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Say, "Hi, guys."
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Meet the Joneses.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Ricky and Rachel, Ellie, Eliot, Evie,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Harry, Alfie and Billy.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19In 2006, with one set of ten-month-old twins,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Rachel discovered something she didn't expect.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24She was pregnant again.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29What she didn't realise was that she was also in labour.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31I'm one of them people that,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34if somebody else had said, "I didn't know I were pregnant,"
0:12:34 > 0:12:36I'd have said, "You've got to know."
0:12:36 > 0:12:39First thing I thought is that I were miscarrying.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43I thought I were miscarrying, so I had to phone an ambulance,
0:12:43 > 0:12:48and I'm saying to the lady, "I think I'm losing my baby."
0:12:48 > 0:12:50And I just remember her smiling and saying,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53"No, cos I can see two little feet."
0:12:53 > 0:12:57So I got to Pontefract hospital car park,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59and I says, "I'm not doing it." She says, "You've got to."
0:12:59 > 0:13:02"You need to get this baby out now."
0:13:02 > 0:13:04So...
0:13:04 > 0:13:07at 20 to three that morning,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Harry were born in the car park
0:13:10 > 0:13:14of Pontefract hospital maternity ward.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Just as when they thought Harry was the only new member of the family,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21they got another big surprise.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24The nurse went to give me an injection,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26and as she's gone to press my tummy to inject,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30she's felt that I were still contracting.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34Anyway, before I managed to get into theatre, Alfie were born.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39They came and said, "Some good news for you, Mr Jones."
0:13:39 > 0:13:43"You've got another set of twins." I thought, "Oh, bloody hell!",
0:13:43 > 0:13:45you know?
0:13:45 > 0:13:49And as they got used to the idea of another set of twins...
0:13:49 > 0:13:52The doctor said, "I'm not happy with this."
0:13:52 > 0:13:55"I need to do a thorough examination."
0:13:55 > 0:13:58And he just found what he described as a little ball
0:13:58 > 0:14:03under my rib, just tucked into a neat little ball,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05which were Billy.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09Triplets never, never ever crossed my mind.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13- Until they came out. - Until I saw them, yeah!
0:14:14 > 0:14:17There's only ten months between the twins, Evie and Eliot...
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- Five!- We're both five.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23..and the triplets, Harry, Alfie and Billy.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Harry and Alfie are identical.
0:14:26 > 0:14:27We're twins.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29- Triplets!- Twins!
0:14:29 > 0:14:33- Triplets! We're triplets.- No, twins!
0:14:33 > 0:14:36- Triplets!- Twins.- Triplets!
0:14:36 > 0:14:40We're triplets! End of!
0:14:43 > 0:14:46# Three little unexpected children simultaneously
0:14:46 > 0:14:47# The doctor brought us and you can see
0:14:47 > 0:14:50# That we'll be three forever #
0:14:50 > 0:14:53With two sets of multiples of school age,
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Ricky and Rachel have worked out a very simple but strict routine.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00It's five minutes' walk from school.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Come on. You know what to do. Take your shoes off.
0:15:03 > 0:15:08And then once home, it's reading, play, tea, bath and bed by seven.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11- Where are they going? - To the hairdresser.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Ricky and Rachel have spent five years
0:15:14 > 0:15:17perfecting this strict routine.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20But that could all unravel, because they're moving house.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23So I'm going to have rewiring...
0:15:23 > 0:15:25- Heating system.- Heating system,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28kitchen, bathroom, no floors...
0:15:28 > 0:15:30So we're going to have to move,
0:15:30 > 0:15:34and we could be there five, six, seven weeks. We're not sure.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Where we going to live while we're doing this house?
0:15:37 > 0:15:41We're going to find a new house. That's what we're going to see.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43We're going to have a new house in a few weeks.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46The new house is in South Kirkby, the next village.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Ricky works shifts as a security guard,
0:15:49 > 0:15:50and Rachel can't drive,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54so getting the kids to school is going to get a lot trickier.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57It's only a five-minute car ride, but with me not driving,
0:15:57 > 0:15:59it's going to such a pain to get the kids to school
0:15:59 > 0:16:02for quarter to nine every single morning.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Everything's going to change. They'll have to be up earlier.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08They'll have to be in bed earlier,
0:16:08 > 0:16:12so they've got to establish a completely different routine.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21In Leeds, Kelly and Carl's triplets are now four weeks old.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25They're still in hospital, and it's Carl's turn to look after them.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28- See you later. - Bye-bye!- Mwah-mwah-mwah!
0:16:28 > 0:16:31- See you later. I'll give you a call. - All right. See you.
0:16:32 > 0:16:37Like most multiples, they were born prematurely,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40and need looking after.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Carl visits the hospital twice a day,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47and even has his own special password.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50- Hi. It's the triplets' dad. - "Come in."
0:16:50 > 0:16:52BABIES CRY
0:16:52 > 0:16:56What I tend to do is, just give them a wash from head to toe,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59and clean their face,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01and...
0:17:01 > 0:17:03dry them, dress them, change their bum.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07Basically it's like having a bath, a bed bath.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10The triplets have put on half a pound each since they were born,
0:17:10 > 0:17:15but they're still very fragile, and need round-the-clock care.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20I was scared to do this when they were first born,
0:17:20 > 0:17:23because they're so tiny.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Feels like I'm actually doing something.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29For the moment, Carl can really enjoy the fact
0:17:29 > 0:17:31that he and Kelly have 24-hour babysitters.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34I've never experienced anything like these.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36You've got to be so delicate with them.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40These little miracles, these babies...
0:17:40 > 0:17:42It makes you realise...
0:17:43 > 0:17:47..there's other people to think about rather than myself.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49The conclusion I've come to is, that's it.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51This is all about my kids now.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55The full-time attention the triplets get in hospital
0:17:55 > 0:17:57won't be practical when they're at home.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Kelly has older children to look after.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Whilst the two eldest are at school, her attention is divided
0:18:07 > 0:18:11between ten-month-old Sky and three-year-old Sophia.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12SOPHIA CRIES
0:18:12 > 0:18:16I don't like bread!
0:18:19 > 0:18:20SHE SHOUTS
0:18:20 > 0:18:22I know. I'm here.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24I can't wait for it all.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27I keep picturing three babies, three high chairs,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29- plus Sky... - SHE LAUGHS
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Three cots, things on the floor, three swing chairs...
0:18:35 > 0:18:38- ..and three babies, isn't it, Sky? - Mummy, look!
0:18:38 > 0:18:41It's a full-time job giving the attention one baby needs
0:18:41 > 0:18:44when they first come home, let alone three.
0:18:44 > 0:18:49What Kelly could do with is an extra pair of hands.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Nine months down the line,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54that's exactly what 29-year-old Megan has.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58- DOORBELL RINGS - A nanny...
0:18:58 > 0:19:00times two.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03THEY CHATTER
0:19:06 > 0:19:09When the boys were small, I used to wake up in the morning,
0:19:09 > 0:19:11if I knew I had a whole day by myself,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15probably with... definitely with a bit of a sense of dread,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18just, "Right, now I'm going to have to get through this,"
0:19:18 > 0:19:21and, "How's it going to be?"
0:19:21 > 0:19:23BABIES GURGLE
0:19:23 > 0:19:26It's a constant round of feeding...
0:19:27 > 0:19:29- ..nappy changing...- Good boy.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32..and sleeping, for the nine-month-old triplets.
0:19:32 > 0:19:38What the nannies give Megan is something every multiple parent would like more of - time.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41It means it's not quite so full-on.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45I can get on with a few things I wouldn't ordinarily be able to,
0:19:45 > 0:19:47make a few phone calls, etc, etc,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50prepare some meals, you know, that kind of thing.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54But when they go home, you have to adjust to doing it all by yourself again.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56SHE LAUGHS
0:19:56 > 0:19:59But it is good. They're angels, really.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02It's only two hours since the boys got up,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05but already it's time for their morning nap.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07I think it might be bedtime for them.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- Yeah?- Yeah. Let me grab a boy. Come on, boy.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Going for a sleep.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14They have a morning nap,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17quarter past nine until about half past ten,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20and then they go down for lunchtime sleep.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Who's a good boy?
0:20:22 > 0:20:25BABY CHATTERS
0:20:27 > 0:20:29Night-night!
0:20:31 > 0:20:33There we go.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35SHE SIGHS
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Peace and quiet, hopefully.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42And thanks to nanny-power, Phoebe gets more time with her mum.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46"She played with him and played with him."
0:20:46 > 0:20:48SHE SIGHS
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Sit down for a minute.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56I can't sit down for too long, though. I'd never get up again.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Four years on, Rachel's attention is split five ways
0:21:01 > 0:21:04between her twins and triplets,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07even on a simple trip to their new house.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11The family are moving five miles down the road to the next village.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13Take your coat off, Harry.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15CHILDREN SHOUT
0:21:18 > 0:21:20This is our bedroom!
0:21:20 > 0:21:24- What do you think? What do you think? - Nice!
0:21:24 > 0:21:25Your own bedroom, yeah?
0:21:25 > 0:21:29To keep her boys quiet, Rachel resorted to using dummies.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32That was five years ago,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34but she's been too afraid to take them away.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38First priority is to get them off them dummies ASAP.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40They're way too old, and that's been my fault,
0:21:40 > 0:21:44because I've relied on dummies, a pacifier.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47When Daddy's been at work and it's been a 12-hour shift,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51stick a dummy in, and it's worked, but it's worked for too long.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55The boys are really, really reliant, and it's affecting speech,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59it's affecting the teeth. It's affecting a lot of things.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02What is your teeth doing because of your dummy?
0:22:02 > 0:22:06- They're not coming down. They're going...- Backwards.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08- Out.- Out.- Out to the front. Yeah, that's right.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10And why are they going out to the front?
0:22:10 > 0:22:14- Because we're sucking dummies. - Because you're sucking dummies.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16Like this.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Like that.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20One thing Rachel knows from experience
0:22:20 > 0:22:25is that for this to happen, it's the one-for-all, all-for-one rule.
0:22:25 > 0:22:26When we move to this house,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29I think that we should throw them dummies away,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32- and we'll see who can do it the longest...- No!
0:22:32 > 0:22:34- ..and the bestest.- No!
0:22:34 > 0:22:37- We are. - They can't, cos they're babies.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40- Do you want to be a baby?- Mmm!
0:22:40 > 0:22:44You do? Billy's going to be the biggest boy, aren't you, Billy?
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Tell us you're going to throw your dummies away.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50I'm going back to the house, and I'm throwing all the dummies away in that big bin.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53Well, that's really sensible.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00In Leeds, the triplets are now seven weeks old.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04And as they get stronger, the day that they come home gets nearer.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10Going to build a spaceship. No, I'm putting the cots up.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12HE LAUGHS
0:23:12 > 0:23:15But it's expensive kitting out multiples.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18So far we've spent three grand,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22but we've bought the cots, the swings,
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Moses baskets, steriliser...
0:23:24 > 0:23:27That is 14!
0:23:27 > 0:23:30..er, bottles, nappies and clothes galore.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Yeah. All sorts.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Cost an arm and a leg.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Carl's not working at the moment,
0:23:37 > 0:23:39but he's done lots of different jobs.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42I worked for Yorkshire Water,
0:23:42 > 0:23:43call-centre work,
0:23:43 > 0:23:45er, cheffing,
0:23:45 > 0:23:49landscape gardening, car valeting...
0:23:49 > 0:23:53I'm just one of them lucky people that's just great at everything they do.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55THEY LAUGH
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Apart from this. This is proper baffling me.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05It don't pay me enough. It really doesn't.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09For all these kids, you need more than £7.23 an hour...
0:24:10 > 0:24:12..or whatever it was.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Money is going to be even tighter now for the couple.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Bringing up one child costs on average ten grand a year.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24Multiply that by three, and by the time they're 16,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26you're hitting half a million.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30It's a good job Carl is planning to support his family in the future.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34I'm going to be a painter-decorator. I've just passed my exams for it.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37I meant to start college already,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40but it's too soon,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43- as I'd be leaving Kelly at home with all the kids.- All of them!
0:24:43 > 0:24:47We've got enough kids already to understand
0:24:47 > 0:24:52that as they get older, their tastes get more expensive.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Nope. It will not get any cheaper.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Nine months down the line, for Megan and her triplets
0:24:59 > 0:25:01the costs keep mounting.
0:25:01 > 0:25:06- Jo, Annabel, do you want coffee? - Yeah, yeah.- "Yes, please. Yes."
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Megan has got professional help, but childcare like this
0:25:09 > 0:25:13doesn't come cheap. It costs tens of thousands a year.
0:25:13 > 0:25:19Correct me if I'm wrong, but your salary is around...at least 25,
0:25:19 > 0:25:21- isn't it?- Yeah.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24But Megan is lucky. Living so close to a training college
0:25:24 > 0:25:26means that her nannies are free.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30I'd be paying huge amounts of money, huge,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33especially if I was having two people.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35I mean, especially with the four children,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39if we were paying a full-time nanny, I can't imagine many young nannies
0:25:39 > 0:25:43would fancy taking on four children by themselves.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Sometimes no salary in the world would be enough for that.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50It is expensive, really expensive!
0:25:50 > 0:25:53I mean, we spend about £50 a month on nappies.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58Milk... Just before they were weaned, they were drinking a lot of milk,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01and we were spending £40 to £50 a week on milk alone.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06I might as well have been stuffing their nappies with £50 notes. It was really expensive.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10The cost of multiples steps up another gear
0:26:10 > 0:26:13when, like Emily, you've got toddler quads.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17She's had to fork out thousands to fit her quads into one car.
0:26:17 > 0:26:18There you go!
0:26:18 > 0:26:22It was brilliant, actually. We looked at a lot of people carriers,
0:26:22 > 0:26:24and, um...
0:26:24 > 0:26:27we couldn't afford to buy something new,
0:26:27 > 0:26:29with one of the English models.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32We didn't know this model existed at that point.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35All the typical ones, the seven seaters,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38cos we needed the boot space to fit the quad pram.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42It's not a very popular car.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Top Gear voted it an ugly car.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49I wouldn't not buy a practical car because of the way it looked,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51but it's wonderful.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54And there are still a couple of spare seats, just in case.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57And if we ever did have any more children,
0:26:57 > 0:27:01there's a bit of leeway left, as long as it wasn't twins.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04The car's a big, one-off expense for the long term,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07but things like clothes only last a few months,
0:27:07 > 0:27:10and that's when it really starts to add up.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12It is expensive because they grow out of them quickly,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15so even if you buy it cheap, it's still expensive.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Bought a lot of stuff off eBay, car-boot sales,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22just wash it up nice. You can find some lovely stuff there.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26As well as her quad bus, Emily's got the latest quad pram,
0:27:26 > 0:27:31but you might need an engineering degree to put it together.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35It was expensive, though.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39Brand new it would have been £800, from New Zealand,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41but we paid £400 for it.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Here's Carrie!
0:27:44 > 0:27:49You're going at the top, queen of the castle!
0:27:49 > 0:27:51They can sleep, now, as well, in there.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54BABIES CRY
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Let's go!
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Supersize buggies are great,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04but they need supersize doors to get through.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06This is brilliant, though, this pram,
0:28:06 > 0:28:11because it is narrow, and it fits in a lot of places.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13CREAKING
0:28:19 > 0:28:21And now the quads are walking,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Emily's expenses are about to explode,
0:28:23 > 0:28:27as she has eight little feet to worry about.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31- Going to measure your feet, Leo. - You're Leo, are you?
0:28:32 > 0:28:36- Just going into the F, so four and a half there.- OK.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Oh, look at those!
0:28:38 > 0:28:43£45! But look at that. It's a work of art.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45TODDLER CRIES
0:28:45 > 0:28:47Oh, shut up.
0:28:47 > 0:28:52If Emily wants to go out shopping, she has to take the quads.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55But they're at an age where they don't want to be in the buggy.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58TODDLER WAILS
0:28:58 > 0:29:01You sit in there and play with the glasses.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05Oh! Put that back where you found it.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08SHE CRIES
0:29:08 > 0:29:12That's it. You have a paddy there while I do that.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14Makes my life easier, as well.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18And with four children to watch,
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Emily needs eyes in the back of her head.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24They've only just started this, because they know what it's like
0:29:24 > 0:29:27to have the freedom to be out of their buggy, and they want more,
0:29:27 > 0:29:33which is fair enough, so I won't be able to get away with doing trips like this for much longer.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40And whilst Emily is distracted, Kayleigh makes a break.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48Uh-oh!
0:29:51 > 0:29:54That's a good girl. You don't run off, do you?
0:29:54 > 0:29:56And Emily takes it all in her stride.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04Ricky and Rachel's costs have just rocketed.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08Their multiples have started school, and that means uniforms -
0:30:08 > 0:30:12more than £100 a go.
0:30:12 > 0:30:13Morning.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17And just try getting them into them!
0:30:17 > 0:30:19If you could show me that you can get dressed,
0:30:19 > 0:30:21I'd be really, really, really happy.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25- Fine! Pass me my clothes, then. - Then, that's fantastic.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28Spend about ten minutes putting your shirt on, don't we?
0:30:28 > 0:30:32With five identical uniforms and little between the sizes,
0:30:32 > 0:30:33it can get a bit confusing.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36Mine's a ten. That's a ten.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39It takes them just half an hour to get ready,
0:30:39 > 0:30:42and now Rachel does the final onceover.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45What have you not got on, Billy? We've put a shirt on,
0:30:45 > 0:30:48we've put a jumper on, we've put socks on,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51we've put pants on, we've put trousers and shoes on.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53- What have we not put on?- Tie!
0:30:53 > 0:30:56- Tie. Now, where's your tie? - I don't know!
0:30:56 > 0:30:59I think it's in the washing basket.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01Feeding time at the zoo!
0:31:01 > 0:31:04Um, a full English breakfast.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07There's one last thing before school.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11Boys, what did we say we were going to do
0:31:11 > 0:31:15when we went to this new house? What were the deal?
0:31:15 > 0:31:19- What we going to get rid of? - The dummies.- Right.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21- I don't need a dummy any more. - Good lad.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25I don't need a dummy any more.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28Right. So shall we do that? Let me find them, then.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32Most children stop sucking dummies when they're two.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36After almost five years, they're finally facing the job.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38Come on, now. Big boys.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41- Say, "Bye, dummies!"- Bye, dummies!
0:31:41 > 0:31:43- One last suck.- Quick.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49- That's it. Done. - Goodbye to them dirty dummies.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52Well done!
0:31:52 > 0:31:54Show them dirty dummies where they belong.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56CHILDREN SHOUT
0:31:56 > 0:31:58- Stupid dummies! - Put them in the bin, then.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01There we go.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03That it?
0:32:03 > 0:32:06By the time we come back, we should be dummy-free.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09I hope. Fingers crossed.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11One!
0:32:11 > 0:32:12Two!
0:32:14 > 0:32:16Right. Off to school.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24Ricky and Rachel are moving house, and with the children at school,
0:32:24 > 0:32:27Rachel gets on with the packing.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Rachel has lived in the village for her whole life,
0:32:30 > 0:32:35with her mum and dad and sister in the next street. She relies on them to help with the children.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37This is my sister Vanessa.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40She's going to be a domestic goddess today,
0:32:40 > 0:32:44clean out the house for me from top to bottom.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53Having a sister with multiples hasn't rubbed off.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57- I've only got one.- She's got mine to borrow and send back.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59- SHE LAUGHS - She don't need more.
0:32:59 > 0:33:04No. Don't need any more. I don't need any more.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08I think people have seen...
0:33:08 > 0:33:13Especially close family have seen just how difficult it can be
0:33:13 > 0:33:18with multiples. It's not... It's not the easiest thing in the world.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22It's not the hardest, but it's always harder to look in on somebody
0:33:22 > 0:33:25than it is when you're actually dealing with it.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28They've still got a routine, like any other family has.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31You've just got to be a little bit more strict with it.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35But with the house move, the routine's going to have to change.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38That's what worries me now, because everything they're used to
0:33:38 > 0:33:42is now up in the air, so it's kind of starting from scratch again.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44Yay!
0:33:46 > 0:33:49I can see blue. Yay!
0:33:52 > 0:33:54Whilst Rachel and her family move out,
0:33:54 > 0:33:59in Leeds, one of Kelly and Carl's triplets has moved in.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03Cassius, at ten weeks old, is finally home.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05HE CRIES
0:34:07 > 0:34:10He's doing well, yeah.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12Look!
0:34:12 > 0:34:14He has the feed at half eleven,
0:34:14 > 0:34:17then he has another feed at half past three,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20and then not till half past seven in the morning.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22CHILDREN SHOUT
0:34:22 > 0:34:26Since he was born, Cassius has had one-to-one care.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29But with four other children at home,
0:34:29 > 0:34:32Kelly just won't be able to give him that kind of attention.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35We have said that. We did underestimate
0:34:35 > 0:34:37how hard it is going to be,
0:34:37 > 0:34:43because they're just constant attention.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Cassius is on three-hourly feeds,
0:34:45 > 0:34:48so they're hoping that the next triplet home
0:34:48 > 0:34:50will fit into his feeding pattern.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52SHE LAUGHS
0:34:54 > 0:34:57I'll feed him while Carl is feeding the other.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00It'll have to be like that if they're around the same time feeds.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04The reality of having three babies home at once
0:35:04 > 0:35:07is starting to sink in.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10So we get Cassius home, we get used to him for a week,
0:35:10 > 0:35:12then Carissa, get used to her for a week,
0:35:12 > 0:35:16then Corenza, then get used to that for 18 years.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18- Yeah. Lovely. - SHE LAUGHS
0:35:18 > 0:35:20Oh, mad!
0:35:21 > 0:35:24At the new house, Rachel is starting to realise
0:35:24 > 0:35:27that it's not just the kids' routine that will have to change -
0:35:27 > 0:35:29it's also hers.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33It doesn't seem far to Ricky, who can drive, but when I can't,
0:35:33 > 0:35:35I might as well be miles away.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41It's only about a five-minute car ride,
0:35:41 > 0:35:46five, six minutes in the car, but when Ricky's at work,
0:35:46 > 0:35:48we're going to have to take taxis or buses.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51It's just... It's just too far.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55With her mum on the phone, it suddenly dawns on Rachel
0:35:55 > 0:35:58how much she relies on her family for help.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02I know it seems close, but I've never been this far away from you!
0:36:02 > 0:36:04SHE SOBS
0:36:09 > 0:36:11All right, then. Thanks. See you. Ta-ra.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13SONG: "Corner" by Allie Moss
0:36:13 > 0:36:15# When your world
0:36:15 > 0:36:19# Trembles and quakes...
0:36:19 > 0:36:20SHE SOBS
0:36:20 > 0:36:23I was all right till I talked to my mam.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26SHE SOBS
0:36:26 > 0:36:28God, you'd think I'd emigrated!
0:36:32 > 0:36:34Never been away from my mum this far.
0:36:34 > 0:36:39I think, when people say, "I don't know how you do what you do,"
0:36:39 > 0:36:42but I can only do it because I have them behind me all the time.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45They've always got my back.
0:36:45 > 0:36:50I just feel...so cut off from them down here.
0:36:50 > 0:36:55When you think I'm coping, that's because I've had them to help.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59- I've not always done it on my own. - I know exactly how it is.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01I know.
0:37:01 > 0:37:02# When your world
0:37:02 > 0:37:06# Trembles and quakes...
0:37:06 > 0:37:09I feel pathetic!
0:37:09 > 0:37:15# And your footing suddenly shakes #
0:37:15 > 0:37:18After a night of three-hourly feeds,
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Kelly and Carl's routine marches on through the day.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24Come here, Sky. Sky!
0:37:24 > 0:37:26- Come here.- Go to Dada.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29But now two of the other children are up.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33Leave the stuff alone. Now sit down.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35Oh, gosh!
0:37:35 > 0:37:36Sophie!
0:37:36 > 0:37:39- Oh, Mummy! Oh, Mummy! Oh, Mummy! - Too late, love.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41SKY LAUGHS
0:37:41 > 0:37:43And at ten months, Sky is just too young
0:37:43 > 0:37:46to understand how fragile her little brother is.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49- Get off. Get off.- Hey! Come here!
0:37:49 > 0:37:51You stay away.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54It's a nightmare so far, with these and with him.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58I'm just thinking, "What will it be like when I've got three at home,
0:37:58 > 0:38:02and these?" Sky, you're like a bull in the china shop, aren't you?
0:38:02 > 0:38:06It's just non-stop, from morning till night.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08Sit down.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10SHE GIGGLES
0:38:10 > 0:38:13I can't believe Carissa's home in the morning.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17Tomorrow's your last day, mate, isn't it? Your sister's on the way.
0:38:17 > 0:38:22It's all about the kids now, innit? Life's finished. Life's done with.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24No more life.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26SHE CHUCKLES
0:38:26 > 0:38:29Kelly and Carl's newborn triplets are non-identical,
0:38:29 > 0:38:33and are already becoming three little individuals.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36He's just chilled out now, really.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39Corenza's very feisty,
0:38:39 > 0:38:42and she's more laid-back.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47SHE LAUGHS
0:38:48 > 0:38:52Megan and Mark have got identical twins amongst their triplets.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55They've decided not to dress them the same.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59The boys are very different, personality-wise.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01I don't really want to dress them the same
0:39:01 > 0:39:04because I want them to be their own people.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06You do tend to lump them together all the time.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08For example, all the photos we've got,
0:39:08 > 0:39:12it's the three of them together, and they do everything together,
0:39:12 > 0:39:15and one thing we'll try to do as they get a bit bigger
0:39:15 > 0:39:19is provide experiences on an individual basis.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21I've started doing it now. If I'm popping out,
0:39:21 > 0:39:25I'll take one of them with me so they have a bit of one-on-one time,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28as opposed to just all being together, I guess.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31Megan is also noticing that the non-identical triplet, William,
0:39:31 > 0:39:33is different from the other two,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36particularly in the way he plays.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40The other two just throw things round, very rough and tumble.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42By nature, we play differently, more carefully.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45He likes to build towers, and he'll allow you to do that,
0:39:45 > 0:39:48whereas the other two will promote anything
0:39:48 > 0:39:52of any order. They'll throw it all over the place.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57As children get older, they become more headstrong,
0:39:57 > 0:40:00as Emily is finding with her quads.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05Come on, eat your hoops. I've got a busy day. Busy day.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08Emily has a set of identical twins in her quads.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11When she had IVF, she had three eggs put back in,
0:40:11 > 0:40:13but one of the eggs divided into two,
0:40:13 > 0:40:16and that gave her identical twins.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24That's naughty! No!
0:40:24 > 0:40:26Oh, I thought that was Kayleigh! Oh, I hate that -
0:40:26 > 0:40:28the idea I'm telling the wrong one off.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32Right, let's go in the other room. I've got to get ready.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36Even though she sometimes finds it difficult to tell the twins apart,
0:40:36 > 0:40:39like many multiple parents, she dresses them the same.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43What about Leo's shoes, Jessie? Where's his shoes?
0:40:43 > 0:40:47Where's Leo's shoes? You going to get them?
0:40:47 > 0:40:49I'm quite proud, as well, I suppose,
0:40:49 > 0:40:52that they are identical, if I'm honest,
0:40:52 > 0:40:55because identical twins aren't the most common.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59Ricky and Rachel also have identical twins,
0:40:59 > 0:41:02Harry and Alfie, among their four-year-old triplets.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06The third triplet, Billy, is non-identical,
0:41:06 > 0:41:08but he has the biggest personality.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11I've got my seat belt on!
0:41:14 > 0:41:16I'm singing a song.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19# The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep #
0:41:19 > 0:41:22Billy's way in front. He's always been way in front.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25I can't understand that, because Billy were the poorliest,
0:41:25 > 0:41:29the youngest of the triplets, and he's way in front,
0:41:29 > 0:41:31and not just by a little bit.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33He's on a par with Evie and Eliot.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36He's doing things that they'd be doing.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46Thanks a lot. See you later.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48# I'm coming home
0:41:48 > 0:41:49# I'm coming home
0:41:49 > 0:41:53# Tell the world I'm coming home #
0:41:54 > 0:41:57It's 11 weeks since the triplets were born,
0:41:57 > 0:42:01and with Cassius already at home, it's now Corenza's turn.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05Ooh! Fresh air, babe.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09First bit of proper fresh air she's had.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13She's nice and cosy in there, but good for her lungs.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15Just Corenza.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19Bless her. She's going to be in there for a few weeks also.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23- Are you for Carl?- Yeah. - Yeah. Me, mate.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28Cheers, mate.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33Who's here?
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Who's here?
0:42:36 > 0:42:37Aha!
0:42:37 > 0:42:39Who is it?
0:42:39 > 0:42:41Is it a little baby?
0:42:41 > 0:42:44HE LAUGHS
0:42:44 > 0:42:46Look at him giggling!
0:42:47 > 0:42:50- Hello, gorgeous!- Get them together.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52She's getting fat compared to him, isn't she?
0:42:52 > 0:42:54Ah, kisses!
0:42:54 > 0:42:55Mwah!
0:42:55 > 0:42:58THEY LAUGH
0:42:59 > 0:43:01How you been, boy?
0:43:01 > 0:43:05- Been chilling? Yeah! - It's nice to have you home.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07It is.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11Look at that! BABY GURGLES
0:43:11 > 0:43:14HE LAUGHS
0:43:14 > 0:43:18- He's mad.- Little noise.
0:43:23 > 0:43:27It's now been four weeks since Ricky and Rachel moved.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30They've adjusted their day routine.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32Ricky's on nights, leaving Rachel on her own
0:43:32 > 0:43:36to get all the children fed, bathed and into bed.
0:43:36 > 0:43:37Be good.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39I'll see you later.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42- I'll see you tonight. - Your dogs are drowned.
0:43:42 > 0:43:46- I'll see to them. I'll dry them. - See you tonight. Love you.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48- HE SHOUTS - In there, now.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52In there. Sit down, or you don't have anything.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55This is where your dad comes in handy, isn't it?
0:43:55 > 0:43:58As soon as they hear Ricky getting angry, they do as they're told,
0:43:58 > 0:44:00but...
0:44:00 > 0:44:03it's a different story for Mum.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06It's hard for Ricky because he's at work.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10I'm having to ring three or four times a shift,
0:44:10 > 0:44:14and every time I ring, then he has to speak to the kids.
0:44:14 > 0:44:18They play me up a lot more than they do Ricky at bedtime,
0:44:18 > 0:44:23so sometimes it's quite hard for me to get them to bed.
0:44:25 > 0:44:29- Can you get yours, Evie, or not? - I am!
0:44:29 > 0:44:32Sometimes actually being a multiple can get too much.
0:44:32 > 0:44:35Ellie, where's Billy?
0:44:35 > 0:44:36Bathroom!
0:44:36 > 0:44:41- Bath, bath, bath, bath. - You are kidding me, Ellie!
0:44:41 > 0:44:44- What you doing in there? - I'm having my tea in here.
0:44:44 > 0:44:47- Why?- To be quiet.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51Ahhhh! Come in the kitchen. Evie's sat on the worktop.
0:44:51 > 0:44:55Come on. Fetch your chair. Ah, is that why you've come in here?
0:44:57 > 0:45:00Billy wants quiet. It is quiet if you shut up.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05Meanwhile, in Keynsham, with the nannies gone for the day,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08Megan's left on her own to do bath and bedtime
0:45:08 > 0:45:10for her nine-month-old triplets.
0:45:10 > 0:45:12You sit there, boy,
0:45:12 > 0:45:15and let's get that bath running, shall we?
0:45:16 > 0:45:20Right, then, who's coming in first? Who's fussing?
0:45:20 > 0:45:22Come on, then, big buster.
0:45:22 > 0:45:24HE GURGLES
0:45:26 > 0:45:30There. I do enjoy this time, but it can just be a bit fraught.
0:45:30 > 0:45:34But it's nice. I like seeing them enjoy themselves,
0:45:34 > 0:45:37and they have a lovely time in there.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41But I think, really, once they are properly mobile,
0:45:41 > 0:45:45it's only something you can do when someone else is around,
0:45:45 > 0:45:48and then you could bath them in turn rather than all at once.
0:45:48 > 0:45:52Even though her twins and triplets are older,
0:45:52 > 0:45:55Rachel doesn't have the time or the help to bath them one by one,
0:45:55 > 0:45:59so she's sticking with a tried-and-tested regime.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02Three in, three out. Three in, three out.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06Right. Big wash. Hands, legs, knees. Come on.
0:46:06 > 0:46:11But as the children get older, bath time becomes more of a free-for-all.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14Usually I'd do the triplets together, then Evie and Eliot,
0:46:14 > 0:46:16but madam's dived in. Come on!
0:46:16 > 0:46:19- No!- Come on.
0:46:19 > 0:46:23- Why are you doing this? Come on. - I'm not having my hair done.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28There are moments when I have to take a step back...
0:46:28 > 0:46:31SHE EXHALES And just...
0:46:32 > 0:46:37But I've never felt... I've never felt at breaking point with it.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40Ellie, I want you to stop. Every time they come in,
0:46:40 > 0:46:42it's because you've done something.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48It's a lot easier when your multiples are babies.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52Come on, then.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55BABY GURGLES Yeah.
0:46:55 > 0:46:56Oh!
0:46:56 > 0:46:58There we go.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04Billy, come on, please! Counting to three, Billy!
0:47:04 > 0:47:05One...
0:47:05 > 0:47:08And the kids test Rachel right up until bedtime.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13- HE LAUGHS - Get laid down, now!
0:47:13 > 0:47:17Rachel's just about had enough, when Ricky calls.
0:47:17 > 0:47:19Lay down.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21MOBILE RINGS
0:47:21 > 0:47:25Hello? Hey up.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27They won't... They just won't go down.
0:47:27 > 0:47:32"Right, listen. I'm speaking. You be quiet."
0:47:32 > 0:47:35"Get yourselves in bed. Get yourselves covered up,
0:47:35 > 0:47:39close your eyes and go to sleep. Right?"
0:47:39 > 0:47:41- Give Daddy a kiss.- Mwah!
0:47:41 > 0:47:44- Love you.- Love you!
0:47:44 > 0:47:48'That were definitely not a normal bedtime. Definitely not.'
0:47:48 > 0:47:51Even though Rachel's been pushed to her limits,
0:47:51 > 0:47:54she knows from experience the benefits of being consistent.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57It's school holidays this week, and most people probably think,
0:47:57 > 0:48:00"They won't have to stick to that bedtime."
0:48:00 > 0:48:06But if we lose that routine at all, then, everything just falls apart.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09Plus they have been up now 13 hours, so...
0:48:09 > 0:48:14they must be ready for a sleep. I know I am.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17With her nine-month-old triplets fast asleep,
0:48:17 > 0:48:21Megan reaches for her own milk before bedtime.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27Just what I needed.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37In Leeds, with two of the triplets home,
0:48:37 > 0:48:41Kelly and Carl are settling down into their family routine.
0:48:41 > 0:48:45- She had a bit of mince today. - Can you see the babies?
0:48:45 > 0:48:47- Yeah?- Yeah.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53Carl is off to do the school run...
0:48:54 > 0:48:59..and Kelly is left alone with the babies and ten-month-old Sky.
0:48:59 > 0:49:00Yeah!
0:49:00 > 0:49:02Are you hungry?
0:49:02 > 0:49:04Let's put this bib on,
0:49:04 > 0:49:08because if you're like your brother, you'll spit it out.
0:49:08 > 0:49:12You're next, mister. Don't worry.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14It's only just started now.
0:49:14 > 0:49:17Oh, my God, how am I going to cope?
0:49:17 > 0:49:19Three...
0:49:19 > 0:49:23They're going to turn me grey. I can just see it now.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27They're all going to want picking up at the same time.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33No! No! No! Ooh, Jesus!
0:49:33 > 0:49:35BABY CRIES
0:49:40 > 0:49:42Oh!
0:49:47 > 0:49:49Oh, Jesus...
0:49:51 > 0:49:53Whilst Kelly is juggling her babies,
0:49:53 > 0:49:57in Peterborough, Emily has got her hands full with her toddlers.
0:49:57 > 0:50:01And today she's decided to take the plunge
0:50:01 > 0:50:03and leave the quad buggy at home.
0:50:06 > 0:50:10But for toddlers who have just started to walk,
0:50:10 > 0:50:13it's all a bit of an adventure.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15Come on, Leo! Come on! Leo!
0:50:15 > 0:50:17I can see him.
0:50:17 > 0:50:21Once we're out, I think, "Oh, why don't we do this more often?"
0:50:21 > 0:50:23And then this bit reminds me why.
0:50:23 > 0:50:28Come on. We're going out. You love where we're going.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31Emily is taking her quads to the baby gym.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33We're going to play!
0:50:33 > 0:50:37At least it's not raining heavily.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42TODDLER CRIES
0:50:42 > 0:50:45Stay with Mummy.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49This is the palaver bit.
0:50:49 > 0:50:53Right, watch your head. Come on, then.
0:50:53 > 0:50:57My little chicks! My little chicks! Cheep, cheep, cheep!
0:50:57 > 0:50:59Oops! This is the thing.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02They're not so steady on their feet. Up we get!
0:51:02 > 0:51:04You're all right, Kayleigh. It's not major.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06Come on.
0:51:10 > 0:51:15I'm hoping it will get easier each time for them as they get steadier on their feet.
0:51:15 > 0:51:17This way! No, this way!
0:51:19 > 0:51:22Oh, sorry, Leo! Sorry! This way.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26This way! It's just this thing with direction.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29This one always wants to go... You're sitting in a puddle.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31Up we get.
0:51:31 > 0:51:35At the baby gym, the quads finally have some freedom,
0:51:35 > 0:51:38and Emily can meet up with other multiple mums.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42I find we kind of draw to each other.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44Yeah. Like, we met yesterday.
0:51:44 > 0:51:48- You think, "Oh, somebody in the same boat!"- "I'm not in her boat."
0:51:48 > 0:51:50THEY LAUGH
0:51:50 > 0:51:55It's nice to feel you're not surrounded by children all the time.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58You see the way other people do things, and watch things,
0:51:58 > 0:52:00and, "That's good. I'll try that,"
0:52:00 > 0:52:04or you soak in little tips and things along the way.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06Come on!
0:52:08 > 0:52:12Back at the car, Emily realises that she's forgotten something.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15Oh, my God, the keys. I didn't leave it unlocked, did I?
0:52:15 > 0:52:18I looked in my bag and I couldn't find them.
0:52:18 > 0:52:22Just keep calm, Emily. Keep calm. I thought I put them in the bag.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24Unless I didn't lock the door...
0:52:24 > 0:52:26Oh, God!
0:52:29 > 0:52:31Did I actually leave them in the car?
0:52:31 > 0:52:34I left them in the ignition!
0:52:34 > 0:52:38And whilst Emily's distracted, Kayleigh sees her chance again.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42Kayleigh! Come here, honey! Come on!
0:52:42 > 0:52:44No. Come to Mummy! Oi!
0:52:44 > 0:52:46Come on.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49Where's my Kayleigh?
0:52:49 > 0:52:51Where is she going? Kayleigh!
0:52:51 > 0:52:55Little devil! Out of all of them, she's the one who runs off.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58I should've grabbed her first. I should know her by now.
0:53:04 > 0:53:09That's naughty! No! It's not funny. You stay with Mummy.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11KAYLEIGH GIGGLES
0:53:11 > 0:53:15It's not funny. You come when I tell you.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17Naughty girl.
0:53:18 > 0:53:22It's Sleepless In Leeds for Kelly and Carl.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24It's 11 weeks since the triplets were born.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27One of them is still in hospital with feeding problems,
0:53:27 > 0:53:29but two of them are now home.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32The novelty's gone out the window now.
0:53:34 > 0:53:38It was easier when they were in hospital.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40HE LAUGHS
0:53:40 > 0:53:42BABY CRIES
0:53:45 > 0:53:47They sleep, they eat...
0:53:47 > 0:53:50and shit. That's it.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53They've been up every three hours feeding and changing the babies,
0:53:53 > 0:53:57and on top of that, one-year-old Sky is teething.
0:53:57 > 0:54:02Sky was just screaming down the house when I came home,
0:54:02 > 0:54:04so I ended up down here with the babies,
0:54:04 > 0:54:06and she ended up in my bed with Carl.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09- When you all go to school, guess what I'm doing?- What?
0:54:09 > 0:54:11I'm off back to bed.
0:54:13 > 0:54:15Mummy! Mummy!
0:54:15 > 0:54:20They leave at 25 to eight. Another four minutes.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23I'm nearly done, Mummy. I'm nearly finished my scrambled eggs.
0:54:23 > 0:54:28You need to eat, love, otherwise you're going to be late.
0:54:28 > 0:54:33Ayesha, quick. Leave that. Run upstairs. Brush your teeth.
0:54:33 > 0:54:34See you!
0:54:37 > 0:54:40It's only just the beginning for Kelly and Carl,
0:54:40 > 0:54:43but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52It was over four years ago
0:54:52 > 0:54:56that Rachel and Ricky brought their triplets home for the first time.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59They've been through it all, from sleepless nights and nappy changes
0:54:59 > 0:55:02to toddler tantrums and tears.
0:55:02 > 0:55:04That's yours.
0:55:04 > 0:55:08And now, with so much experience under their belt,
0:55:08 > 0:55:11they really have come out the other side.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14We knew that it were going to be absolutely hell
0:55:14 > 0:55:16for the first few years.
0:55:16 > 0:55:20A lot of people were waiting for us to fall flat on us faces.
0:55:20 > 0:55:24Today Rachel's got a treat in store for her twins and triplets.
0:55:24 > 0:55:29They're all having their photographs taken in fancy dress.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31No. Come on.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35A lot of times I'd think, "I can't do this any more."
0:55:35 > 0:55:37"I can't carry on."
0:55:37 > 0:55:42And Rick said, "We've been through worse than this."
0:55:42 > 0:55:45And I think having that reassurance from Rick
0:55:45 > 0:55:48has made me be able to do what I can do
0:55:48 > 0:55:50with the boys and twins.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53- Sit up!- Now!
0:55:53 > 0:55:55Right up,
0:55:55 > 0:55:58or we'll be going to the police station.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07- I hope you're going to smile nice. - You what?
0:56:07 > 0:56:11I hope you're going to do nice smiles.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14- Who's going to smile the best? - Me.- Me.
0:56:14 > 0:56:16THEY SHOUT
0:56:24 > 0:56:26Are you all looking at me?
0:56:32 > 0:56:36It's not been an easy ride, but if you've got support from each other,
0:56:36 > 0:56:38you can get through anything.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41Look at the camera!
0:56:41 > 0:56:42Smile!
0:56:45 > 0:56:50# Oh, oh, sweet child o' mine
0:56:53 > 0:56:58# Oh, oh, sweet child o' mine #
0:56:59 > 0:57:03Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:03 > 0:57:07E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk
0:57:07 > 0:57:07.