Mother of octuplets already has six kids!
As the news breaks that the mother of the recently born octuplets also has six other children at home and refused "selective abortion" to reduce the number of fetuses, some people are outraged at the lack of regulation on women using artificial (in vitro fertilization) means to have so many children.
We knew very little about the new mother 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. Watch the video below.
Soon after, media camped out at the family's home in Whittier, Calif. The babies' grandfather pulled up in a minivan and spoke to the Associated Press. Beside him were two children -- ages 6 and 7 -- who admitted they were excited to have eight new brothers and sisters.
Even Cindy Margolis is horrified at this news. And she's the most photographed babe on the Internet.
"If this woman definitely used fertility drugs to have the eight kids," said Margolis, author of "Having a Baby When the Old-Fashioned Way Isn't Working," to momlogic, "I am both happy and angry at the same time. Happy that the babies were healthy, but really angry that a woman with six beautiful and healthy children would feel the need to bring more children into the world."
Margolis told momlogic that she's confused why the mom used fertility drugs in the first place. "This woman obviously had no such problem [getting pregnant] and was just being either selfish or immature -- or a little of both."
Margolis' son Nicholas was born after she received IVF treatments.
Her twin girls, Sabrina and Sierra, were born with a
surrogate's aid. "When you can't get pregnant the old-fashioned way ... the path to motherhood is a long, rocky and sometimes heartbreaking journey."
Margolos hopes the babies will be well cared for.
When so many children are dying of starvation and disease around the world, and when so many childless couples are trying hard to have one child, isn't it selfish to produce eight more?
Should there be more regulations or guidelines on how many children can be conceived in this way?
Is this woman bucking for a reality show?
And boy, didn't those doctors -- Dr. Karen Maples and Dr. Harold Henry -- get some major headlines.
Your thoughts? This is obviously an issue that our society will continue to face in the future. What's the solution? Should there be one?
Read the full story on the octuplet's birth here.
I disagree that Americans should be limited to 6 kids, just because people are starving around the world. That's too much government regulation. I do agree, however, that the government should regulate the number of embryos implanted each attempt. Two or three should be the max.
Great article that raises good questions.
I was not allowed to have an IUD unless I was married and had at least one child. Shouldn't there be stipulations on fertility drugs for people who already have kids? I can understand wanting one with a new mate, but if that mate can't love your six children as their own, don't marry them. So many homeless kids out there and one woman has to have 14? I understand she may not have thought it would go this far...she could have reduced her eggs to four even two! I pray for the family and that all her children can be cared for.
D
let's not omit the fact that her family filed bankruptcy a year and a half ago.
There is something seriously wrong when treatment meant for infertility is dispensed to a clearly fertile women. My blog has more commentary: http://tinyurl.com/aemlyw
I think that as long as they can afford to care for the children without using taxpayer money, they can have as many kids as they want. I just don't want to support them.
I am happy that the babies are all doing well. I wish the best for everybody.
(excpet the nosey family friend)
The association that regulates these types of fertility doctors should create standards to cover this type of case and then strip the medical license of the provider. Having 6 kids at home and past financial issues does not make this woman a plausible candidate for this procedure.
I'm a pro-choice liberal who doesn't want to meddle in women's reproductive rights, but I think about all of the couples around the country who can't even conceive one child, even with the help of science. This woman (I assume) had 6 children naturally, yet sought help to have more? Why does medicine need to step in to help?
Also, if you choose to have this many children through artificial means, then best of luck supporting them on your own.
Oh. My. Goodness.
Has this society gone crazy? How dare we attempt to claim that we are pro-reproductive rights (e.g. abortion) and then even entertain the outrageous suggestion that is is somehow the government's place to regulate the number of children that a person has. Outrageous. Red China, here we come.
I DO NOT KNOW WHY THE MEDIA FEEL IT HAS TO KNOW THE REASONS WHY A MOTHER CHOSES TO HAVE 2,6 OR 8 CHILDREN, EVEN IF SHE ALREADY HAS A BUNCH AT HOME. IT BECOMES A CONCERN TO ME ONLY IF THAT SAME MOTHER IS ASKING FOR PUBLIC SUPPORT. AND AS FOR THE DOCTORS WHO WERE ON THE DELIVERY TEAM.THE DID NOT DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER DOCTOR PUT IN THE SAME SITUATION. SO WHAT IS YOUR POINT IN REFERENCING THEIR NAMES.
I agree wholeheartedly with the comments from Ms. Margolis. Seems unfair to the 6 others, and using infertility meds given history and her situation seems to be irresponsible and not what infertifilty meds are for. I am surprised at any MD that would prescribe them in this case. .
I am 34 and haven't been able to concieve a child on my own...my insurance doesn't cover fertility at all and I can't afford $10,000 or so a treatment, so how did she do it. I do believe that if you already have 6 children that you don't need 8 embryos implanted.
I am sick and tired of paying for other people to keep spitting out babies and then them not being able to support them. I think a women should be allowed to have as many children as she wants, but she also needs to be able to finacially support them. If she can do that, then more power to her!!