Multiple-birth mothers to get classes in coping

Parents will be advised on how to cope with the extra burden of having more than one child at once. Run by the National Childbirth Trust, the classes will be tested in the capital first.

The number of multiple births in England and Wales has risen from 9,217 in 1997 to 10,471 in 2007. It means nearly 15 of every 1,000 births result in the delivery of more than one baby.

Campaigners warn the needs of these mothers are being neglected. The classes will teach them how to cope with more than one baby, how to breastfeed successfully and what happens to a woman's body when she is carrying multiple babies.

The NCT said the workshops were not intended to replace ante-natal classes, but were a much-needed addition. Antenatal teacher Philippa Bennet, mother to five children including twins Max and Jemima, aged five, will be running the classes - which will cost about £100 - at Canary Wharf. Mrs Bennet, from Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, said multiple-birth mothers were more likely to undergo a Caesarean section and cope with at least one baby being treated in intensive care.

She said: "Parents with multiple births have been neglected for so long. There is a need for these classes. What happens if one twin is in special care, for example?

"When I had my own twins. I didn't have a special class. Breastfeeding twins needs special support and people need extra tips. It can be overwhelming and we no longer have so much of an extended family for support."

The Twins and Multiple Births Association has also launched multiple-birth classes in Finchley and around the M25. Spokesman Keith Reed said: "There's a significant correlation between women delaying pregnancy and the likelihood of having twins.

"Another factor is IVF, and there is some suggestion a higher body mass index also increases the chance. But advice for couples is often neglected.

"If you look at the Government's guidelines on pregnancy there are just a couple of lines relating to multiple births." Belinda Phipps, NCT chief executive, said multiple-birth mothers were at greater risk of post-natal depression because they were more likely to have a "medicalised" birth.

"Expecting twins, you have a higher likelihood of intervention," she said. "How traumatic you find your birth is linked to how medicalised it is. These classes help women either learn how to reduce the chance of medicalisation or prepare for it happening.

"Also the women will feel less isolated because they are meeting similar mothers. If you have twins it's hard to leave the house when you first give birth."