A NEW exclusive club has opened for families in Southend.

To qualify it's not about the income you have, or the car you drive. It's about the buggy you push.

It's got to have room for at least two, if not three children.

The recently formed group is a haven for parents of multiple birth children, and is already proving a success with busy mums across the district.

Held at the Summercourt Children's Centre, Westcliff, the group is run by a team of Surestart volunteer mums. Amongst them is Sharyn Ailara, mum of twins Oliver and Ellison, four, and Alex, eight months.

Sharyn, of Lonsdale Road, Southend, ran a similar group in Leigh when her twins were young, but stopped when they started nursery and demand for a multiple birth group dried up.

"Having multiples is different to having one child," says Sharyn. "Sometimes it's just nice to talk to other mums and find out how they cope and manage. Even down to little things like how you get round the shops and what's the best buggy to buy.

"It's also good for mums with younger babies, and even expectant mums, to learn from those who have already been through it."

The group meets once a fortnight, on a Tuesday afternoon. As well as providing an advice swap shop for parents, it also has benefits for its younger members.

"It's nice for the children," explains Sharyn. "At school they're different, where as here they're all just the same."

*For more information on the group contact 01702 433599.

I'll help if I can, says mum of twins

When Sarah Rozee was younger she dreamt of having five children - a set of twins and triplets.

It started off well, with identical twins Jacob and Ethan, now four and a half. Then when Sarah, of Elm Road, Leigh, fell pregnant again she was concerned her one time dream could become a reality.

"I felt so ill, I was convinced I was having triplets or a girl," says Sarah. "I felt so much rougher than I did first time round.

A scan revealed early on however, that, to her relief, she was carrying just the one baby and when Joseph was born 10 months ago, her theory that it was a girl was also disproved.

"People used to say I'd find it a walk in the park having one, but I did worry that I might have a nightmare child, but he's such a content baby."

She says having twins brings its own challenges, which is why she thinks groups for multiple birth families are such a good idea.

"Having twins was physically difficult up to about nine months, and then mentally difficult after the age of two and a half," she says. "You are literally having to listen to two people at the same time. "It must be frustrating for them as well to always have to share."

Even though the boys are at school now I'll still come with Joseph, it's just nice to socialise with other mums and be able to offer any help I can."

It's nice hearing other people's stories

The cry of "I've only got one pair of hands" has left many a parent's lips, but for Lisa Lavelle it's more of a problem than for most.

Lisa, of Collingwood Way, Southend, is the mum of triplets Harrison, Ethan and Aaron.

"You only get two of everything," says Lisa, about the challenges of parenthood. "I've only got two arms, I haven't got three."

Something that proves quite tricky when she's trying to feed all three of her sons, now 14 months.

"The practical side of things, such as feeding, is very difficult," she says.

"You have to leave one of them crying sometimes, which makes you feel very guilty."

You also get lot of people staring at you when you're out and people can be quite discriminatory, for example I can't go into a restaurant with them.

"It doesn't bother me though. At the end of the day, I've got three lovely children who are safe and well."

Falling pregnant with triplets was quite a shock for Lisa. Despite there being a history of multiple births in both her and her husband's family, it had always stopped at twins before.

"I had a very hard pregnancy and was in and out of hospital before they were born under emergency caesarean at 32 weeks," she explains. "It was a very traumatic time, but the staff at Southend Hospital were wonderful."

She's since adapted to life as a busy mother of three - although Lisa is better equipped to deal with her triplets than most.

"I'm a nursery manager, and have worked in childcare for 19 years, so that's been a big help. I don't know how people without that experience cope.

"I've got my own creche now," she smiles.

The new group offers some much welcomed adult company though.

"It can be quite a lonely experience being a multiple birth mum, so having a group like this help get ideas and share experiences with other parents is great. I think everyone has their own way of dealing with things, but it's just nice hearing other people's stories."