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octuplets-related stories
Octomom Says Jon Gosselin is Hot
Celeb Parenting, Behaving Badly, In The News, Media, Twins, Triplets, Multiples
Suleman told RadarOnline that she wishes everyone would just leave poor Kate alone, and she refused to take sides in the infamous -- and fractious -- public dissolution of the Gosselins' marriage. "I'm sure she trusts herself and that she's strong enough to handle it," she said.
Of Jon Gosselin, Suleman again refused to cast judgment on the current reality television wild child, even when prodded about his public late-night romps with young women. She did, however, admit to having a wee crush on him: "I think he's hot!" she told RadarOnline.
Suleman's chances with Jon would appear to be quite small, indeed, seeing as he recently told ParentDish that he is in love with current flame Hailey Glassman and feels welcomed and valued by his new Jewish tribe.
Despite her amorous feelings for Jon, Suleman told RadarOnline that she won't be dating until her own 14 children -- including her new set of octuplets -- are much older.
We think they doth protest too much -- perhaps there is a new reality show in the works? "Nadya & Jon Plus 22," anyone?
Related: Jon Gosselin Talks to ParentDish
Octomom: Behind the Scenes
Nadya Suleman, aka Octomom, has 14 children. She also has financial troubles and a rocky relationship with her mother. But we knew all of that already. What we don't know is what life is like in the Suleman household on a daily basis.
Thanks to FOX and RadarOnline, now we do. "Octomom: The Incredible Unseen Footage" took us inside Nadya Suleman's home and life. In a two-hour special that culled film and interviews shot over six months, we saw Suleman interacting with her children and her parents, and trying to explain how she wound up in this place.
So what's it like being the Octomom?
Octomom: Behind the Scenes
Nadyla Suleman tends to her babies. Camera crews followed the single mom of 14 for six months to see what life as America's most famous tabloid mother is really like.
Fox
Suleman admits that she is not a perfect parent -- and the footage shot in her home bears this out, with shots of her children hitting her and cursing at her.
Fox
Nadya Suleman is living a surreal life these days, with surveillance cameras on her house and a film crew in her kitchen.
Fox
Suleman, who once said that she would like to be a reality-TV parenting expert, talked about her personal parenting philosophy.
"You just have to show them what to do," she said into the camera. "You don't reprimand a child, no matter what age, and say don't do that, stop doing that ... You have to show them what is appropriate. You know that -- or people should know that." She laughed. "You have to model healthy behavior. You don't just punish; that's superfluous, I think. That's to no avail."
Not terrible advice, except for the fact that it's not working at all for the Suleman kids.
On an outing to the park, two-year-old Caleb, one of Suleman's twins, slapped her; she put him in a time out. He immediately stood up, called Suleman a "bitch," (twice) and walked away to play on the playground. In the background, we heard Suleman say, "Why is this happening?"
Later, Caleb slapped the camera and called the reporter a "bitch." Suleman put him in time-out, but she's giggling as she does it.
On an outing with her older children, two of them hit her; her 8-year-old had a tantrum about his ice skates. Suleman sighed and rolled her eyes.
"I'm not the best parent in the world," Suleman said. And son Elijah, 8, piped up: "Yeah, you're not the best parent."
We can judge Nadya Suleman for her parenting skills, but she's not doing anything that other parents aren't doing. There are plenty of kids out there who misbehave because no one tells them not to. What sets Suleman apart from her parenting peers is not that her toddler hits or swears; it's the way she cultivates the media's attention, even when it means risking her children's health and well-being.
Suleman blames the media -- specifically, the tabloids -- for making her life chaotic, but she allows cameras into her home while simultaneously pushing her neighbors away. She has installed security cameras and a gate at her house, but it appears that it is the neighbors, not the paparazzi, that she is warding off. She will not let her children play with the other kids on her block, and she accuses one neighbor of looking over her fence.
"I catch myself living in fear, to a certain degree," she says. What she fears, though, is that the neighbors will come into her house and film the children.
Suleman's fame is of course a fluke; until her octuplets arrived, she was just another single mom. But Nadya Suleman was fully aware, even before her babies were born, that being the Octomom was her road to fame.
How do we know this? Because last night, FOX aired never-before-seen footage of the octuplets' birth, shot in the delivery room by a cameraperson hired by Suleman herself. The footage is shocking not because we see anything horrific in the delivery but because the woman with the camera engages in a battle with the delivery room nurses over who has the most right to be in the delivery room. A nurse tells her, "I'm trying to ensure the safety of everyone in this room," but the camera keeps rolling.
It's amazing that Suleman has that record of her children's birth -- after all, cameras are typically prohibited in operating rooms -- but what is more amazing is that she chose to have a camera crew in the delivery room in the first place. As much as we might want to believe that she puts her children's health and safety first, that bit of film, that ongoing argument between the cameraperson and the nurse about who had more right to be in the OR at that moment, leaves us wondering: Was Nadya Suleman really thinking about her children, or was she already counting on the TV deal for the film of their births?
It is impossible to feel badly for Nadya Suleman; after all, she brought this on herself. But it is equally impossible not to wonder what will become of her children. The most heart-wrenching moment in the FOX special came when Suleman admitted, "I screwed myself. I screwed up my life, I screwed up my kids' lives ... I have to put on this strong facade and I have to pretend like I don't regret it. I can't regret it now because I love them, they're here ... What was I thinking?"
We're all wondering that, honestly.
Octomom Was A Stripper Called Angelina
In the news again! Click the image to see more of the Octomom saga. Photo by Getty Images.
So what is it now? More plastic surgery? Another (gulp) pregnancy?
Nope. Just that she used to be an exotic dancer. Oh, and the name she used? Angelina.
To quote my grandmother: "Oy vey."
EntertainmentWise.com says that a stripper -- sorry, exotic dancer -- going by the name of "Sage" has blabbed to InTouch magazine that she "met [Nadya] at an amateur contest, and we wound up doing parties together." The alleged debauchery occurred between 1999 and 2000.
Sage's tale is backed up by Luis Ceballos, a limo driver who claims that Nadya "always said she wanted to be really famous." Gee, ya think? The driver also claims that Nadya was not shy about shaking her groove thing, and that she was "overly flirty with the guys" while performing. C'mon, dude. She's working for tips. Give her a break.
California Octuplets
Mother of Octuplets
Nadya Suleman told TODAY's Ann Curry in an exclusive interview that "a huge family" was a childhood dream growing up as an only child. Suleman, already of mother of six, also denied charges that she was irresponsible to have so many babies.
Paul Drinkwater, NBC/AP
The reported grandfather of the octuplets escorts two children to a bus outside the Suleman home in Whittier, CA. The mother, Nadya Suleman, has six other children.
Jason Redmond, AP
Araceli Castro, right, who identified herself as a nanny, talks to reporters as she arrives at the Whittier, CA, home of a woman who gave birth to octuplets this week.
Jason Redmond, AP
Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center nursing staff who delivered octuplets on January 27, 2009. The six boys and two girls -- weighing between 1 pound, 8 ounces, and 3 pounds, 4 ounces -- were born nine weeks premature by C-section and are all in stable condition.
Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center
Dr. Jalil Riazi, right, and Dr. Karen Maples at a news conference on the amazing octuplets born at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center in Bellflower, CA. Doctors say the octuplets are a feisty bunch that appear healthy after being born kicking and crying.
Nick Ut, AP
Doctors at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center, expecting seven babies, said they were surprised by the birth of an eighth infant.
David McNew, Getty Images
The home of the Nadya Suleman, the Whitier, CA, woman who gave birth to octuplets with six children already at home.
Damian Dovarganes, AP
Television news vans outside the Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center in south Los Angeles. The public is following the story of the world's second live-born set of octuplets.
Damian Dovarganes, AP
First Octuplets: Nkem Chukwu, 29, right rear, her husband Iyke Louis Udobi, 41, center, and her mother Janet Chukwu, from Houston, pose with their eight children. Chukwu and Udobi are parents of the world's first octuplets born in 1998, but one child died a week after birth. Their little sister Favor, 6, third from right, joined the family in 2002.
Bebeto Matthews, AP
Octuplet Mom Asks for Money on New Web Site
Newborns, Money & Work, In The News
The message on the welcome screen thanks the public for the love and good wishes the family has received. She also shares the good news that the babies are getting healthy and stronger by the day. The clincher? Nadya then posts her publicist's address (since when do people on the dole have a publicist?!?) as the contact for people to mail cash or checks.
Give me a break.
Octuplets Gallery
A child stands in a bedroom in the home of Angela Suleman, the grandmother of the California octuplets. Nadya Suleman, the mother of the babies who also has six other children, said this week that she is done having children. See More Photos From RadarOnline.com
Stewart Cook, RadarOnline.com
The Southern California woman who gave birth to octuplets on Jan. 26 had the embryos implanted at a Beverly Hills clinic run by a controversial doctor, it was revealed Monday. Here, Dr. Michael Kamrava is shown performing an ultrasound on a pregnant Nadya Suleman in 2006. In addition to the octuplets, Suleman has six other children, ages 2 to 7.
KTLA / AP
Suleman is shown with two of her children in 2006. The single mom told NBC's 'Today' show that she was "fixated" on having children. She said all 14 of her children were conceived through in vitro fertilization with sperm donated by a friend. She said she used the same doctor for all her pregnancies.
KTLA / AP
Suleman looks at an ultrasound of her unborn twins in 2006. She told NBC that she is not "living off the taxpayers," but she has accepted food stamps. RadarOnline.com reported that she is living in a hotel room, although it's not clear who is paying for the room.
KTLA / AP
NBC's 'Today' broadcast footage Monday of Suleman visiting her octuplets in the California hospital where they were born Jan. 26. There are six boys and two girls.
MSNBC.com
A combination picture shows the octuplets. Clockwise from top left are: Josiah, Makai, Jeremiah, Nariyah, Jonah, Noah, Maliyah and Isaiah. All share the middle name Angel and the last name Solomon.
NBC / Reuters
Suleman did not disclose the name of her doctor, but she said on 'Today' that she went to the West Coast IVF Clinic in Beverly Hills. Its director is Kamrava, shown being followed by reporters Monday. Kamrava, 57, would not comment, but told reporters outside his clinic on Rodeo Drive that he had granted an interview to one of the television networks.
Nick Ut, AP
Kamrava enters his office Monday. Some fertility specialists have questioned his methods. "He's tried some novel techniques and some of those methods have been controversial," said Dr. John Jain, founder of Santa Monica Fertility Specialists. Ethicists have questioned the decision to implant so many embryos in Suleman, saying the health of both the mother and babies were at risk.
Nick Ut, AP
Without identifying the doctor, the Medical Board of California said last week that it was investigating Suleman's physician to see whether there may have been "a violation of the standard of care." The board said Monday it has not taken any disciplinary action against Kamrava in the past.
Nick Ut, AP
This is the building where Kamrava's clinic is located. Many have questioned why a doctor would help a single woman with six young children and no visible means of support to conceive more babies.
Nick Ut, AP
Suleman's financial situation is certainly dismal. After all, this single mom doesn't have a job, lives at home with her parents (who aren't exactly pleased about running a daycare in their home), and owes a reported $50,000 in student loans and millions of dollars in medical bills. Let's face it: It's the taxpayers who will ultimately have to clean up her financial mess.
Octomom Puts Large Families on Defensive
In The News, Extreme Childhood
"I think for the most part we are pretty average people who happen to have more kids piling in and out of our car every time we stop it," says the 31-year-old Michigan woman. "We also don't fit a lot of the stereotypes. We aren't Mormon or Catholic, we don't homeschool and I don't wear long skirts."
Biggest Celebrity Broods
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar
The couple had their eighteenth child in December 2008. The other children range in age from 18 months to 20 years, plus one daughter-in-law.
Beth Hall, AP
George Foreman
This family man has 10 kids -- including five named George and one named Georgetta.
Getty Images
Celine Dion
The pop singer has nine sisters and four brothers -- 13 siblings in all!
Getty Images
Michael Jackson
Pictured here with his mother and father, Michael is one of eight.
Getty Images
The Osmonds
There are nine children in this famous musical family.
Getty Images
The Gilbreths
This famously large real-life family spawned a hit movie.
Buy.com
Ben Franklin
Although he only had three kids of his one, Ben had nine full brothers and sisters and another seven half brothers and sisters.
Getty Images
Mel Gibson
The actor has one daughter, six sons, and a grandchild.
Getty Images
The Waltons
Sure, they're fictional, but the 11 members of the Walton clan led one of the most popular TV shows in US history.
jr.com
The Kennedys
The photo at left shows four of the next generation of Kennedys (Robert's grandchildren) -- a family that's been an American dynasty for half a century.
Getty Images
Francis tells ParentDish that reaction to octomom Nadya Suleman is both predictable and understandable -- as well as over the top. "I just think we could all stand to have a little compassion and maybe freak out just a little less," said Francis. "That doesn't mean we have to get behind the mom and her decisions, or stamp her with a big seal of approval. Just that maybe we could take a deep breath and realize that this is an extremely isolated circumstance that really has nothing to do with any of the rest of us."
Octuplets Mom "Has No Idea What She's Doing," Says Grandma
Pregnancy & Birth, In The News, Weird But True
The world got to see the precious eight this morning on The Today Show. And now we know their names: Maliah, Noah, Jonah, Isaiah, Nariah, Jeremiah, McCai and Josiah. All coming home to Elijah, 7, Amerah, 6, Joshua, 5, Aidan, 3, Calyssa, 2, and her twin brother Caleb. Biblical names for a pregnancy, birth(s) and homelife of biblical proportions.
California Octuplets
The reported grandfather of the octuplets escorts two children to a bus outside the Suleman home in Whittier, CA. The mother, Nadya Suleman, has six other children.
Jason Redmond, AP
Araceli Castro, right, who identified herself as a nanny, talks to reporters as she arrives at the Whittier, CA, home of a woman who gave birth to octuplets this week.
Jason Redmond, AP
Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center nursing staff who delivery octuplets on January 27, 2009. The six boys and two girls weighing between 1 pound, 8 ounces, and 3 pounds, 4 ounces were born nine weeks premature by Caesarean section and are all in stable condition.
Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center
Dr. Jalil Riazi, right, and Dr. Karen Maples at a news conference on the octuplets that were born at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center in Bellflower, CA. Doctors say the octuplets, six girls and two boys, are a feisty bunch that appear healthy after being born kicking and crying.
Nick Ut, AP
Doctors hold a press conference at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center after delivering octuplets. Doctors, expecting seven babies, were surprised by the birth of an eighth infant.
David McNew, Getty Images
Television news vans outside the Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center in Bellflower, CA, the day after a mother gave birth to eight babies in this hospital south of Los Angeles, the world's second live-born set of octuplets.
Damian Dovarganes, AP
The home of the Nadya Suleman, the Whitier, CA, woman who gave birth to octuplets.
Damian Dovarganes, AP
The World's First Octuplets: Nkem Chukwu, 29, right rear, her husband Iyke Louis Udobi, 41, center, and her mother Janet Chukwu, from Houston, pose with their eight children. Chukwu and Udobi are parents of the world's first octuplets born in 1998, but one child died a week after birth. Their little sister Favor, 6, third from right, joined the family in 2002.
Bebeto Matthews, AP
When I watched the interview and heard Angela say, "I'm tired," I was surprised that wasn't the end of the sentence. I have two kids and I'm always tired. Right now all I want to do is take a nap. And I'm under 40 (just under 40, but under). Angela Suleman is older than that and is raising six children. (The video is worth watching, but be warned: it will make you mad. Very mad.)
Octuplets' Mom has "Breeding Disorder"
In The News, Weird But True, Twins, Triplets, Multiples
But, her mother adds, "If she had brothers and sisters, I don't think she would have been happier sharing all that, so it's all what's in your mind, I think."
We're all wondering what was in Nadya Suleman's mind about right now.
California Octuplets
The reported grandfather of the octuplets escorts two children to a bus outside the Suleman home in Whittier, CA. The mother, Nadya Suleman, has six other children.
Jason Redmond, AP
Araceli Castro, right, who identified herself as a nanny, talks to reporters as she arrives at the Whittier, CA, home of a woman who gave birth to octuplets this week.
Jason Redmond, AP
Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center nursing staff who delivery octuplets on January 27, 2009. The six boys and two girls weighing between 1 pound, 8 ounces, and 3 pounds, 4 ounces were born nine weeks premature by Caesarean section and are all in stable condition.
Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center
Dr. Jalil Riazi, right, and Dr. Karen Maples at a news conference on the octuplets that were born at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center in Bellflower, CA. Doctors say the octuplets, six girls and two boys, are a feisty bunch that appear healthy after being born kicking and crying.
Nick Ut, AP
Doctors hold a press conference at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center after delivering octuplets. Doctors, expecting seven babies, were surprised by the birth of an eighth infant.
David McNew, Getty Images
Television news vans outside the Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center in Bellflower, CA, the day after a mother gave birth to eight babies in this hospital south of Los Angeles, the world's second live-born set of octuplets.
Damian Dovarganes, AP
The home of the Nadya Suleman, the Whitier, CA, woman who gave birth to octuplets.
Damian Dovarganes, AP
The World's First Octuplets: Nkem Chukwu, 29, right rear, her husband Iyke Louis Udobi, 41, center, and her mother Janet Chukwu, from Houston, pose with their eight children. Chukwu and Udobi are parents of the world's first octuplets born in 1998, but one child died a week after birth. Their little sister Favor, 6, third from right, joined the family in 2002.
Bebeto Matthews, AP
"She always wanted a lot of kids. I have been supportive but you know now that I am thinking back, she wanted children so much that it was almost not normal as far as I am concerned," said Angela Suleman. "I did go to see a psychiatrist or a psychologist once. I wanted to see what was going on with her."
Suleman says that when Nadya was a child, "I used to take her everywhere so she would have a lot of friends around of her own age group, but I guess it didn't really help."
Clearly, it did not.
What baffles me the most about this story is how Suleman's parents -- who are living with her and her six older children, and who knew of her plans to get pregnant again -- stood by and did nothing when she decided to get pregnant again, despite their recent acknowledgements that their daughter's obsession with children was unusual. Now the family is facing the enormous cost of raising fourteen children, including eight babies who may very well have serious health issues.
It seems too easy to say, oh it's because she was an only child.
What do you think -- should Nadya Suleman's parents have stepped in sooner? Or are they making excuses for their daughter in the hope that people will feel badly for her -- and them?
Octuplets' Mom Has Six Other Kids and Absent Husband
Newborns, In The News, Twins, Triplets, Multiples
It is terrifying enough to most of us to imagine bringing home one new baby, never mind eight. But how's this for overwhelming: The California octuplets born this week have six older siblings at home. The oldest is seven, and the youngest is two.That's fourteen kids, in case you're too stunned to count. Including a set of twins. And reportedly, all six were conceived using some form of reproductive technology.
While the mother's identity is still a mystery, the babies' grandmother, Angela Suleman, said that her daughter never expected to have eight more children, although she acknowledges that the young woman underwent fertility treatment to get pregnant with "just one more girl." According to MomLogic, she used donor sperm provided by a friend; the same man is rumoured to be the father of all six of her children, although he has no involvement with the family.
The mother and the six older kids have been living with Suleman in Whittier, California. And just over eighteen months ago, the woman's parents filed for bankruptcy after buying a home for their daughter and her children. The babies' grandfather, Suleman's husband, is planning to return to his native Iraq to work, in order to help support his daughter's brood.
With six older children and no father on the scene, it's hard to imagine what motivated this mom to take the risk of eight babies. "What do you suggest she should have done?" Anita Suleman asked the Los Angeles Times. "She refused to have them killed. That is a very painful thing." Suleman said the new babies are "so tiny and so beautiful." As of today, seven of the eight are breathing on their own.
There's a lot going on here -- the babies face serious health risks, of course, and expensive medical treatments, which makes the family's precarious financial situation an issue. The mother will need a lot of help with fourteen kids, eight of whom are infants, but where's dad in all this? Taken all together, it's hard not to wonder how on earth she ever convinced a fertility specialist to transfer so many eggs in the first place, and what will become of these wee babies when they go home.
What do you think -- are these babies a medical miracle, or a social disaster?
Octuplets, Cabin Fever, and Cool New Gadgets - Links we Love
Got cabin fever? Kids driving you crazy? Try teaching them to juggle or bring spring inside with an indoor terrarium. -- AlphaMomThe division of labor in family life can feel more like tug-of-war than partnership. Here's how one couple finally learned how to work together. -- Babble
Whether you're escaping winter's snow or planning a spring break getaway, here's a list of must-have items to pack in your kids' activity bag. -- BabyCenter
Just six months old and already jet-setting, twins Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline arrived in the Chiba, Japan airport this week ... with parents Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in tow, of course. -- Celebrity Baby Blog
This falls into category of why-didn't-I-think-of-that?: The Hippychick Hipseat wraps around your waist and gives baby a comfy place to sit and your back a break at the same time. -- LilSugar
Are you raising a mini-fashionista? Here are four great toys to peak her interest and get her creative juices flowing. Who knows, maybe she'll be Project Runway bound! -- MomFinds
This week, everyone's talking about octuplets. It's amazing, sure, but is it ethical? Find out what one OB/GYN thinks. -- MomLogic
Is it a crime to let kids eat the occasional bite of junk food? (Gah! I hope not). One mom, who does let her kids have the occasional treat, wonders if maybe the health food junkies are on the right track after all. What do you think? -- Work It, Mom!
The five-second rule definitely applies: Why a little dirt really is good for kids. -- The Motherhood
Gadget alert! If you or your kid are the tech-y type, PlaySavvy has eight cool new gadgets that might interest you. -- PlaySavvy
California Woman Gives Birth to Octuplets!
Newborns, Pregnancy & Birth, Weird But True
The 46 person team who delivered the babies had practiced ahead of time for this, but they were still startled to find that their baby count was off. "My eyes just got to be like saucers," said Dr. Karen Maples as she realized there was an eighth baby to deliver. At press time, five babies were breathing on their own, two were using respirators, and one needed some other kind of assistance breathing.
Biggest Celebrity Broods
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar
The couple had their eighteenth child in December 2008. The other children range in age from 18 months to 20 years, plus one daughter-in-law.
Beth Hall, AP
George Foreman
This family man has 10 kids -- including five named George and one named Georgetta.
Getty Images
Celine Dion
The pop singer has nine sisters and four brothers -- 13 siblings in all!
Getty Images
Michael Jackson
Pictured here with his mother and father, Michael is one of eight.
Getty Images
The Osmonds
There are nine children in this famous musical family.
Getty Images
The Gilbreths
This famously large real-life family spawned a hit movie.
Buy.com
Ben Franklin
Although he only had three kids of his one, Ben had nine full brothers and sisters and another seven half brothers and sisters.
Getty Images
Mel Gibson
The actor has one daughter, six sons, and a grandchild.
Getty Images
The Waltons
Sure, they're fictional, but the 11 members of the Walton clan led one of the most popular TV shows in US history.
jr.com
The Kennedys
The photo at left shows four of the next generation of Kennedys (Robert's grandchildren) -- a family that's been an American dynasty for half a century.
Getty Images
This type of birth is, of course, is somewhat unprecedented. The only other American birth of eight children occurred in 1998 in Texas, and one of the babies sadly died right after birth (the other seven children from that birth recently celebrated their tenth birthdays). The California octuplets are the result of fertility drugs, which, according to Dr. Richard Paulson of the USC medical school's fertility program, is more of a "serious complication" than a medical advancement. The drugs were never intended to result in more than two live births. In many cases, expectant parents are advised to reduce the overall number of embryos to two in order to give those a better chance at survive. This mom, apparently, decided to move forward with all eight.
Congrats to the surprised mom and the entire team of medical professionals who safely and soundly delivered her eight babies into the world!
