ABSTRACT
It is important to set experiences within an overall context. For some of these respondent families, the pregnancy had been uncomplicated and tragedy struck suddenly. For a few, there were weeks of anxiety or crucial decisions to be made before the birth. For others, the birth itself involved traumas which influenced later developments. This chapter discusses the events which led up to that time. Not all of the couples with diagnosed multiple pregnancies remembered seeing paediatricians before the birth. Just over one-third of the sets of parents (21, 36%) could recall no discussion with a professional person during pregnancy about the possibility of things going wrong. Information was commonly given by obstetric staff at this point, but seven of the 59 families (12%) recalled paediatric staff being involved when potential difficulties were discussed. Not all of the couples with diagnosed multiple pregnancies remembered seeing paediatricians before the birth.
