Multiples of America Adds Its Voice to Position Paper Citing Need for Peer Support

FRANKLIN, Tenn. - March 1, 2025 - PRLog -- Multiples of America has signed on as a supporter of the new position paper, The Role of Peer Support in Multiple Pregnancy Complications and Loss. The paper validates the importance of peer support for parents of multiples, especially during times of stress and challenge. It recommends the medical community look to opportunities to connect parents of multiples with peer support, highlighting its value "alongside clinical and counseling services."

"Parenting multiples brings unique logistical and financial challenges that can be overwhelming, especially those associated with special needs and disabilities, or after the death of a baby/babies," the report notes. "Peer support offers practical advice on managing these demands."

The report defines peer support as an opportunity for people with shared experiences to connect, gaining assistance and strength from one another through their shared experiences. Support can occur in-person, through video/phone calls, or online. It can be individualized or through small groups, and can carry through all ages and stages of parenting. Multiples of America in its work through local member clubs and nationwide resources, research, and events exemplifies the meaning of peer support.

"At the core of peer support is 'lived experience,' where individuals who have personally faced similar issues offer empathy and insights that often complement traditional support systems," the report explains.

Healthcare providers play an important role in connecting families with support networks, according to the report. They can recommend organizations known for evidence-based peer support, thus reassuring "parents that they are accessing safe and credible information."

"This collaborative approach—where medical guidance and peer support work together—ensures that families benefit from a well-rounded support system that combines emotional connection with reliable information," the report concludes.

"Peer support groups can help to fill a gap between the often impersonal medical world and the need for emotional support," according to a parent reflection shared in the report. "It can also fill the void that comes with walking a path our family and friends haven't experienced as it brings people into our lives who've been there and understand. Without good evidence based peer support groups many people would feel very much alone and lost."

The report was prepared following research by The TAPS Support Foundation and Footprints Baby Loss. The TAPS Support Foundation works to raise awareness of TAPS (Twin Anemia Polycythemia Sequence) by supporting research, and helping families connect to each other and the latest findings. Footprints Baby Loss provides vital peer support to parents and families who experience the death of one or more of their twins or triplets before, during or after birth.

Multiples of America is a 501(c)3, non-profit organization supporting families of multiple birth children through support, education, and research. Visit us at https://www.multiplesofamerica.org.