THE INTERVIEW
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE THREE
THE INTERVIEW
THE BEST
THINGS IN LIFE
ARE THREE
Meet super-dad and super-Instagrammer Alex Lewis, aka @daddy_to_triplet_girls. Here, he tells us how he and his family have brought order to the chaos that is triplets: military-style planning, strict routines and, of course, triple packs of sleepsuits
Just the beginning
“When we found out we were having triplets, Charlotte and I laughed, cried, and hugged each other,” says Alex, 34. “We both knew something special was going to happen.” It was also the start of a new sideline career as an Instagram sensation. The inspiring combination of Alex’s wonderfully honest captions and super-cute pictures of the girls has gained him a loyal following of nearly 70,000. He shares the everyday family adventures of his wife Charlotte (who recently started her own account, @mumma_to_triplet_girls), their four-year-old son Henry and, of course, Annabella Rose, Florence Violet and Lottie Bluebell. “I learn a lot from my followers too,” adds Alex. “It’s a great forum to ask advice. It works both ways.”
BABY ESSENTIALS
Early arrivals
“I started Instagramming simply to document our journey, but it soon became a sort of therapy for me,” explains Alex. “It’s great to get things off my chest and help other new parents who may be having a hard time. I want people to know I get it, it’s not easy. But if we can do it, so can they.” All three girls were born at 33 weeks and were in the neonatal ward for three weeks. “It is difficult in neonatal. But you must keep telling yourself they’re there for a reason. They simply need a little extra care. It’s so important to remember that. My advice would be to stay calm, positive and use the support of the hospital staff, friends and family. Don’t feel guilty about taking a break from the unit for yourself. And, particularly with multiple births, use the opportunity to learn a routine from the staff and ease yourself gently into your new life.”
BABY ESSENTIALS
Triplet survival secret
Many of us find feeding, changing and settling just one baby tricky enough, how on earth do you do this with three? “It’s not easy,” laughs Alex. “To feed them all by yourself you have to stagger it, whereby each baby is fed 15 minutes apart. Then it is time for triple burping followed by triple nappy changing.” And Alex’s underlying secret to coping with multiples? Routine. “To stand any reasonable chance of having a life you must establish and stick to a strict routine. I can’t stress this enough. Fellow triplet parents, who visited the neonatal unit, told us this and it’s the best advice we were given. It’s the biggest factor in them all sleeping at the same time – and giving myself and Charlotte some time together.”
BABY ESSENTIALS
Dressing times three
“Getting us all out of the house is like a military operation,” says Alex. “Organisation is key! The night before we prepare the changing bag, lay out their outfits and even check the weather forecast. We usually choose sleepsuits, it makes dressing them so much easier and quicker. It’s lovely to see the girls in matching outfits, they look so grown up! Then it’s a production line to get us out of the door. It’s down to team work. One of us will get the girls ready up to a certain stage, then the other takes over and puts coats on, then into the pram or car. I think it’s what is known as organised chaos.”
BABY ESSENTIALS
Photographer: David Handley / Stylist: Claire Coulthard / Groomer: Christina Corway / Stylist: Fran Bartoli / Set: Michelle Lester
