Big Dreams
Nadya Suleman always dreamed of having a large family. This is because she grew up as an only child, she desperately wanted a large family with irreplaceable connections. She didn’t know what life had in store for her.
Big Dreams
Her Journey To Motherhood
Nadya started out her journey to motherhood quite early on, as early as right after she graduated from high school. However, she was still single. Determined, that did not let her shy away from her plan.
Her Journey To Motherhood
Nadya’s First Love
When she was in her early 20’s, Nadya met Marcos Gutierrez, a produce manager who was very charming. She quickly fell for him but made it clear from the start that she wanted to have kids and that it was one of her main priorities. She didn’t know what the future would bring/
Nadya’s First Love
Her Demanding Job
The two ended up getting married. The same year, she earned a psychiatric technician license after studying at San Antonio College. She then started working at a Norwalk, California psychiatric facility. The job was difficult and took a toll on her. Then one day, an incident occurred at the facility.
Her Demanding Job
A Disaster
On September 18th, 1999, a riot erupted at the facility. Twenty patients took part in it, and Nadya tried to help calm the situation down. One of the patients ended up flipping over a desk, which ended up hitting Nadya in her back. She ended up having a herniated disc injury and she was given $170,000 in wokers’ comp. This enabled her to get by for some time.
A Disaster
Postponing The Dream
The injury prevented Nadya from being able to work and also caused her significant distress in addition to the pain. She was truly burdened, and the fact that she and Marcos had been trying to have children to no avail wasn’t helping matters. They ended up going to see a doctor to see what could be done.
Postponing The Dream
Some Bad News
After going to multiple doctors and they were given many responses on what they could do to keep trying to conceive. They were so determined to have a baby that they were willing to try everything. However, nothing ended up helping, and this started to take a toll on her. She started to become depressed. They eventually found out that Gutierrez was sterile, and they began looking at other options.
Some Bad News
The Last Straw
She told her husband that she wanted to have kids more than anything else, and that she wanted to pursue the alternative methods of having a baby. He did not agree, and their disagreement continued to drive them apart. She suggested trying IVF, and Marcos drew the line. He said that if she went through with IVF, he would end the marriage.
The Last Straw
Her Impossible Choice
She was utterly devastated that he had given her such an ultimatum. She loved her husband, but she had wanted kids her entire life and she didn’t want to give up on that dream. She decided to ultimately end the marriage and pursue IVF on her own. She was nervous, excited, and curious to see where things would go.
Her Impossible Choice
No Choice Is Free
Despite the fact that the IVF process is very straightforward, there’s no guarantee that it will work. The other main issue is that going through with the process is quite expensive. That’s why experts usually recommend using several eggs just in case some don’t take during the process. This meant that there was another risk looming. Was she willing to take it?
No Choice Is Free
Taking The Risk
When eggs are placed into the uterus, there’s a chance that the process will implant several eggs successfully, so more than one child could be conceived. This did not prevent her from trying, in fact, quite the opposite. She felt that “the more the merrier,” and she had no idea what was in store for her.
Taking The Risk
Welcoming Baby Elijah
Even though Nadya wasn’t planning for twins, triplets, or a single baby, her IVF results still surprised her. In 2001, she became pregnant with her first baby, a boy who she would name Elijah. Nadya was thrilled that her dream of becoming a mother finally came to fruition.
Welcoming Baby Elijah
More Babies
One year after Elijah was born, she gave birth to her first daughter, who she named Amerah. Despite having two beautiful babies, she still wanted more kids. She went on to give birth to fraternal twins and then two more children. She was now a mother of six, but to Nadya, this was still not enough.
More Babies
Six More?
Dr. Kamvara has shared that despite his initial trepidation, he decided to implant the six eggs just as she had asked for. What happened next was what would end up shaking the world. Dr. Kamvara ended up injecting six more, for 12 eggs total. The recommended amount is 2 eggs, so this was quite a radical medical choice to make.
Six More
Octuplets Coming
It meant that implanting 12 eggs at once was truly unprecendented, but this didn’t deter Nadya in the slightest. She was actually thrilled. 8 of the eggs ended up taking, so she officially became pregnant with eight babies. Would she be able to handle such an intense pregnancy and become a mother of 14 children?
Octuplets Coming
Becoming Octomom
Being pregnant with eight babies took a massive toll on Nadya and her physical wellbeing. Of course, then the media took notice of her unusual story, and she became a tabloid centerpiece. That’s when her infamous nickname “Octomom” was born. Some people said her story was unremarkable, but many others pointed out that this pregnancy would break world records.
Becoming Octomom
A Safe Delivery
Even though the pregnancy was difficult, the delivery day finally came. Even though her pregnancy was unusual, it ended up being completely healthy and each of the babies was born safely. The entire world watched as the first octuplets in the world were both. She was so thrilled and could not wait to meet her new babies. However, there was one question waiting to be answered.
A Safe Delivery
All Eyes On Octomom
Her story was outstanding in both positive and negative ways. The medical community closely followed her story and they were wondering how the whole thing would end. Some were interested in knowing whether or not the babies would all be born healthy. Many wondered how she had done it. Questions kept swirling, and some decided to dig deeper to find out just what had taken place.
All Eyes On Octomom
A Medical Malpractice?
Eventually it was discovered that Dr. Kamvara implanted her with 12 eggs at one time. Even though she asked for it, a lot of people were furious. He then came under investigation. A lot of people argued that he should not have done it and he was eventually charged with “repeated negligent acts.” His medical license was also revoked, and people began to investigate whether this had been the first time he did this type of thing.
A Medical Malpractice
His Past
People started to look at the whole situation and started to wonder if he had heeded Nadya’s outlandish request, had he done something similar before in the past? It turned out that this was true, and he had previously implanted 7 embryos into a 48 year old patient, who would end up having quadruplets. Sadly, that pregnancy was not ultimately successful.
His Past
Becoming A Media Sensation
Once she gave birth to 8 babies, she was already a media sensation. There were websites, TV channels, and newspapers that were eager to report on the latest news about her and her babies. She became so infamous that some didn’t even know her real name, and she started to be called Octomom nonstop. She decided to hire a PR rep that would help advise her on how to spread the story without losing control of her narrative. That was more challenging than they thought.
Becoming A Media Sensation
Her Persona
She was facing constant media attention regardless of she wanted it or not. People speculated that she wanted the attention and had even had 14 kids in order to become famous. After she gave birth, the controversy shifted to what many then saw as a person who was wasting taxpayer dollars, a symbol of irresponsibility, and also a symbol of everything wrong with modern American society. She started to receive threats.
Her Persona
Weighing On Her
After a while, the media circus took a huge toll on her and she started to break. She couldn’t control the story and she decided to open up and share how difficult things were for her. She told People magazine: “I don’t get much sleep, about two or three hours a night. But I’m continuing to move forward with my life and trying to be the best mother I can be.”
Weighing On Her
A Low Point In Her Life
Even after many years passed after she gave birth to the octuplets, it did not seem like the media attention would go away. Both fans and critics couldn’t get enough of the story, and she started to crack under the immense pressure. She felt that it was impacting her parenting abilities. She struggled to make enough money and she need to go on welfare. Nadya felt like the entire world was against her and her family.
A Low Point In Her Life
Some Trouble At Home
Then the rumors began to circulated that she was mistreating her children. A lot of people questioned just how a single mother would be able to take care of 14 kids all on her own. Someone alerted Child Protective Services and said that Nadya was neglecting her children. After an investigation, no evidence was found to support this claim and her home was even deemed very suitable for the children.
Some Trouble At Home
Getting An Eviction Notice
Despite the fact that Child Protective Services okayed her home, her landlord was still giving her troubles. He said that she had violated the terms of the leaser and said he wanted to evict her. She was facing homelessness, and she was desperate to find a place for her and her 14 kids to be.
Getting An Eviction Notice
Becoming Desperate
It seemed like there was no way to convince her landlord not to evict them. She knew she needed a new place to live, but she had no money. She knew that something had to be done, and so she decided to pursue business ventures in the music and film world.
Becoming Desperate
Needed A New Start
Nadya realized that she need a total new start because the spotlight had become too damaging to her and her family. The media had created a caricature of her and she knew it wasn’t an accurate portrayal of who she really was. She chose to turn her life around, and she started with changing her name to Natalie. She chose to finished her college degree and began working as a family therapist.
Needed A New Start
The Kids Grow Up
In 2018, the octuplets were now 9 years old and they were doing great. They are all vegan, and they love being vegan. Natalie said that she has always been open and honest about her life journey with her kids. She has also created an Instagram page for her and her family.
The Kids Grow Up
New Life, Guardian Angel
Nadya credits her lifestyle change to her “guardian angel” that helped her when she had reached her lowest point. She decided to regain her strength in order to support her family. She met this man in 2013 at a club in Florida. She said: “He walked straight to me and looked straight into my eyes. He took my hand and grabbed my arm and said in a very gentle, but firm way: ‘You don’t have to do this.’ He repeated it [five] times. “I knew I had to be my healthy self again.”
New Life, Guardian Angel
Reflecting
After she was able to turn things around in 2013, she has been willing to admit that she was “foolish, immature, and selfish” to have so many kids without thinking about how she would take care of them on her own ahead of time. She didn’t think about the consequences but she emphasizes that she has no requests. She said that her main focus is raising her children and that looking for love is not a priority.
Reflecting
Living Modestly
Even though raising 14 kids is a challenge, she is handling things well. The family live in a two bedroom apartment, but she is still living paycheck to paycheck. She said that she feels like she is “at peace” after going through so many of hardships. She no longer wants to be “Octomom” and shared that is nearly broke her: “I didn’t want to live. I felt less than human as that character I was pretending to be, to survive and provide for my family.”
Living Modestly
No Social Life
Natalie is enjoying her time as a mother of 14. She wants her to kids to be proud of her and not ever think about her as the “Octomom” persona that the media created. She shred with the Daily Mail: “I was forced into doing things I didn’t want to do because I was so terrified I couldn’t support them and give them the life I deserved.”
No Social Life
Living, Playing, Loving
She went on to tell the Daily Mail: that she’s a hands-on mother and the kid live a very normal life. She shared: “They fight, play, fight and play again like any normal family.” While some of her kids are quite shy, many are very outgoing. They know that their family situation is not the norm, but she makes sure to assure them that there’s nothing wrong with it.
Living, Playing, Loving
Holiday Season
On the family values she’s teaching her kids, Natalie told Us Weekly that: “I’m focusing on raising the kids to focus on serving other people, to get out of their own head.” She wants her kids to know that there’s no need to live in excess.
Holiday Season
School Days
Every year on the first day of school, Natalie is reminded of how tough it is. She shared an Instagram post that said: “Any other parents exceptionally stressed and overwhelmed by the first week back to school?”
School Days
Some “Me Time”
Being a single mom of 14 is quite demanding, to say the least. That’s why Natalie makes sure to spend time focusing on herself. She said: “I would like to share about how I cope with inordinate stress, after being asked how I stay sane lol. The stress literally drips off of me, as I’m drenched in the end. Being physical has significantly helped me cope with so many challenges I’ve struggled with throughout my life.”
Some Me Time
Spa Night
Even though she is a strict mother, she says that it’s equally important that she and the kids have a lot of fun together. One of her children’s favorite activities include spa night with her girls where they use face masks and skin products. They also enjoy movie night together.
Spa Night
Talking With Dr. Oz
In May 2018, Natalie went on the Dr. Oz Show and opened up about the story of her IVF journey. She talked about her transformation from being Nadya to becoming Octomom and then finally reaching Natalie. She said she is completely self-made and was able to go from being a desperate single mom to a confident mother of 14 kids. She also has a YouTube channel with her children.
Talking With Dr. Oz