Six Wasn't Enough

The woman who gave birth to octuplets this week has six other children and never expected to have eight more when she took fertility treatment, her mother said. Angela Suleman said her daughter expects a big challenge raising 14 children. The good news, she said, is all the babies appear healthy.

Suleman’s daughter who gave birth to the octuplets Monday has requested that doctors keep her name confidential. Media knew little about the woman until a family acquaintance told CBS’ “The Early Show” on Thursday that the mother is “fairly young” and lives with her parents and her six children.

Within hours, media had camped out at the family’s home in Whittier, where the babies’ grandfather pulled up in a minivan in the evening and briefly spoke to The Associated Press. Beside him were two children—a 7-year-old and 6-year-old—who said they were excited to have eight new siblings. But the grandfather warned that media may have a tougher time finding the family after the babies are released from the hospital.

The mother also has two children, ages 5 and 3, and 2-year-old twins, neighbors told the Times.
Suleman said her daughter had embryos implanted last year, and after finding out she was pregnant with multiple babies was given the option by doctors of selectively reducing the number of embryos. The woman declined.

What do you suggest she should have done? She refused to have them killed,” Suleman told the Times.

I have so many questions about this. First of all, this mother is young? What does that mean? How young? She has six other children—do the math, it takes a few years to have that many, with only one multiple birth. And, why is she living at home with her parents? Also, where is the father? Was a father involved in the conception of the babies or did the embryos come from a donor? And, with six children already, why was she going through embryos being implanted? Knowing how expensive that is, who paid for that?

I don’t mean to sound judgmental and I realize I probably do. But, 14 children! Is 14 enough? Too many? Is she going to want more?

I pray that God will bless those precious little babies and all of the people who will provide care to them. Especially those who have to change that many diapers!