'Octo Mom'

When driving to work in the wee hours on January 26, I heard the top of the hour news brief state that a woman who wanted to remain nameless in California had given birth to octuplets.

The woman turned out to be 33-year-old Nadya Suleman.

At first I was amazed that someone could carry that many babies and they all survived when they had to be delivered about 9 weeks early.

I think the whole country was in awe. It seemed amazing to me, this happening is rare.

But then this news started to turn ugly. Facts about the mother started to surface and the public was no longer soft on this now mother of 14.

Yep, she already had six children at home, ranging in ages from 2-7 when she chose to have invitro fertilization again, because she had eggs left in storage. She states that the doctor did warn her of risks and she adds that they didn't think that this would happen because of her medical history.

All of her children were conceived by in vitro fertilization, because of a history of reproductive problems.

Working double shifts at a former job, she says let her save money for in vitro fertilization.

It has been stated that this procedure can cost around 10k.

For three of her first six children she recieves monthly government SSI payments because one of them is autistic, one with ADHD and another who has delayed speech development. Plus she says she receives food stamps.

She states that she is able to provide for her children. Yet she is unmarried and unemployed. and the SSI and the food stamps are government services.

Plus she has used student loans to care for her children also.

I am having a real hard time putting this all together. I have seen and heard her speak and she really feels she did nothing wrong. She seems confident she can care for all 14 of her children without government aid, and has ways to support them.

Right now her and her first six children are living with her grandmother. The other eight, when they are released from the hospital, will come to this same home.

There seems to be a lack of support concerning this 'move to have more children' where her mother and grandmother stand.

Suleman states, of this large desire for family, as an only child she has always longed for connections and the bond of family, saying she wanted to fill the feeling of emptiness.

I have questions. I heard nothing about her having any kind of insurance. Who foots the bill for her hospital care, for the special delivery and amount of staff needed for this?

Who pays for the weeks and weeks these babies are in the hospital?

Right now there are no laws that state how many embryos can be implanted.

I do not support that kind of legislation, but to me this is bordering on irresponsible.

Angel out...