Nadya Suleman made headlines in 2009 when the world found out that she had delivered a record eight babies in a single delivery. The world became curious about the birth, and people wanted to know more about the family.
People were fascinated by Octomom. Some people showed love and support towards Nayda, while others scrutinized Nayda and her doctor for allowing her to go through with such a high-risk pregnancy.
Raising such a large family can be hard at times, but Nayda has never given up. Continue reading to see how Nadya Suleman and her eight children are doing today.
1. The Beginning
Nadya Suleman is the only child of two immigrant parents. She grew up lonely and dreamed of having a big family one day. She lacked an emotional connection to those around her as a child and dreamed of having kids where she could form bonds.
While she planned on having a big family, she never saw her plans going the way they did. No one could have ever predicted Nadya’s future. Her plans to create a big family would change her life completely and flip her life upside down. Her big family would be both a blessing and a curse.
2. Entering Motherhood
Nadya’s journey to motherhood began as soon as she graduated from high school. She had always wanted a big family, and now that she was an adult, she could make decisions for herself, including starting a family. Although she had a desire to go to college, her desire to become a mother was greater.
Nadya was young but determined to start her family. In due time she finally received what she wanted, she was pregnant for the first time. But her pregnancy shocked her. While she was expecting to become pregnant, she got a lot more than what she bargained for.
3. Finding Love
Nadya had always hoped for a large family and hoped to have someone to share her family with. When she was young, she met a man with whom she would eventually fall in love. His name was Marcos Gutierrez, and he worked as a produce manager. At the beginning of their relationship, things seemed fine.
Nadya was honest about her desire to have children with Marco, and Marco seemed fine with her decision. As time went on, however, their relationship began to decline. It seemed like a good idea for the two to become parents, but their relationship was failing.
4. Balancing It All
Nadya’s still wanted to have children. But she also realized that she needed to have a career and a solid family foundation. Nadya studied at Mt. San Antonio College, and she and Marco were married. She eventually received a license in psychiatric therapy and started working at a psychiatric facility in Norwalk, California.
The job had many benefits, but it was hard work. Her job was unpredictable, considering the type of patients that she worked around. Unfortunately, Nadya had an accident at her workplace. The accident would cause many unforeseen events and cause her life to become a roller coaster ride.
5. A Tragic Accident
The work accident would leave Nadya would be lingering physical trauma for the rest of her life. The accident occurred on September 18, 1999. It started off as a normal day, but suddenly twenty patients started a disturbance. Nadya tried to calm the commotion and found herself in the middle of a riot. One of the patients through a wooden desk into the air that unfortunately landed on Nadya’s back.
The accident caused a herniated disc injury to her back. She received a compensation of $170,000 from worker’s compensation. While it was a fair settlement, the money would not last forever.
6. Obstacles In Life
The accident was life-changing and devastating. After the accidents, Nadya found herself in both physical and emotional pain. Nadya had to delay all of her life goals because of her injury, including her career. The money she received from her worker’s compensation helped her through a hard time with her injury, but she was struggling with something else.
She and her husband, Marco, were having a hard time conceiving a child. They were married for three years and had yet to start a family. There was a reason for the lack of conception. The couple decided to consult a doctor.
7. Baby Blues
Nadya and Marco were desperate to have a baby. They sought out help from numerous doctors. They followed every piece of advice that people gave them, but the couple could not conceive. Nadya was disappointed with her failure to have a baby, and at one point in time, she became depressed.
After some time, the couple learned a sad truth. They were not doing anything wrong. Marco was sterile, meaning that he could not conceive a child. The news destroyed their hopes of conceiving a child on their own. The couple began looking for alternative ways to conceive a child.
8. By Any Means Necessary
Nadya still wanted to achieve her goal of starting a nice family. With Marco’s diagnosis, she wanted to explore alternative ways of having a baby. She was aware that modern medicine could help her conceive a child if they could not conceive naturally. While Nadya was open to exploring alternative ways, Marco was not.
The disagreement on how they should start a family caused the couple to become distant. When Nadya expressed an interest in trying in vitro fertilization, Marco strongly opposed it. IVF is a process where eggs are fertilized outside the body and then placed into the uterus.
9. Decisions, Decisions
The disagreement between the couple eventually leads to their divorce. The divorce was not an easy decision. Nadya loved Marco and wanted her husband to stay with her and start a big family. She hated that she had to choose between her husband and her desire to have a family. The decision did not come lightly, but Nadya decided to seek out in vitro fertilization treatment.
The idea of finally becoming a mother thrilled Nadya. Through everything that Nadya had been through, the thought of finally becoming a mother fulfilled Nadya. But things did not go as she had planned.
10. What is IVF?
In vitro fertilization is a common process that many people undergo when they are experiencing fertility problems, but the process does not guarantee conception. The process is also incredibly expensive. Most people are discouraged from trying IVF for these reasons, but not Nadya. She was determined to start her family, no matter the cost.
Numerous attempts to have a baby had taken a toll on Nadya. While undergoing her treatment, doctors recommended that she have multiple eggs planted to increase the chances of a pregnancy. Planing so many eggs came with additional risk, but Nadya was willing to take them.
11. More Than One Baby
One of the greatest factors when undergoing IVF treatments and implanting multiple eggs is the big chance of a multiple birth. In some cases, none of the eggs that are planted are fertilized. In other all the cases that are planted fertilize. Multiple birth pregnancy is a high risk, but Nadya understood the dangers involved and decided to go through with the pregnancy.
Nadya had waited so long to have children that the thought of having a multiple birth excited her. But some were concerned that she was not worried enough. The outcomes of a high-risk pregnancy are often unpredictable.
12. Welcome to Motherhood
Though she had undergone in vitro fertilization and multiple eggs were planted in her uterus, Nadya’s first pregnancy did not result in multiple pregnancy. The thought of having more than one baby excited her, and she wanted to have twins or triplets, but she ended up having a baby boy. It was wonderful that the in vitro fertilization treatment was successful.
Nadya finally had the family she wanted. She named the boy Elijah. Surely, she would move on to another goal. But no. Nadya wanted more children. Her journey of in vitro fertilization treatments and having children was just beginning.
13. Growing Her Family
Nadya underwent another round of in vitro fertilization treatments, and a year after the birth of her first child, she gave birth again. This time a baby girl. Nayda continued to get IVF treatments because of the successful results. She also wanted to have the large family she dreamed of.
She would eventually deliver two sets of fraternal twins and two single births. Nadya was now a mother of six children. For many, six children are more than enough, but not for Nadya. She was not satisfied. She still wanted more children. What she did next would shock the world.
14. Going Too Far?
Nadya Suleman’s quest to have more children lead her back to the offices of Dr. Michael Kamrava. She wanted to have more children and needed another in vitro fertilization treatment. Dr. Michael Kamrava had worked with Nadya with all her previous in vitro fertilization treatments, and the two trusted one another.
Nadya had six eggs from a previous treatment that she wanted to use for her next pregnancy. When she returned to Dr. Michael Kamrava in 2008, she asked him to implant all six of the remaining eggs in one session. Nadya Suleman’s decision would eventually make her a national sensation.
15. Taking a Risk
Dr. Kamrava initially refused when Nadya requested to have all six eggs implanted. There were too many risks involved with implanting that many eggs at one time, especially if they all ended taking. Nadya was persistent, and she begged her doctor to implant them all. Dr. Kamrava gave in to Nadya’s request, but he took things a step further.
Although she asked him to implant six eggs, he ended up planting twelve eggs. The entire procedure was unethical. Twelve eggs are ten times the recommended number of eggs for an IVF. There were going to be consequences, but Nadya was ready.
16. Is it Worth It?
What Nadya Suleman and Dr. Kamarave did had never been done before. Implanting that many embryos at one time were against many standards of modern medicine. There could have been devastating consequences for both of their actions. Nadya regraded nothing, especially when she learned that eight of the twelve embryos had been conceived.
This pregnancy would test her. Although she desired more children, could her body physically handle the pregnancy? She had already experienced five pregnancies, with two being multiple births. She, of course, already had six other children she had to take care of. Could she handle eight more?
17. The Test of a Lifetime
Pregnancy is already hard on the body, but eight babies in one pregnancy are bound to push the boundaries of someone’s body. Nadya’s previous pregnancies added to the trauma that her body would experience with this one, making her situation even more high risk.
The media soon found out about Nadya and her extraordinary pregnancy. The media began to call Nadya Suleman Octomom, a play on the prefix octo and the fact that she was pregnant with eight babies. Nadya Suleman would receive a rare and large amount of media attention, something that would become a blessing and a curse.
18. The Big Day
Nadya’s delivery day finally arrived, and it was time for the great moment of truth. All eight of the babies had to be delivered. It took a team of specialists to deliver the babies. All eight of the babies were delivered safely. After of week of being in the world, all eight were still alive.
This was the first time in human history that octuplets had safely been delivered and lived longer than a week outside the womb. Nadya was relieved that all of her children survived. And so was the world. The birth of the octuplets was huge news.
19. In the Public Eye
The world’s first surviving set of octuplets was sure to make news worldwide. Numerous media outlets wanted to know every detail surrounding the pregnancy and the birth. The medical community was especially curious about Nadya and her children.
How did Nadya manage to successfully survive the pregnancy? How did all eight babies manage to survive? Nayda and her children found themselves surrounded by media attention.
People began to ask about every detail of their lives. They wanted to know everything. The questions were relentless and were coming from every direction. The media, gossip tabloids, the medical community, the whole world.
20. In Control
Media attention was growing around Nadya and her children, even before she gave birth. The details surrounding her pregnancy were posted on websites, newspapers, and media channels. The media attention she received made her a household name and easily recognizable. People did not use her real name, they referred to her as Octomom.
Nayda wanted to control the media and use it to her advantage. She had children to take care of and hopped that attention would generate some money. Nayda hired a public relations team to handle the media attention and help her share her story with the world.
21. Public Scrunity
The birth of Nayda’s children received mixed emotions from the public. Some people were delighted and excited to hear the news that a woman had given birth to eight babies and survived. Others were critical of Nadya’s decision to have so many children at once and her relationship with the media.
Nayda had to deal with the opinions of the public while also raising her fourteen children. She became overwhelmed by the attention she was receiving. Public opinions raged from critical to cruel. Some California residents accused her of wasting taxpayer’s money from government aid she and her family received.
22. Media Circus
The media attention surrounding Nayda and her children was out of control. People were begging to have a negative perception of Nayda because of the way that news outlets and publications were portraying her in the media. The public did not even see her as a person, they only saw her as Octomom.
Nayda had a goal to try and control the media attention, but she was failing horribly. She gave an interview with People Magazine. She was honest in her interview, sharing the difficulties of raising fourteen children. Some felt that the interview was another attempt to gain attention.
23. Wrong Impression
The speculation that Nayda Suleman gave birth for attention lasted years. The constant scrutiny began to take a toll on her mental health and her ability to raise her children. Media outlets began to report that Nayda was struggling to financially support all of her children and that she was receiving welfare.
Even though many people in the public supported her, Nayda did not have a family support system. No one was helping her, nor did she have anyone to confide in. The challenges that she faced would continue to grow and eventually would become something she could not handle.
24. Serious Problems
Rumors began to circulate from the public scrutiny and negative media attention. People question Nayda’s parenting skills and how she managed to properly take care of all fourteen children. Nayda was a single mom, who was on welfare, and people began to believe the rumors that Nayda was neglecting her children.
Child Protective Service was called to investigate the living conditions of Nayda’s home. The investigation found the Nayda’s home was suitable for the children and laid the rumors that she was a neglectful mother to rest. Nayda’s problems did not end with CPS. It was someone closer to home.
25. Troubles at Home
While the law found her to be a good mother, her landlord saw the situation differently. He thought that Nayda was not capable of taking care of fourteen children by herself. Unlike the public’s opinion, the landlord’s opinion could have devastating effects on the livelihood of Nayda and her children.
The landlord decides to evict Nayd and her children, citing a violation of the terms in her leasing agreement. He also talked to the press about Nayda’s situation, further fueling the negative attention. Facing the possibility of homeless, she began to look for solutions to save her and her family.
26. The Truth
The media’s negative portrayal of Nayda made many think she was a bad mother, but she was not. Nayda loved each one of her children. She had worked hard to provide them with all of the necessities of life. The biggest problem that she faced was that she was financially unstable.
Nayda needed to collect a large sum of money as soon as she could to keep her and her kids from becoming homeless. Because she was famous in the press, it was easy for her to enter into different entertainment jobs. She tried acting, singing, even starting a business.
27. A New Life
The constant media attention was making it hard for Nayda and her children to live peacefully. Nayda was under an unimaginable amount of stress and decided that the best thing for her and her family was to make some changes. She needed to create a new life so that she could be a better mother for her children.
She started with herself. She changed her name from Nayda to Natalie and decided to continue her education, eventually receiving a college degree. She began working as a part-time family therapist and focused on raising her children and not the media attention.
28. Life Today
The Suleman Octuplets have grown up and are now nine years old. The children are still a point of interest for many, and they document their lives through their Instagram Page. Each child is happy and healthy thanks to their mother, who keeps them all on a strict vegan diet.
Their mother has shared every detail of her journey with them. She feels that for her to be a good mother, she has to be open with them. When Nayda reflects on her journey with the octuplets she does not regret anything, even everything she went through with the media.
29. Meet The New Her
Natalie Suleman’s life is completely different from what it was when she gave birth to her octuplets. She is now in her forties and is happier than ever. Things were not always so pleasant. She admits that there were many low points in life after giving birth to the octuplets. It was an encounter with a stranger that forced her to change her life around.
One night in 2013, she was approached by a stranger when she at a nightclub in Florida. The encounter made her realized that she needed to change her life and become a better, healthier person.
30. Happy and Healthy
Since that encounter in 2013, Natalie has made many efforts to improve her life. Even her mindset is different. With her new and improved self, she is more open and honest about decisions in her life. She admits that her decision to have so many children was selfish and that she had not thought about the consequences of having such a large family.
She does not regret her pregnancies and has dedicated herself to raising her children. Her children are her only priority. She uses her social media accounts to document her life, her lifestyle, and the lives of her children.
31. Moving Foward
Natalie and her great kids live a simple life in their two-bedroom apartment. While they are not financially stable, Natalie says she is at peace with her life. The family is still on welfare and lives check to check but says that is better than dealing with the media circus of the past.
Natalie also says that she is happy that no one calls her Octomom anymore and that people are less interested in her story. Natalie says she almost lost her own identity trying to keep up with the Octomom persona. But how are her children adjusting to life?
32. Life with Kids
Natalie hopes that her children are proud of her and hopes that they can understand some of the decisions she had to make to support them. Natalie said that she could not support her family and felt like she was forced into doing some of the things that she did to support her family.
She wants her kids to know the real her and not the Octomom persona. Now, she is happier than ever and enjoys spending time with her fourteen children. The children are ages nine, eleven, twelve, the twins are eleven, and the oldest three children are teenagers.
33. One Big, Happy Family
Despite being a fifteen-member family, The Suleman’s are normal. The family is especially close and takes care of one another. The children fight and play with one another, and they each have their unique personalities. One of Natalie’s children, Aiden, had Autism. Aiden requires special care, but he receives it from both his mom and his siblings.
Like most moms, Natalie does not have a social life and spends much of her time taking care of her family. She teaches her children that their home life is different from other people’s, but that there is nothing wrong with being different.
34. Values
Natalie has made an effort to teach all fourteen of her children morals and good values. She also teaches them how to be good people. It is hard not to learn how to be humble when you are a member of a large family, especially on Christmas.
On Christmas Day, each child only receives one gift. While Natalie says that she does this to teach the children the value of materialistic objects, there is also a financial aspect for this single gift-giving. Natalie can not afford to give out so many gifts. But the biggest gift is being a family.
35. A Day in the Life
Natalie goes through the stress that every other mom does. Her stress is just that it times fourteen. The first day of school, for example, can be overwhelming., She is personally responsible for getting her children ready for school.
While her older kids can manage themselves, she still has to take all the children to school. Driving all of her to-and-from school can take up much of her day, but she does not mind. She likes to post pictures of the younger children school adventurous and post them to her Instagram page, but the older children rarely take any pictures.
36. Finding an Outlet
The stress of motherhood can be overwhelming, but being the mother of fourteen children could cause a mental breakdown. Luckily, Natalie has found positive ways to relieve her stress. Although she has an extremely busy schedule, she manages to find a couple of hours out of her day to go to the gym.
Any gym is fine for her, and she does not have time to drive long distances. She shares her workout on her Instagram page and uses captions to express how she feels. Natalie says that physical activity has always been the best way to cope with stress.
37. Quality Time
Natalie has found many ways to bond with all her kids. She says that she loves all of her children, and it is important to her that she spends time with each of them. She also has a combination of boys and girls, so she dedicates special nights for each gender.
On girl’s night, they like to have spa treatments where she and her daughters try different skin and beauty products. When she spends time with her boys, they enjoy watching horror movies and eat snacks. Natalie is not afraid to share her love for her children with the world.
38. A Second Chance
In May of 2018, Natalie was allowed to tell her story without any negative backlash. She was invited to the Dr. Oz show where was able to explain how she able to conceive her children through IVF treatments.
She also talked about what her life was like with media attention watching her and how she went from being Nayda, a woman no one knew, to Octomom, a public persona, and how she hand to regain her identity and find herself. She used the opportunity to promote several of her family’s social media accounts, including their Instagram page and Youtube channel.
39. Different Beauty
One of Natalie’s favorite traits about her kids is how unique they all are. Each child has something different about them. Whether is their hair color, skin tone, height, or personality, she is proud to be the mother has fourteen unique individuals.
The reason that each of Natalie’s children looks different is because of genetics. Because Natalie has so many children, her genes were able to express themselves more. She takes pride in her genetics and is happy that she was able to pass them on to her wonderful children and each child’s genetics allows them a sense of individuality.
40. Happy End
Nadya Suleman can be very proud to have raised her children in such a great way. Having children is not as easy as some people probably imagine. For this reason, we are amazed at how well Nadya copes with raising her children.
Besides, she raises her children under a considerable pressure. Unfortunately, the media follows her every step of the way, which means she faces a lot of stress. Nadya Suleman’s octuplets posed a very great health risk to herself.
Fortunately, despite all this, her pregnancy went smoothly, and today she can proudly show her children to the outside world. In any case, we wish her good luck with her family and that all family members remain healthy.
