The Today Show's Ann Curry managed to get an exclusive interview with Nadya Suleman, the 33-year-old single mom who last week gave birth to octuplets via in vitro fertilization when she already had six other children. The incident has raised ethics questions, pointed both at her as well as the fertility specialist who implanted 6 embryos (two of which twinned) in her.Here is part of the interview (watch it below):
Ann Curry: "People feel, you know, this woman is being completely irresponsible and selfish to bring these children in the world without a clear source of income and enough help to raise them. The world outside is saying, 'What are you doing?'"Suleman also added "All I wanted was children. I wanted to be a mom. That's all I ever wanted in my life. I love my children."
Nadya Suleman: "I know I'll be able to afford them when I'm done with my schooling. If I was just sitting down watching TV and not being as determined as I am to succeed and provide a better future for my children, I believe that would be considered, to a certain degree, selfish."
Curry: "So, the world outside is saying, what are you doing?"
Suleman: "I'm providing myself to my children. I'm loving them unconditionally, accepting them unconditionally. Everything I do, I'll stop my life for them, and be present with them and hold them and be with them. And how many parents do that? I'm sure there are many that do, but many don't. And that's unfortunate, and that is selfish.
She added that the doctor who implanted the embryos was the same that had previously worked with her, so he already knew she had six children. That is a point of contention: the Medical Board of California is investigating whether there were any violations by that fertility doctor.
Finally, it appears that the same donor provided the sperm for all 14 of her children. He must reallyb e happy (insert sarcasm here)! According to Today, she working toward a Master's degree in counseling. I'm sorry, my wife is a psychologist; a counselor with just a Master's Degree is not going to make enough to support 14 children.
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9 comments:
As a Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist ( Fertility Specialist ) at the Xpert Fertility Care of California, I always followed the guideline set by American Society of Reproductive Medicine: never put back more than 2 embryos fro a "fertile" woman under 35 year of age.
Recently, with the advance of fertility medication, we even restrict ourselves to only one embryo at a time.
I can't speak for the circumstance behind the decision to put back so many embryos in this case.
Among colleagues, the management of this doctor is considered not a standard of care, exposing the patient to unnecessary deadly risks, and possible long term disability suffered by the children.
Minh N. Ho, M.D.
Xpert Fertility Care
http://www.ivfdoc.com
She's NOT MAKING SENSE. She has NO CONCEPT of the REALTY of being a parent (why she was living with HER parents, as mother of the first six children)!
IF she graduates and gets a GOOD job somewhere, as a counselor (which, by the way, is little more than most elementary teachers make, and that is NOT ENOUGH to support a family of six kids, let alone FOURTEEN), how does she believe she will be "providing" herself to her children when she's AT WORK (and most likely working OVERTIME, regularly, if she intends to keep a roof over their heads)??
Day Care for even HALF these children (assuming Grandma helps out and watches the first six, as she has been) will amount to MORE THAN HER PAYCHECK will be!
This is negligent at the very least. She has NOT done her 'homework'.
The ONLY way she will be able to manage this many children, without having an 'at-home' high-paying (and VERY FLEXIBLE) position, or a HUSBAND working for a high income, is to receive Public Assistance.
She might plan to work a few days a week, but the cost the State will absorb in providing her subsidized Day Care will NEGATE any contributions SHE makes as an income-arner...
SO SAD. SO SAD for the children....
For even the first six, life was going to be a hard-scrabble one.
I'm a single mother myself, but of ONE, and this was a hard road alone at THAT.
She's got 'pie in the sky' dreams and seems more like a teenager (maturity-wise) than a woman in her 30's.
If so, she may not even be MENTALLY PROFICIENT enough to raise children of ANY amount...
She's NOT MAKING SENSE. She has NO CONCEPT of the REALITY of being a parent (why she was living with HER parents, as mother of the first six children)!
IF she graduates and gets a GOOD job somewhere, as a counselor (which, by the way, is little more than most elementary teachers make, and that is NOT ENOUGH to support a family of six kids, let alone FOURTEEN), how does she believe she will be "providing" herself to her children when she's AT WORK (and most likely working OVERTIME, regularly, if she intends to keep a roof over their heads)??
Day Care for even HALF these children (assuming Grandma helps out and watches the first six, as she has been) will amount to MORE THAN HER PAYCHECK will be!
This is negligent at the very least. She has NOT done her 'homework'.
The ONLY way she will be able to manage this many children, without having an 'at-home' high-paying (and VERY FLEXIBLE) position, or a HUSBAND working for a high income, is to receive Public Assistance.
She might plan to work a few days a week, but the cost the State will absorb in providing her subsidized Day Care will NEGATE any contributions SHE makes as an income-earner...
SO SAD. SO SAD for the children....
For even the first six, life was going to be a hard-scrabble one.
I'm a single mother myself, but of ONE, and this was a hard road alone at THAT.
She's got 'pie in the sky' dreams and seems more like a dreamy, idealistic-but-UNrealistic teenager (maturity-wise) than a woman in her 30's.
If so, she may not even be MENTALLY PROFICIENT enough to raise children of ANY number...
Her Mommy didn't give her enough mothering so she has an exagerated need for more kids.She is no Michelle Duggar (the mom with 18 kids on TLC).That mom is organized,smart and has a supportive hubby who earns a living,they owe nothing and can provide for their own.
The octuplets mom can't even take care of herself,she gets a disability check and lives in her Mommy's rent house.
She will get a show on E! with all the other fine families,her kids will wind up starring on "Cops" if she doesn't spend time with Dr.Phil and Suze Orman!
Being my negative population growth supporting self, I cannot help but be incensed. There is also the tidbit that she possibly wants MORE children. Let it be a lesson: do not go down the path of the "ego" or "vicarious childhood" reproduction. It does not work, and it causes stress for you and for, well, everyone. Not to mention the strain on the biosphere!
I do see how she intends to pay for these children, though-- at least for the first year or so. She is going to mild this birth, go onto as many shows as possible, and sell the story. These will be cash cow babies.
Despicable.
Where I said "mild," I mean "milk."
I can not believe that people/companies are offering her book deals and bringing her on to various shows to tell her story. She is getting exactly what she wanted, the public paying for her children. I will not watch the "Today" show, or any other talk show that brings her on, ever again. Which is a shame since I like to watch the show while I get ready for work. Why don't they stick to stories that matter and not buy into her sensationalism. She did it just for the money and those kids are going to be the ones who suffer. If she was really thinking about the first 6 children, she would have finished school first then figured out if she could afford more before getting implanted again.
Everyone is asking how she is going to take care of them.Just like the rest of the baby making machines,STATE BENEFITS!! Its not that hard to figure out. Everyone that lives in her state and pays taxes are going to be raising these children.
That is a point of contention: the Medical Board of California is investigating whether there were any violations by that fertility doctor.
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