HISTORY of KPMM

 

Keeping Pace with Multiple Miracles: How It All Began

 

 

 

 Two mothers, Pam Pace and Donna Baker, met at a meeting for parents of twins after giving birth to triplets. They founded Keeping Pace with Multiple Miracles (KPMM) in 1996.

 

HOW THE ORGANIZATION DEVELOPED

 

Pam and Donna met for tea and discussed why the twin group was not sufficient to meet their needs. Essentially, they discovered that mothers of high multiples had little time to do things, found it difficult to maintain relationships, and could not even make it out of their homes.  Eventually, they decided that other mothers of multiples would benefit from the same type of friendship and support connection that they found in each other. Thus, they decided to found the KPMM organization and meet the needs of all mothers of multiples. Their main goal was to form a network of families to offer support in coping with the challenges that come with parenting multiples.

 

 ABOUT THE FOUNDERS

 

Although Pam and Donna both gave birth to triplets, they had two very different experiences with their pregnancies.  This is significant because it highlights that every pregnancy is unique and every mother will need unique support.

 

Donna Baker:

• Became pregnant unexpectedly
• Had a very solid support system comprised of family and friends
• Was on bed rest at home
• Did not have many complications throughout the pregnancy
• Gave birth to healthy triplet boys at 35 weeks

 

Pam Pace:

• Dealt with years of invasive infertility treatments before becoming pregnant
• Did not have family and friends to care for her or any real support system
• Was on bed rest in the hospital
• Gave birth to premature triplets (2 girls and 1 boy) at 29 weeks

 

These two mothers with diverse experiences were brought together because they gave birth to multiples and needed support. After they met at a twin support group, Pam and Donna became very good friends.  Most importantly, they provided each other with support and realized that the needs of mothers with multiples greater than two were far different from the needs of parents with twins.  

 

 

 

THE FIRST  OFFICIAL MEETING

 

The first meeting of KPMM was:

• Held in a small living room in Randolph, Massachusetts
  
  
• Small in size, as only a couple of other mothers who had triplets attended
  
  
• A success in that these four women were able to talk and share their expertise and concerns for several hours
  
  
• At the first meeting, the new group members decided to hold monthly meetings to have tea and discuss pressing personal issues.
  

THE EARLY DAYS

 

As more mothers joined KPMM, they all began to share their children’s clothes and toys that were no longer needed. In addition, they shared their experiences and lessons they learned.  

THE FIRST NEWSLETTER

 

• A mother attending the group decided to bring her typewriter to the monthly meeting.  She dedicated time taking notes and recording contact information of mothers in the group.
  
  
• Later, the mother that began collecting records for the group began to expand her efforts. She recorded personal information such as members’ birthdays and conveyed the interest of other mothers that were interested in joining the group.
  
  
• Once all of this information was recorded, she used it to produce the organization’s first newsletter. She took her letter to a local drug store and used the store’s copy machine to produce 8 copies of the very first newsletter and member directory of KPMM.
  
  
• The newsletters were generated on a typewriter and were dressed up with stickers and other homemade details.

 

IMPRESSIVE GROWTH

 

The amount of supplies and the number of attendees at the meetings increased quickly. Consequently, the organization outgrew the living rooms that it was meeting in.    

 

The founders of KPMM knew it was time to branch out. They started holding meetings at Bridgewater Pediatrics so that they would have a more space.    KPMM began to advocate against fetal reduction and tried to spread the word that there was Support available to parents expecting multiples.  

 

They began a thorough investigation into issues of aftercare and the needs of new parents of Multiples once they brought their children home from the hospital.   

 

Monthly support gatherings known as SPRINT (Supporting our Parents with Resources and Ideas while Networking Together) were developed to provide parents with the opportunity to meet other parents of multiples that were dealing with similar challenges. The meetings were held in several locations including Boston, Randolph, Brookline, and the Cape.

 

THEIR OWN SPACE

 

After meeting at Bridgewater Pediatrics, KPMM rented its own 1,200 square foot location at  106 Hale Street in Bridgewater, MA in March 2006.   

The group had to renovate the space to meet their needs. It was worth the effort because the Hale Street location gave the organization enough space to open its own store. Also, it gave the organization a home where they could host official meetings and events. In addition, the founders finally had offices at the location.  

In May 2006, they expanded into a back room at their Hale Street location because they needed more space.   In July 2006, they expanded again at their Hale Street location. It gave the organization a storage room to house their supplies.  

Increased space led to an increase in hours required to operate the organization. Originally, KPMM started out by having their Hale Street headquarters open every other Saturday to the public. 

A large demand for the store let the founders to increase the store’s availability to every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  Eventually, Tuesday evenings were added, as well, to accommodate those who were not available during the day.  

Several garages and a 1,200 square foot warehouse were quickly outgrown by KPMM. This led them to a new 3,000 square foot location at 194 South Main Street (Route 28) in West Bridgewater, MA in October 2007.  

The South Main Street location offered room to grow and the ability to set up a store, a diaper and formula pantry, an office, a designated breastfeeding and meeting room, a bathroom, and a storage area.  

 

WHERE THEY ARE NOW

Services:

 

    Keeping Pace with Multiple Miracles (KPMM) provides a wide range of services to assist families with multiples. KPMM is in constant contact with families expecting multiples and it is a vital resource for these families. Constant contact provides support that families expecting multiples desperately need.

 

Connecting Mothers With KPMM:

 

    Mothers are referred to KPMM in many ways. Local hospitals and clinics specializing in prenatal care put mothers in touch with KPMM. Mothers get the help and support that they need.  Whether it is a shoulder to cry on, formula, diapers, or a place to relax; KPMM ensures that mothers of multiples get what they need.

 

Present Home:

 

    KPMM serves its members from a quaint building in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts.  The building contains a store, supply pantry, and a private room for mothers. Although the center is a major achievement, it is only one of many accomplishments the organization has achieved.