Here’s the story. The other day, a mom of 6 young children, ranging in age from 2 to 7 years old, gave birth to octuplets, although she was expecting septuplets (Surprised octuplet mum plans on breastfeeding all of them).
News reports say that she had 8 embryos implanted and all 8 took so Nadya Suleman is now the mom to 14 children, 8 of whom – if they all survive – could develop serious medical issues because of their premature births.
Now, there is discussion everywhere about this issue – should a 33-year-old woman who already has 6 kids, 6 young kids, have assisted fertility? Should the doctor have implanted 8 embryos, which is considered no-no in the fertility treatment field? Did the fact that the mom declared bankruptcy not too long ago color how you feel about the whole thing? What about news that she’s a single mom?
How do you feel about it? Here are some news reports that may help you understand the issue a bit better:
New mom of 8 was already a mother of 6
California octuplets case dismays fertility experts
Family in octuplets case had financial woes
What do I think? I think the doctor who implanted the embryos should have his or her license suspended – not for providing fertility treatment, but for flouting the guidelines and putting both the mother’s lives and the babies’ lives at risk.
I think the mother may have a few other issues than just wanting "one more girl" because embryo transplantation doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have a girl.
I think that stories like this bring out the best and worse in people. Some people are crucifying the woman for her choices. Others want to help.
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Tags: pregnancy blog, Nadya Suleman, octuplets, california octuplets, octuplet family 14 kids, fertility treatment, transplant embryos
I don’t think the bankruptcy should be a factor in deciding if she could or should heva been given fertility treatments (except, perhaps to the fertility clinic/hospital), but multiple births are risky, both to the mother and the babies, and it’s hard to see how that kind of risk is justified in order to have a seventh (fourteenth?) child. I’m surprised the doctor not only agreed to do it, but then implanted so many embryos in a healthy, relatively young mother of 6.
Just a note to correct a couple of misconceptions.
1. No ethical doctor would require you to sign a statement agreeing to selectively reduce a multiple pregancy. Doctors warn about this possibility in advance, but there is no obligation to do so. It is a very difficult choice to make.
2. The woman who had the baby did not file bankruptcy. It was her mother.
That being said, I have no idea why anyone would try for more children when they’ve already got 6, but it’s certainly not for me to say.
I’ve done a lot of research into premature birth: http://babybondingbookfordads.blogspot.com/2008/03/premature-birth.html and the saddest part of this story to me is that her babies, between 1 and 3 pounds, will probably have lifelong health problems.
What doctor would implant 8 embryos into a woman with six kids already?
So many parts of this story are all wrong.
I think the doctor who implanted 8 fetuses should be censured and hope that none of the babies suffer impairments as a result of this (literally) ill-conceived medical intervention.
Also, you have to wonder why anyone would think that single mom who already has six kids (three pairs of twins) needs fertility treatment.
This whole thing sounds insane. I can’t add much to what the others have said, but the cynical side of me wonders if she really just wants her own reality TV show. How else will she pay to raise 14 children?
Yeah–I’m not sure what she was thinking or where she got the money for the in vitro when she was declaring bankruptcy. In vitro is something like $10-20K a pop, isn’t it? Anyway, the doctor is suspect. Most fertility specialists won’t allow someone to carry that many babies. They make you sign a release agreeing to selectively abort. I wonder if this doctor just wanted the publicity, which is pretty sickening.
I am not surprise of the Octuplets, I know the young lady want to keep her identity private. She also should feel that way when she ask for federal funds. In other words don’t ask.She did not ask us if she could have these kids. She did not need our permission. It is my business when I have to give up my tax dollar, that’s when it become my business. I wish her the best.
I am not surprise of the Octuplets, I know the young lady want to keep her identity private. She also should feel that way when she ask for federal funds. In other words don’t ask.She did not ask us if she could have these kids. She did not need our permission. It is my business when I have to give up my tax dollar, that’s when it become my business.
I was surprised to learn in the Star Tribune article above that “a recent survey of U.S. fertility clinics found while most clinics said they had patients meet with financial coordinators, only 18 percent had them see a social worker or psychologist.” I doubt that either happened in this case given that she was a single mother with six children 7 and under before the octuplets were born.
As someone who has worked in paediatrics and seen the toll that premature births can take on a family, I shudder to think of the impact when there are eight premature babies and six more small children in the house. Ethical questions aside, the practicalities of the situation are staggering.
My husband and I were talking about this the other day. The whole situation is completely baffling.
I had no idea that she was a single mother and I do wonder how she will have enough time or money for all of those kids, but I believe that her choices are none of my business.
A bankruptcy is a legal decision that unfortunately many of my closest friends are finding themselves facing right now. That is also none of my business.
I don’t live my life perfectly. Every decision that I make does not always turn out to the be the best. No, I’ve never made a decision about that number of children, but if I did, I sure would not appreciate the rest of the world feeling that they had the right to weigh in on it.
She did not ask us if she could have these kids. She did not need our permission. It is none of our business. Just because something is in the news does not make it “belong” to us.
If the Dr did something unethical, he should be held accountable. I’m sure that those rules are in place for a reason. His patient is bound by his advice, his treatment. She is dependent on him to do the right thing.
Interesting post, Marijke.