Early last week we learned that a woman here in SoCal gave birth to the country’s second set of living octuplets which sent shockwaves of interest and goodwill around the world almost immediately. Because the woman decided to remain as private as possible, interested media outlets began to dig into her private life to try and figure out her identity and managed to scrounge up all sorts of information that has been disseminated without this new mother’s approval or consent. For days we’ve been hearing new information from various media outlets … that the woman is a single mom, that she still lives with her parents, that as an only child she always desired to have many children … but today, we get to hear from the mom herself for the very first time. Earlier this morning, Nadya Suleman gave her very first interview to The Today Show and sat down with Ann Curry to answer the questions that everyone’s been dying to know since the spectacular news of her 8-baby birth broke last week:
The Southern California woman who gave birth to octuplets last week told TODAY’s Ann Curry in an exclusive interview that growing up as an only child, she had always dreamed of having “a huge family.” She also denied charges that she was irresponsible to have so many babies — especially with six other children already at home. “People feel, you know, this woman is being completely irresponsible and selfish to bring these children in the world without a clear source of income and enough help to raise them,” Curry told Nadya Suleman in a segment that aired Friday on TODAY. “The world outside is saying, ‘What are you doing?’ ” “I know I’ll be able to afford them when I’m done with my schooling,” the 33-year-old single mom replied. Calm, poised and articulate in the glare of the media spotlight, Suleman added: “If I was just sitting down watching TV and not being as determined as I am to succeed and provide a better future for my children, I believe that would be considered, to a certain degree, selfish.” Suleman, who said she holds each premature infant 45 minutes each day, said she was hoping to have one more child after having six previous children, all of whom are under the age of 7. She said she had six embryos implanted, two of which resulted in twins. Curry reported that although Suleman has received disability payments from the state of California, she said she refuses to accept welfare payments. Suleman and her children live with her mother, Angela Suleman. “All I wanted was children. I wanted to be a mom. That’s all I ever wanted in my life. I love my children,” she told Curry. Curry said that Suleman said she intends to return to college in the fall to complete a master’s degree in counseling. Suleman had worked in a state mental hospital from 1997-2006, but spent much of the time after 1999 on disability after injuring her back in a riot at the facility. Suleman said she is a good mother. “I’m providing myself to my children. I’m loving them unconditionally, accepting them unconditionally,” she told Curry. “Everything I do, I’ll stop my life for them and be present with them. And hold them. And be with them. And how many parents do that? I’m sure there are many that do, but many don’t. And that’s unfortunate. That is selfish.” Suleman said she was fully aware of the risks of carrying eight fetuses. “Those are my children, and that’s what was available,” she said. “It’s a gamble.” … Suleman said she went to the same in vitro fertilization clinic to have all 14 of her children. All were conceived with donated sperm from the same father, Suleman said. Suleman told Curry that the father is a bit overwhelmed right now, but she is hoping that he will want to get to know his children when he is ready. “How did an only child end up with 14 children?” Curry asked Nadya Suleman. “That was always a dream of mine, to have a large family, a huge family, and I just longed for certain connections and attachments with another person that I really lacked, I believe, growing up,” she replied … The divorced single mom told Curry she tried to get pregnant for years before finally succeeding. “I went through about seven years of trying, through artificial insemination, through medication. And all of which was unsuccessful. And then the first IVF procedure from that facility — it was successful. And then I just kept going in.” While it hasn’t been revealed which doctor implanted eight embryos at once into Suleman, the octuplets’ birth has sparked an ethical debate in the medical community … The entire exclusive interview will air along with exclusive video of the babies on TODAY Monday, Feb. 9, and on Dateline at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
Wow! I don’t even know what to think about all of this. Judging from her comments alone, it seems like this woman has quite a few issues that she is trying to deal with by giving birth to all of these babies. Her intense desire to have a large family isn’t odd, in and of itself, but her need to have them all at a very young age (under the age of 7) and all by herself — and she still plans to go to college — is very odd. On the other hand, I’m not sure that anyone else has a right to dictate how she lives her life and how many children she should be allowed to give birth to. Trust me, I understand the ethics involved … well, maybe not fully (because there are so many) but I’m not sure that I like the idea of US citizens being dictated rules of procreation. It’s all so complicated and … messy. I just don’t really know what to think. After the jump, check out video of Suelman‘s appearance on The Today Show and hear the woman speak in her own words …
Again … while many people may have a strong opinion on this matter, I’m still not comfortable with the State stepping in to interfere with people’s lives after babies are born (unless, of course, there is mistreatment, neglect, abuse, etc. going on). If anything, there should be regulation on how many in vitro eggs can be implanted into a human being at a time … and even that leaves me a little iffy on the whole matter. What do y’all think? Where should private rights to procreate become matters of the State? I, for one, really don’t know.
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Kaiser Permanente (where she had the babies) has already said they will be footing the bill for the medical costs associated with the octuplets’ births. That means that I, a Kaiser Permanente insured person, will be helping to foot the bill… This is generally known as welfare… It is irresponsible, not only from the standpoints previously put up on this board, but from an environmental standpoint as well… There will be 14 baths daily (just for her kids) and it is likely they won’t all share the same bathwater. Fourteen kids have to eat, putting further strain on the earth to produce this food. It may not seem like a big deal when we’re only talking about 14 children, but if others did the same thing we would have a population explosion. We can’t afford the people already living in this country let alone each of those people having fourteen children… okay, I’ll stop ranting now, but IRRESPONSIBLE all around!
I agree with you Trent. on the one hand there is something very wrong with the situation, but we can’t dictate to people how many kids they are allowed to have.
It makes me sad, because me and my husband have talked about children but know right now money would be an issue so are going to wait, unfortunately while we wait we get to pay the taxes for this women to neglect her 14.
I also feel sorry for the sperm donor of all 14. as it says up there that they used the same father and he knows. Bet this wasn’t what he bargained for.
This reminds me of the lady in Phoenix who had, maybe, 6 babies at once in addition to her toddler. She got lots of loot, but I remember thinking, “Who the hell is going to help her take care of all these kids?” as her husband worked a lot of hours to help pay for them. Well, she ended up in jail after abusing them horribly because “They wouldn’t stop crying.” Hope CPS keeps a CLOSE eye on this chick.
(You’re doing the right thing, Tatiana. You’ll make a good RESPONSIBLE parent some day. Hope it’s soon!)
I agree that if this woman wanted to have a large family that adoption should have been the way to go. Or, perhaps one or two children of her own. Fourteen children under the age of seven is insane. This seems to be all about her and how telling the media her story will get her money, a spot on Oprah, and endorsements. What about the children? What about clothing, food, and education? What about love and attention? It is sad that for one woman to irresponsibly try to achieve her dream that so many others are stuck with the problems that arise from it.
To Chris, I also hope that her family is watched closely by Child Services!
Hello!!! She looks like a drag queen! (not that there’s anything wrong with that)… Calpernia Addams, anyone?
I agree that the US government, or any government for that matter, should not be allowed to decide how many children a person is allowed to have or adopt BUT I do see it as a ethical issue on an individual level. Like you said, this woman seems to be a little…well, she has some issues. Most people in their organized mind have the sense not to have that many children if they are unable to support them financially. I think it’s great that this woman wants to be there for her kids and give them the love and attention all children deserve, but there are some other needs that must be met (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs!). Look at the Duggars. Yeah, they have 18 kids…but they have money and, so they claim, have never been in debt or had to take out a loan. They’re a family that has been very careful with their money – something very smart and keeping in mind for their kids.
As a lower elementary teacher, I can tell you that there is a lot more that children require beyond their basic fundamental needs. I can’t begin to express the sadness I feel when I think of those children, as their mother cannot possibly even begin to give them everything they need psychologically and emotionally. This is just a tremendously disappointing situation. It occurred due to a perfect storm of loose medical ethics, a media environment that glamorizes and minimizes the enormous responsibilities associated with multiple births (Jon & Kate) and a system that allows financial support to people who have more children than they can afford. I truly feel the frustrations of those of you who expressed concern about affording even one child. My husband and I will have our first child in August but my husband is losing his job in a few weeks. We are worried but committed to taking care of this baby as best we can. I know that the children you all eventually have will be lucky enough to be wanted and adequately cared for.
Umm, did anybody even watch the interview, ratehr than reading points of it. She made it very very clear that she WILL NOT BE GOING ON WELFARE ANYTIME SOON, AND THAT SHE WILL GET THROUGH THIS THROUGH THE HELP OF HER PARENTS AND FAMILY AND FRIENDS. Geez yall, and i think kudos to her for being a strong independent women, and being very optimistic about whats ahead of her. Instead of focusing on a lady with 14 kids, the government should focus on the medical system, the crimes going on the states, or figuring out how to get out the recession that yall are in.
true, good for her she’s not going on welfare anytime soon, and that she’s independent and taking care of her children with the help of others. however, she’s stated in this interview that she was an only child and acknowledges the fact she was an only child which helped stem the desire to have a large family. if she can recognize that issue she should most certainly have been responsible to plan a life for her children, so they could grow up in a home where financial issues wouldn’t have been a problem. if not that, then the fact that taxes are going to be taken into account. there’s so many things at stake here. it’s no place for the government to decide on our family situations, but there is something for the individual to decide on what’s healthy. she may appear stable in her interview, but many people do who aren’t in the head. i have no doubt she truly will love each and every one unconditionally, but this is not healthy at all.
It’s my hope that the state steps in an does a complete evaluation of this woman. Mentally, she is unstable and I fear for all her children. I have two beautiful children and went through years of infertility and heartache to have them. I thank God for the experts who helped me and my partner have our kids….this woman needs help…fast!
She does look like Jolie. This woman needs a serious, serious psych eval. What a NUT.
Ok so let me see if I get this straight. I’ve read several other news reports of her interview and if what I think is true, she has 6 other children who are all under 7, I’m assuming from the age she is now and the year she is listed as having her first child that they are all about a year/year and a half apart. She’s divorced (so are all 6 of those kids with her ex-husband or are some from in vitro?) and she went and had in vitro done ALONE and asked them to implant all of the embryos. And throughout all of this not a single health professional thought to stop and maybe do a more comprehensive examination of her? CLEARLY this woman is suffering from issues with her childhood, work history, relationship and so on and someone actually allowed her to try and well obviously successfully concieve 8 babies? It’s completely unbelievable. How does she make enough money to fully support these kids? How can she feel that as one person she can handle all of these kids by herself? Amazing…
but you know if she can’t handle them all she should give Jessica Simpson a call, she’s been having a rough time lately and she’s wanted to be a mom, maybe she can help… Brangelina don’t seem to have enough arms to carry all of their kids anymore!
She keeps saying that she is able to support her children now…but what happens later when the kids are grown and have to go to college/university? who will pay for that? As well as, how about individual attention? Honestly it doesn’t seem like she has fully thought this through…
Umm, how does she think she’s going to get by without taking welfare? If Kaiser Permanente is footing the hospital bill, she’s kind of already going that route… She might say that now but the money is going to have to come from somewhere and we know she’s not working right now. ;) To think that raising children (much less a LITTER) is no big deal is ridonkulous. I guess 8 newborns would go through something like 72 diapers a DAY. How does she plan on paying for that (on top of everything else)? I’d bet anyone $50 she’ll most certainly be on public assistance.
two things are evident: (1) the state CAN’T & SHOULDN’T interfere w/ her having these (or more) kids. That being said, (2) her statements and actions ALONE warrant a good looking into by the Department of Family and Children Services.
People who are making comments about regulating all of this are FLYING DOWN the slippery slope of turning us into the People’s Republic of CHINA.
1: who paid for her nose job?
2:sack the dr. who twice implanted 6 eggs for this nutcase
3: if she thinks that people only have a problem with her because she’s a single mom then she’s dumber than we all thought
and she totally is trying to be angelina… in addition to her nose, her lips look way over-plumped and why is her hair in her face?
EXACTLY, why arent people calling her on the angelina thing! shes like an obsessed fan!
There are so many children in the world already who need a home. it is so selfish that instead of helping them she *needs* her own so badly. She couldnt get pregnant and that is sad yes, but also means something. like parents with diseases who have kids anyway passing the disease on instead of adopting a needy child. it is tunnel vision, overlooking the systems they tax, the poor life they give their children and the home they could have given others. it’s like buying from the pet store when there are animals dying at the SPCA. Not to mention the tax on the environment. environmentalists are saying that any efforts we are making to reverse global warming are being cancelled out by the growth of the population. Here I am (and many other good, educated people) trying to decide the costs of having one child, can we properly provide? How will this effect our world at this time, are their other children who need my love? And then selfish women like this just go and ruin all our good work. She said she is trying to find something she missed in her childhood buy having children…….that is not ok to put that on her children, she is the mother, she needs to be a complete and healthy person BEFORE she has kids, because she needs to be their support, not the other way around. sheesh.