The mother of octuplets

Were the first six six separate pregnancies or were they sextuplets?  How old are they?

I think they were each separate and range in age from 2 to 7 years old

I know she had twins at least one time prior to this. Might even have been twice.

I find it funny that she seems proud that she's not taking public assistance but she's been getting food stamps and SSI for a few years. She said she doesn't consider that public assistance. She also said that she plans to support them in the short term by using her student loans. Once she gets her counseling degree, then everything will be peachy keen. Apparently she hasn't checked on what she'll likely earn and what the cost of raising a herd of kids will cost. She's a nutcase and so is the Dr. who went along with this.

spiritdogs

 If these were puppies, we'd be calling her a hoarder.  Isn't the definition of hoarding thus:  having too many, not realizing that harm is coming to them, increasing the numbers when you can't take care of the ones you already have, living in overcrowded conditions, ya da ya da ya da...

Yup. And I think she really is one of children. She need phychological help ASAP.

I think the main issue this case brings up is ethics.  What kind of doctor plants 8 embryos into someone that already has 6 kids (3 are disabled) and has a history of being unstable and physically disabled?

Liesje

I think the main issue this case brings up is ethics.  What kind of doctor plants 8 embryos into someone that already has 6 kids (3 are disabled) and has a history of being unstable and physically disabled?

Not a doctor I would want! Isn't the doctor under investigation now?

 This whole situation sickens me! The dr., the mother, the parents, etc...

glenmar

I read that she intends to breastfeed this new litter.  Good luck with that.  And yes, to me, this IS a litter. 

I was going to post the same thing. Humans aren't meant to have litters...

 woah.  didn't a woman conceive quadruplets naturally in the not too distant past?  and calling the kids a "litter" is abit dehumanising, isn't it?  its pretty derogatory and it's  not tHEIR fault theur were conceived or born.

I can't see how breastfeeding these kids is physically possible.  she would be lying there and feeding them one after the other and when she finishes feeding the last baby, it will be time to start feeding the first again.... unless she pumped a lot and let some of the kids be bottle fed breastmilk.... ??  The whole thing just boggles my mind.

Chuffy

 woah.  didn't a woman conceive quadruplets naturally in the not too distant past?  and calling the kids a "litter" is abit dehumanising, isn't it?  its pretty derogatory and it's  not tHEIR fault theur were conceived or born.

I disagree.  If I had even 2 or 3 babies at once you could bet I'd be calling them a litter.  But then again animals are such a part of my life that I have no issue with intermingling animal terms with human terms.

I had a horse growing up and my mother used to tell me to "whoa" when she wanted to stop me.  She would even tell me to "stay" occasionally.  When DH is doing something I want him to stop I'll tell him to "leave it."

It's only derogatory if you take it that way.

For the record I hate it when I hear people telling their kids to "sit" or "stay". 

Next time DH does something I like I'll just say "Oh GOOOD boy!" and pat him on the head and if he gets uppity at me I'll say:

sillysally

It's only derogatory if you take it that way.

But that's a whole nother topic, so I shall say no more.

Even when conceived "naturally" more than a baby or two is a litter to me.  And I don't mean it in an ugly way, but holy cow.......I'll go back to my standby argument that no one will like.  If God had intended for us to have that many babies at a time, he would have given us more breasts to nourish them.

The human body wasn't designed to carry and maintain multiple pregnacies like this.  And other than in very rare cases, it happens only through the intervention of man.  Just because we CAN doesn't mean we SHOULD.  It is exceedingly rare for all the babies in a multiple birth such as this to be healthy and normal and some have devasting health issues.  I honestly can't see the justification of implanting more than 3, MAYBE 4 fertilized eggs.  Certainly by implanting more, you increase the odds of a pregnancy and a healthy outcome and for many women this is the ONLY way they will be able to achieve motherhood.  Adoption is much less of an option than it was even 20 years ago and I certainly don't begrudge these women the chance to become parents.

HOWEVER, in this particular case, and with this partcular woman, with her medical and emotional background, and already having SIX young children, the doctor ought to be brought up on charges.  If it isn't already, this should be some sort of violation of medical ethics.

And by using the word litter, I don't intend to dehumanize the infants.  My very first thought was for th safety and health of these tiny wonders who were brought into the world for some pretty odd reasons. 

Did anybody else watch the interview with her and Anne Curry?

After watching it my opinion has not changed...she's still a psycho and needs help. I feel bad for her first 6 children (all concieved by in vitro, also), especially for the ones with autism, because not only is their only parents attention spread thin throughout them, it's going to be spread even thinner with the new 8. And yes, she is living off food stamps and disability and has no job and her parents house is small and overcrowded and cluttered. Her poor mom seems so overwhelmed.

Nope didn't watch it....her face on my TV made me want to puke, actually. She has crazy eyes...you can SEE her illness very plainly.