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<p>Or they can just do what my dad (only child) did… marry into a family with ten siblings!</p>
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<p>Not so bizarre of a need. An extremely common one, amplified. She can’t help whatever environmental/genetic factors that shaped her into who she is, any more than so many women I know can help wanting one or two children.</p>
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<p>Yes, he did, and the siblings were of different ages. However, there were other circumstances which could make the situation similarly distasteful to many posters on this forum. </p>
<p>From the other posts about happy childhoods in very large families, and my own personal experience, I’m tentatively optimistic about the futures of the octuplets. We don’t know this woman or the details of the situation, so we might as well assume the best. It’s amazing what environments people can adapt to and thrive in.</p>
<p>I do not believe children should be some sort of living, breathing, crying therapy. Most people will talk in terms of wanting children - not needing them. I think it is very selfish and unhealthy for this woman to put the burden on her children of fixing her. Children are not supposed to be born with a job.</p>
<p>cartera, I agree with you! Too bad that children do not have the luxury of choosing their parents.</p>
<p>The latest is this woman had ALL her children by in vitro. So somewhere out there is a really stupid doctor who enabled her, and an insurance company getting screwed by them both. (Doctor’s not so dumb, maybe.)</p>
<p>This makes me so angry. </p>
<p>I can understand a couple having fertility treatments that result in multiple embryos and multiple births. The community pitches in for a few years because it is IMPOSSIBLE for a mother to look after all those children similtaneously. Fortunately it doesn’t happen very often. But for a single mother with 6 children already to go looking for a bunch more…at the same time…it’s beyond belief.</p>
<p>So what does this woman expect when those babies come home from the hospital? What was she THINKING?</p>
<p>I dearly hope we don’t next hear of abused and neglected babies because they aren’t the baby doll therapy she hoped for.</p>
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<p>Her mother is thinking that she is thinking that Grandma will be a big part of the caregiver help–which is why the G-ma is mad as a wet cat about it.</p>
<p>In the meantime, I saw a glimpse of her on TV this morning. The way that I understood her was that she is publically stating that her childhood was dysfuntional and she was an only child who needed connections. What does that mean? Is she saying that her family, meaning her parents, are dysfunctional? These are the very people who have been caring for her 6 kids out of the goodness of their hearts! Is she kidding! Perhaps I misunderstood, but it seemed to me like she was indirectly throwing them under the bus. </p>
<p>Did she form “connections” with her parents? If you want to connect with your offspring, isn’t 1,2,3, or even 4 enough! Many people have one child because they cannot afford more than one! I am sure that there are people who do not have children at all because they do not feel like they have a great situation to raise children. So is she now going to have wonderful connections with all 14 kids as she raises them on her own, and with no current income (unless she is paid through media)?</p>
<p>Why didn’t she wait until she found a husband to have kids with???</p>
<p>It would be interesting for the kids to realize their father is a friend!</p>
<p>medical ethicist Art Caplan’s take in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer:</p>
<p>[Ethics</a> and octuplets: Society is responsible | Philadelphia Inquirer | 02/06/2009](<a href=“http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20090206_Ethics_and_octuplets__Society_is_responsible.html]Ethics”>Ethics and octuplets: Society is responsible)</p>
<p>Ivoryk, thank you for posting the article.</p>
<p>I saw her interview on the Today show this morning, I think if she thinks that it is going to change public opinion about her doing this she needs even more psychological counseling. She believes that she will be able to go back to school in the fall and that the university hasa daycare center she will be able to use… Now I know she is living in fantasy land
- These kids will have physical problems and issues, what daycare is going to take on that responsibilty?<br>
- Even by Sept. she will be spending days taking the kids to the docs for medical appts. Even if she only did 3 kids a day for appts, that is 5 days just there. My sister had 1 preemie, the first yr was constant appts weekly, he has a mild case of CP (physically closed left hand…no mental problems) PT started at a very young age and that is weekly
- How is she going to accomplish her hw…doesn’t she realize that at about that time teething will be occurring…can we all remember what that was like waking up in the middle of the night for 1 child, let alone 8.
- Who is going to pay for getting this Masters…you have an undergrad degree and instead of going to work and supporting your family you opted to implant 6 embryos (she acknowledged that she did it intentionally).
- Has anyone told her the economy stinks, and had for even before you implanted these embryos…does she believe that she is going to come out with a masters in counseling and make 6 figure+ income, b/c that’s what she is going to need…btw doesn’t she realize that any job she gets with insurance will eat up her whole paycheck, and it is likely that the children will not be covered…pre-existing conditions typically aren’t.
- What are the chances of being hired as a counselor, if I interviewed her I would have many nagging questions…you want to counsel people on parenting, but you didn’t even realize that you should have gotten some for yourself.</p>
<p>I love the fact that she says she came from a dysfunctional family, but says her support system is her family…HUH? Also I guess she didn’t read what Mom said in People…I am out of here, doesn’t sound like there will be physical support from her. Dad in Iraqwon’t be there either.</p>
<p>She also has the church to rely on, better check with that church on how they feel about her now!</p>
<p>After the interview they interviewed a psychiatrist and a doctor. Both said she in complete denial. The doc flat out said the laundrry list of problems these children will have are lifelong ranging from blindness to mental retardation. That the bills will be millions within the 1st yr. The psychiatrist had said the chances that none of them will have LD problems is less likely than her giving birth to octuplets.</p>
<p>The last thing that struck me was when I saw her fingernails…freshly done french manicure…who finds the time to do that fresh out of the hospital. She says she holds each child 45 minutes a day to bond…multiply it out that’s 8 hrs…so when did she find the time to get the nails done. I would also think that the hospital wouldn’t allow her to have nail polish just for germ reasons…so she also wasted her money.</p>
<p>I have now reinforced in my mind that DYFS needs to get involved before any of them come home.</p>
<p>BTW she says that the friend who donated is not a part of the childrens lives and nor does he want to be, but hopes eventually he will come around. News flash if after 7 yrs he wasn’t a part what made you think that now he would be. Obviously, he has yet to come out to the media, I think he is ashamed that he ever gave her the ability to do this.</p>
<p>I missed the bit on the Today show this morning, but they did just say they were airing something on her next Monday and Tuesday (on Dateline maybe?)</p>
<p>I missed that interview too. </p>
<p>Why would he come out of the shadows? He never signed on for 14 children! </p>
<p>I think that the doctor and the fertility clinic clinic should come out of the shadows. I think that they have some explaining to do.</p>
<p>I talked to my mom last night and she was angry about the doc doing this. I said to her, his hands are tied I am sure she could have sued him for not implanting…her body her choice. It was irresponsible, but they are her babies(that what she said the embryos were).</p>
<p>She also said she wasn’t selfish because she loves them all and the selfish parents are those who don’t love their children…she was sure many parents do, but there are many that don’t.</p>
<p>Oh, no! I don’t think that the doc had to implant all of those embryos. This is not standard practice! Suppose she had 20 embryos. He would implant all of those at once (I would hope not anyway). He could have said that he would implant the standard one or two that fertility docs normally implant. Also, I doubt he is under any obligation to take treat her. He could have referred her to another doc (ie: a psychiatrist).</p>
<p>Here’s the link to the Today show interview. Does anyone else think she looks like she may have had her nose and lips done? Her lips seem to move like they had collagen injections or implants. [Today</a> Show Video Player](<a href=“http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/29050752#29050752]Today”>http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/29050752#29050752)</p>
<p>jym, not that her face is the issue for these babies and young children, but yes, they look very plastic to me.</p>
<p>Another side issue, if she had “spinal cord” damage and received disability for that on the job injury, was that because she could no longer work? If she was that injured, then how was she able to carry 8 babies with that type of injury?</p>
<p>northeast mom–That’s also my biggest question! She was receiving disability benefits for a back injury, claiming to be in near-constant pain, and she carries 8 babies? Not to mention the physical demands of carrying infants and then picking them up as they start to grow and crawl. And by herself? What if she slips a disc while caring for the children alone–how is she supposed to cope and recover?</p>