Parent aid for multiple births

Midwife Angela Healey was guest of honour at The More The Merrier group event in Athersley.

Angela will soon be leading specialist ante-natal classes on behalf of Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust with contributions from the group.

The sessions will run three times a year to help families cope with multiple new arrivals - an average of 35 sets of twins are born in Barnsley each year.

"All new parents-to-be have anxieties about what lies ahead, but those concerns are often magnified with twins, triplets or more," said Angela.

"My role in running these new classes is to help take some stress out of the situation by offering practical real-life solutions with guidance from other people in the same situation."

The More the Merrier was formed 18 months ago and is part-funded by Raleys Solicitors.

One of the group co-ordinators, Adele Gladman, whose husband Jim is a partner at Raleys, added: "The members of our group know first-hand about the stresses of becoming parents of multiples, so we fully appreciate what a vital service the classes will be for a great many people in Barnsley."

The More the Merrier meets at the Secret Garden Children's Centre, Lindhurst Road, Athersley, every Thursday from 9.30am to11.30am.

The ante-natal classes start on Saturday October 13 at Barnsley Hospital. Contact email [email protected] or call 01226 432583.