<p>The armchair psychologist in me says she is (in her own twisted way) getting back at her parents for subjecting her to only-child-hood.</p>
<p>She says she loves her children unconditionally and that means that she’s better than a lot of parents.</p>
<p>Big whoop. You can love your children and still not be able to care for them properly.</p>
<p>VeryHappy, you are very right that she can love them but not be able to care for them. </p>
<p>Another “hole” in her rationale is that if you truly love your children, you would not create a situation where you cannot devote the time and attention to each one individually that they deserve in order to feel loved and nurtured.</p>
<p>Im listening to her interview on the radio. She just said “I will be able to afford them after I finish my schooling…”
WUH?</p>
<p>musicamusica…every single thing she has said is so irrational…that is clear! </p>
<p>If she thinks she can afford 14 kids, she is in la la land. </p>
<p>If she thinks she can go to school and also raise 14 tots at the same time, she is in la la land.</p>
<p>I just finished watching the clip from the Today Show link. What a selfish, self-centered
bi.ch. How many times did she say, “I want”. She’s a wannabe star and she risked the lives of these children to be in the spotlight. Check out her fake face–did she also use her settlement for the plastic surgery on her face?</p>
<p>She sickens me. I love how she’s hoping that her church steps in to help with these kids. Seems like she learned from Kate of the Jon & Kate plus 8 Show how to manipulate the public for the “sake of her kids”. Just as Kate, she’ll throw out her wish list on public TV or in front of a church congregation and miraculously the gifts will show up at her door. </p>
<p>A spoiled brat.</p>
<p>and…</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Isn’t that putting the cart before the horse?</p>
<p>I went to grad school with a female. She was married and her DH was in the same grad program. Only one of them made it to graduate. Mom dropped out and moved back home with her two small children after about one year. Dad stayed to finish the program. They only had 2 children. I realize that every family is different, and every person is different, but 14 kids…come on!</p>
<p>nysmile, you have the same opinion that I do. Well said.</p>
<p>Her return to college this year should be interesting. Especially when she answers the portion of the FAFSA app on what recent changes in her life may be affecting her abitlity to afford school.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine the day care bill either.</p>
<p>I believe she mentions using day care. Money aside, can you imagine how she think she is gonna transport all those kids to day care? Even if she has care for the kids, it would have to be someone coming into the home.</p>
<p>Clearly she is not “all there.” I’m sure there was deceit on her part somewhere in the process. Kudos to Kaiser for what obviously was excellent care. I feel for her parents who probably love their daughter. I feel sorry for the original sperm donor. I bet after she was implanted she didn’t return to a doc until she showed up at Kaiser. I worry for all those little children.</p>
<p>I have to give it to Ann Curry in that interview. After the interview segment, Matt and Meredith asked Ann some follow up questions about how the mother would manage and Ann answered straightforward (with what the mom claims she’ll do) without any look whatsoever that passed judgement. She had to reply with the statements as if they were rational responses (even though she was speaking for someone else).</p>
<p>What’s wrong about being judgemental on this topic? Why can’t a professional news reporter quote research which clarifies the huge risk of later disability and difficulty for these 8 children and question the wisdom of this on the part of this woman and this doctor?</p>
<p>anitaw, I probably didn’t phrase that right. At one point, Ann Curry did ask the mother a question and phrased it in terms of the questions that some (many) would raise about her choices. So, she did ask tough questions. </p>
<p>What i meant in my earlier post is that when Matt and Meredith asked how the mom was gonna do this or that, Ann gave the responses in terms of what the mom has indicated, speaking for the mom, but it must have been hard to express those responses knowing that they are irrational ones. She did not use any facial expressions to indicate the absurdity of the responses.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I think she could and should have asked that if she didn’t, but the key to to remain neutral in doing so. The minute a reporter starts attacking or judging her (and it would be oh so easy and tempting to do so), would be the quickest way to kill the interview short. Putting the interviewee on the defensive and she’s likely going to just get dumbfounded or stop sharing her views. </p>
<p>A good interviewer will make her feel comfortable to keep on going. Get her to stay open and keep on sharing, and answering what we’ve been wondering all along (which is "what on earth was this woman thinking???). Her responses speak for themselves (those of us watching can make our own obvious judgment, we don’t need the interviewer to do it for us).</p>
<p>Nothing this woman says will change the thinking of any rational person. The only goals of the interview are publicity (her goal) and revenue (their goal). Make nice interview tactics promote both these goals I guess. I don’t particularly care about either goal so I hope the fascination is short lived, and that the impressionable out there are given the sort of information that might result in their not getting pregnant with 9. That is my goal.</p>
<p>I agree with Soozie, I almost said something about Ms. Curry when I posted. I thought she handled the interview and herself extremely well.</p>
<p>Well I think another goal is fulfilling public curiosity. I immediately watched the interview that is so far available. I’m very very curious about this woman and her babies. Obviously most people are, however negative they feel, they are still curious. Look at the length of this thread. Every poster on this thread inherently finds it worth talking or writing about however much they disagree with it.</p>
<p>I would be most concerned about ensuring a good outcome for those kids (prior ones and the octuplets). I would rather these kids be raised by their family than the state. They should not be separated either and sadly wherever they go, they will be in the spotlight, regardless. </p>
<p>They can’t stay with their family if there isn’t income to afford reasonable living space, many nurses and helping hands, supplies, food. And so if that means she has to do interviews or sell products or sell photos, or whatever, so be it. Not ideal, but now that the 14 children EXIST, my main concern is them, not this woman or my feelings about her or what she personally gains or loses. </p>
<p>Maybe others have better ideas about what would be the best outcome for the kids but I can’t htink of others.</p>
<p>If I am reading everything correctly (just trying to piece this together) - she said that she has been trying unsuccesfully to get pregnant for 6 or 7 years?
She is 33 now, her oldest is 7 so she was 26 when gave birth to the 7 year old, meaning she got pregnant when she was 25, so …does this mean that she was trying to get pregnant since she was 18/19 years old?</p>
<p>She also stated that each of her pregnancies was exactly the same, starting with the implantation of 6 embryos. Strange, since the reccomendation is no more than 2 for women younger than 35, and she was only 25 at that time? </p>
<p>I wonder when her doctor is going to speak out? If there even was one?
She is clearly a case for a some serious counselling, serious. </p>
<p>Can’t imagine being the sperm donor/father of those kids. He is a family friend and she thinks he is going to be present in those kids lives at some point, when he is ready???</p>
<p>This must be quite a slap in the face of all the women not being able to conceive.</p>
<p>Have they removed her ovaries/uterus after this ?</p>
<p>"I would be most concerned about ensuring a good outcome for those kids (prior ones and the octuplets). I would rather these kids be raised by their family than the state. "</p>
<p>It may be that they could be adopted by adults who aren’t mentally ill.
I suspect that the mother loves babies, not toddlers and children. If she loved toddlers and children, she wouldn’t have been so eager to have more babies. She would have wanted to enjoy time with the children she already had.</p>
<p>Why shouldn’t these children be raised in adoptive homes, perhaps in pairs? Can you show me research which suggests that multiples separated early in life are harmed by doing so? All that is gained by having them together is perpetuation of a freak show.</p>
<p>I do think that 4 full time, reasonably sane adults living in the same home could raise the whole crew…</p>