20 June 2024

Growing up as a triplet, Joanne was lucky to have two friends right by her side.

Joanne and sisters Georgia and Laurel always had a great bond, even throughout their teenage years, when they fought as any siblings typically do.

Now an adult, Joanne wanted to give something back and has been volunteering for Twins Trust, talking to other parents about her experience of being a triplet. She’s shared her memories of childhood and how she feels now after becoming a mother herself.

She said: “I’m the middle one. We were born via C-section in December 1987, there was one minute between us. Laurel was first, then me and then Georgia. Scans weren’t great in the 1980s and the initial scan showed twins. We were naturally conceived and there was no history of twins or triplets as far as anyone was aware. It was a bit of a shock for our parents.”

Laurel, Joanne and Georgia spent their first Christmas in hospital in London, after they had to be transferred from another hospital in Slough, due to the lack of available incubators.

Joanne said: “Two of us had holes in our hearts and we were in incubators and given support to help us breathe. I think we were in hospital for three weeks. Georgia went home first and then the two of us followed after. Georgia was a healthier weight so she had a head start.”

Recalling stories told to her by her parents about the early years bringing up three babies, Joanne said: “Mum and dad had to run quite a tight ship. Everything was to the minute and schedules were in place. I remember one home video – showing one of us having a bath, one of us being fed and one is asleep. It’s quite funny to just to see what’s happening.”

We do get on really well now, we’re best friends

Fortunately, living next-door there were more multiples, which Joanne said was really beneficial for the family.

She said: “Our next-door neighbours had twins so it did normalise it for my mum. We were friends with them and saw them every week. When we went to secondary school there were quite a few sets of twins there, not triplets. I hadn’t met any other triplets apart from when we were on holiday. I remember thinking it was weird. None of us knew what to say.

“We always got called the triplets or ‘the girls’. I think that was one of my earliest memories wondering why other people didn’t get called that. I had fear of missing out all the time. I was always wondering what the other two were doing. Three is a crowd and it can still be like that as adults. We got on when we were younger, but not as teenagers. We shared a room until we were 11 or 12. There were arguments and physical fights. We do get on really well now, we’re best friends.”

Joanne, Georgia and Laurel all attended the same secondary school but were in separate form classes. Joanne said she felt this was beneficial for them all, adding: “It helped that we weren’t always in the same class. I can hardly remember any classes when we were together. We did have mutual friends.

“I remember one day my sisters were both off sick and I went in on my own. It was the best day ever. It was one of the first times I had done something on my own.

“On GCSE results day, I remember feeling so embarrassed as we were a novelty as we were triplets and we were in the local paper.”

The girls did experiment with different looks and styles through their teenage years, from dying their hair to piercing their noses, each trying to create individual styles.

Joanne said: “I remember us dying our hair and getting tattoos. We wanted to be different. I know some other twins and triplets like to look the same but for us that was quite a strange concept. “We never wore the same, maybe on special occasions for photos. We wore different colours.

“My parents were quite liberal, they let us decorate our rooms as we wanted, and a chance to express ourselves other than what we were wearing. They let us choose our clothes, even if something completely different to my sisters, it was fine.”

When Joanne started university she saw it as an opportunity to just be ‘Joanne’ and not a triplet, adding: “I didn’t tell anyone at university that I was a triplet for a big part of the first year. I loved no-one knowing.”

Overall, Joanne said the bond between her and her sisters is the most amazing thing.

“It’s someone who gets you completely. You don’t have to explain your weird jokes. We had such fun growing up with the games we played.”

They are still all very close and enjoy spending time together with their young children.

After becoming a mum herself, Joanne reached out to Twins Trust when she was searching for a volunteering opportunity.

She said: “I was looking online as I wanted to be involved with the charity. My mum and dad were part of TAMBA, as it was then called. My mum talks very highly of the support she felt from being part of the charity. We went to some of the events, too. I always wanted to volunteer or offer something. I wanted to be able to use the experiences I've had and share them with others. It feels amazing to be part of such a special group and I hope to be able to continue volunteering. Becoming a mum myself made me realise how hard it must have been for my mum. I was just ignorant to that until I had my own baby. I wondered how she did it.”

Via webinars with other triplet parents, Joanne shares her journey of being a triplet and is always keen to offer advice too.

“One thing my mum and dad tried to do was do something with each child on their own. But I understand that’s hard. It wasn’t every week. They were mundane things but it was quality things. Things like washing the car or going to the supermarket. It was nice being on your own and having that time with them. That was really important, making the time for each of us.”

Find out more about volunteering opportunities at Twins Trust.