This group's membership is limited to parents near Chicago, who have had a loss during or after a multiple (twin, triplet, quadruplet or more) pregnancy, and are raising survivors. Some have had fertility challenges or are raising special needs children. We are an understanding, accepting group, helping each other through a tough kind of parenting. If you live elsewhere, you might try ELIMBO (for any multiple birth loss), psm (for those raising surviving multiples beyond the acute bereavement phase) and LAMBS (Loss of All in Multiple Birth). Details on these lists are at www.synspectrum.com/multiplicity.html.

BRAMBLE stands for Building Respect After Multiple Birth Loss Experiences. We hope people will respect our losses and/or the children we've lost by honoring their memories.

Bramble is defined in the dictionary as:

any of a genus (Rubus) of usually prickly shrubs of the rose family including the raspberries and blackberries; broadly : a rough prickly shrub or vine

"Bramble" is therefore an appropriate description of our situations. Our children are beautiful like roses, but the
bush/vine from which they grew is rough and prickly.

We meet in person periodically. Please e-mail synspectrum@yahoo.com for details on our next meeting. If you are new, please submit a brief version of your story. We are very sorry you need to join us...but happy you've found understanding friends.

What is mentioned in this group is private and not to be shared outside the group without permission. This group is for informal mutual support and is not intended to replace private counseling or medical treatment. We respect the wide variety and complexity of loss scenarios in multiple birth, and do not criticize each other's choices. You are welcome to share any thoughts important to you.

Dr. Beth Pector, mom to David (b. 1991) and twins Jared (survivor and Bryan (stillborn from a cord accident), b. 1997