Party of five is five times the work

THERE'S always a fanfare when quadruplets or quintuplets are born, but after the cameras stop rolling, looking after five newborns can be physically, mentally and financially draining, according to Veronica Cassidy.

Veronica, who was on hormonal treatment when her quintuplets were conceived, adores her children but admits she often lies awake at night wondering how they will manage.

Nothing is easy with quintuplets. Mothers may talk of the perils of toilet training toddlers, watching them when shopping as they lunge for expensive breakables, or even getting them to sit down to eat.