Mother's Day gifts Australian 'supermums' are hoping for

This Mother’s Day, there will be a lot more love in the Lucas household with the addition of five-month-old triplets.

Babies Nash, Banksii and Autumn-Florence arrived in late 2024, instantly doubling the family’s brood of three older children.

The births came after a five-year IVF journey for mother Tegan Lucas, who lost a set of twins and a singleton in the process.

“We were in a lot of shock for a while,” Ms Lucas told AAP.

The triplets brought excitement and much joy for their busy parents.

“You see them find their hands and their feet for the first time, and we now say in our household, ‘arms full, heart full’,” she said.

“It definitely feels like our family is big, but it’s complete.”

Nevertheless, the added parenting burden meant Ms Lucas had to quit her job in the mental health sector and left her family relying solely on her husband’s income.

Costs have skyrocketed, including three sets of everything for the babies, having to move into a larger home and upgrading to a bigger car.

“It’s the best thing, but the hardest thing at the same time,” Ms Lucas said.

All the mother-of-six wants is just a little more support and understanding from the government, noting most of their support goes to buying formula.

About 1.4 per cent of births in Australia result in multiples, equating to about 4200 twins, triplets and more every year.

Silje Andersen-Cooke never planned on having beyond two children.

“When we found out we’re having triplets, that completely rocked our world,” the chair of the Australian Multiple Birth Association said.

Sunday will be her third Mother’s Day with her triplets, but it has also been a difficult adjustment for her family.

“I was walking into that second pregnancy feeling really confident, like I’ve done one child ... and then having that thrown completely out the window,” Ms Andersen-Cooke said.

Studies showed looking after triplets took an average of 28 hours and 12 minutes per day, she said.

That is why she and her not-for-profit group are urging the federal government to provide more support for mums of multiples, including a 1000-day support package, parental leave per baby instead of per birth and more in-home help.

“Mums of multiples are superwomen and supermums, but they don’t get an extra arm or an extra hand just because they’ve had twins,” Ms Andersen-Cooke said.

Twins require up to five times more in care costs than a singleton and triplets up to 13 times, leading to many parents of multiples experiencing serious mental and financial challenges.

Eligible parents of multiples receive up-front newborn payments and supplements of up to $2,670.82 for each child in a multiple birth.

Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said the government recognised the unique challenges experienced by parents of multiples, delivering significant reforms in the last parliament.

“These were important changes that are providing families, including those of a multiple birth, the flexibility to manage care of their child in the way that best suits their circumstances,” she said.