Big Dreams
Nadya Suleman always wanted to have a big family. Growing up as an only child, she craved having a large family with connections that are irreplaceable. She had no idea how this dream would turn her life completely upside down.
Big Dreams
Her Journey To Motherhood
Nadya began her motherhood journey early on in life. She was already interested right after graduating from high school, even though she was still single. That didn’t deter her, and she still wanted to go ahead with the plan.
Her Journey To Motherhood
Nadya’s First Love
When she was just in her early twenties, she met Marcos Gutierrez. He was a produce manager that was quite charming, and she quickly fell for him. From early on, she made it clear to him that having kids was her first priority for her future. She had no idea what the future would actually bring.
Nadya’s First Love
Her Demanding Job
Nadya and Marcos ended up getting married, and that same year she earned a psychiatric technician license from San Antonio College. She began working at a psychiatric facility in Norwalk, California. The job took quite a took on her. Then one day, something huge happened at the facility.
Her Demanding Job
A Disaster
On September 18th, 1999, twenty patients started a riot and Nadya tried to intervene to help calm things down. One of the patients flipped over a desk, which ended up hitting Nadya right in the back, causing her to have a herniated disc injury. She was able to receive $170,000 in workers’ compensation, which helped her get by for quite some time.
A Disaster
Postponing The Dream
However, this injury affected Nadya’s ability to work in addition to the significant pain and distress she experienced. Not only was this a huge burden on her mind, but the fact was the she and Marcos had been trying to have children for a while, and it seemed like nothing was working out. They decided to go see a doctor about the matter.
Postponing The Dream
Some Bad News
They visited multiple doctors, and they received a lot of feedback on how to keep trying to conceive. They tried everything because they were so determined to have a child. After everything, they still couldn’t seem to conceive, and it started to take a toll on Nadya. She became depressed, and eventually they learned that Gutierrez was sterile. That’s when they started talking about other options.
Some Bad News
The Last Straw
Nadya told her husband that she really wanted to have kids more than anything, and she wanted to pursue alternative methods of having a child. He disagreed with her, and the fact that they couldn’t see eye to eye kept driving them further and further apart. When Nadya suggested IVF (in vitro fertilization) Marcos had had enough. He told her if she went through with the IVF, he would leave her.
The Last Straw
Her Impossible Choice
Nadya was heartbroken with the ultimatum. On one hand, she knew she loved her husband, but she absolutely didn’t want to give up having children. Ultimately, she chose to end her marriage and pursue having children on her own through IVF. She was so excited, but she had no idea that things would go very differently from what she expected.
Her Impossible Choice
No Choice Is Free
Of course, even though IVF is pretty straightforward, it is still not 100% guaranteed to work. The other barrier for most people is the fact that it is quite expensive to do. After all the let downs, Nadya was not letting anything get in her way to try. Experts usually recommend using several eggs in case some do not take during the IVF process. That meant that it was opening the door to another risk. Would Nadya be willing to take it?
No Choice Is Free
Taking The Risk
When several eggs are placed into a woman’s uterus, there is a chance that the IVF will successfully implant multiple eggs, meaning several children can be conceived. Not only did this not deter Nadya from trying, her attitude was “the more the merrier.” She had no idea what was coming.
Taking The Risk
Welcoming Baby Elijah
While Nadya was not particularly hoping for twins, triplets, or a single baby, the results of her IVF process were quite surprising. In 2001, her IVF procedure led her to become pregnant with a baby boy. She gave birth to her first child named Elijah, and she was overjoyed to finally become a mother.
Welcoming Baby Elijah
More Babies
Just a year after Elijah was born, Nadya had another baby, this time a daughter named Amerah. However, she was not done yet. She decided to keep having more kids. She eventually gave birth to fraternal twins and then two more children. She now had 6 kids total! Despite this fact, she still wanted to have even more kids.
More Babies
Six More?
Dr. Kamrava shared that he hesitated at first, but in the end relented and implanted all six eggs as Nadya requested. She did not want any of the embryos to go to waste and she was prepared to have multiple more children. What happened next shook the world: Dr. Kamrava ended up injected 12 eggs total. The recommended amount is usually 2, so this was quite a daring and radical medical decision.
Six More?
Octuplets Coming
This unprecedented implanting of 12 eggs didn’t phase Nadya at all. In fact, she was thrilled. In the end, 8 of the 12 eggs took, meaning Nadya was now pregnant with 8 babies at one time. Was Nadya actually able to handle such an unusual pregnancy? What about 8 more children in addition to the rest of her children?
Octuplets Coming
Becoming Octomom
The nine months of pregnancy with 8 babies absolutely took a toll on Nadya and on her physical wellbeing. Additionally, once the media got wind of the story, Nadya was constantly the subject of tabloid fodder and news items. As she became a media sensation, she was given the nickname “Octomom.” While many people would think that her story isn’t noteworthy, it couldn’t be ignored that her pregnancy would break records.
Becoming Octomom
A Safe Delivery
Despite the difficult pregnancy, the day finally came for her to deliver the babies. It turned out that her unusual pregnancy was totally healthy and each one of her eight babies were safely born. The whole world was watching as the octuplet became the first ever to to be born alive and stay alive a week after their births. Nadya was thrilled and she could not wait to bring them home to meet their six siblings. There was still one question that the world was wondering about.
A Safe Delivery
All Eyes On Octomom
Nadya’s story is truly incredible, in both positive and less positive ways. The medical community followed the story of her pregnancy, and they were curious about how this all took place. Many were interested in just how she managed to have eight healthy babies. How had she done it? There were so many questions, and many decided to dig deep into the past to find out how this all happened.
All Eyes On Octomom
A Medical Malpractice?
Eventually, word came out that Dr. Kamvara had implanted Nadya with 12 eggs at one time, which made her octuplet pregnancy a possibility. Even though Nadya had requested this, many still expressed anger at this. In fact, Dr. Kamvara was investigated. Many argued that he should not have gone through with the implantation and he was eventually charged with “repeated negligent acts.” His medical license was revoked, and many asked, had this been the first time?
A Medical Malpractice?
His Past
People began to question the whole situation and began to wonder, if he had agreed to Nadya’s outrageous request, who else was he helping with unreasonable medical requests? It turned out that this was not the first time he had done something like this. He reportedly also implanted 7 embryos into a 48 year old patient, who ended up having quadruplets. Sadly, that pregnancy was not successful like Nadya’s.
His Past
Becoming A Media Sensation
By the time Nadya gave birth to her 8 babies, she had already become a media mainstay. Countless new channels, websites, and newspapers were reporting about her nonstop. She was so infamous that almost nobody knew her real name, as she was simply referred to as Octomom all the time. She decided to take the reins of her own story and capitalize on the non stop attention. She decided to hire a PR rep who advised her on how to spread her story without losing control of the narrative. This would prove to be more difficult than expected.
Becoming A Media Sensation
Her Persona
Nadya was facing non-stop media attention, whether she wanted it or not. Many people speculated that she loved being in the spotlight, and even had 14 children in order to become famous. Once she had given birth, the controversy shifted over to the fact that many saw her as taxpyer waste, a symbol of irresponsibility and everything wrong with modern American society. She also received many threats. Despite this all, many were still enamored with her and her kids.
Her Persona
Weighing On Her
Soon enough, the media circus began to overtake her. She could not get control over her story and so she decided to take a different approach: she wanted to open up about her difficulties. 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
Some Trouble At Home
On top of this all, rumors began to circulate that she was mistreating the kids. Many asked how a single mother could possibly take care of 14 young children all on her own. Someone even alerted Child Protective Services and told them that Nadya was neglecting her kids. Once they investigated, they found no evidence of this and even deemed her home to be very suitable for the children.
Some Trouble At Home
Getting An Eviction Notice
Even though Child Protective Services had deemed her home okay for the children, she still had issues with her landlord. He accused Nadya of violating the terms of her lease and decided that he wanted to evict her. Now, Nadya was facing homelessness, and she knew she had to do something about it. She was desperate to find a home for her and her 14 kids.
Getting An Eviction Notice
Becoming Desperate
There was absolutely no convincing her landlord to let them stay. She needed to find a new place to live. She just did not have enough money, and she knew that she had to do something about it. She pursued some business ventures, tried out the film world, and even tried launching a music career.
Becoming Desperate
Needed A New Start
Eventually, Nadya realized that the spotlight was too harmful and she decided to shy away from it altogether. She realized that the media had created a caricature of her and that it was not a true reflection of her as a person or a mother. She decided to turn her life around, and she began by changing her name to Natalie. She then finished her college degree and started working as a family therapist.
Needed A New Start
The Kids Grow Up
By 2018, Natalie’s children were 9 years old and were doing absolutely fine. Nadya had put them all on a vegan diet, which they all love. Natalie shared that she has always been open with her kids about her life’s journey and that he thinks that being straightforward is always the best idea. She created an Instagram page and shares photos of her and her family living a healthy lifestyle.
The Kids Grow Up
New Life, Guardian Angel
Natalie finally got her life back on track and has shared that it was a “guardian angel” that helped her out during the lowest point in her life. She said she gained strength to move on and better provide for her family. She said that she saw this man in 2013 at the club she was at in Florida. She shared: “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
Since she turned her life around in 2013, she said that she admits that it was “foolish, immature, and selfish” to have so many kids without thinking through how she would provide for them all ahead of time. She said she did not think about the consequences back then, but also that she has no regrets. She said her main focus in life is raising her kids and that she isn’t looking for love for now.
Reflecting
Living Modestly
Though raising 14 children is no easy task, she seems to be handling things well these days. They live in a two bedroom apartment, but she is still living mostly paycheck to paycheck and receiving food stamps. She also turned an office in the house into a bedroom so that they would have another bedroom. She shared that she is now “at peace” after facing so many hardships. She hopes to inspire other women who are having a tough time making ends meet. She said she no longer wanted to be “Octomom” and that it nearly destroyed 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 the mother of 14 kids and is enjoying time with them all. She wants them to be proud of her and not think of her as the “Octomom” persona that had taken the media by storm. She told 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
Natalie told the Daily Mail that she is a very hands-on mother and that the kids are quite normal. She said: “They fight, play, fight and play again like any normal family.” Natalie shared that some of her kids are very shy while others are more outgoing. The kids are aware of the fact that their situation is quite different from the norm, but Natalie makes sure they know that there’s nothing wrong with that.
Living, Playing, Loving
Holiday Season
Natalie tries to instill good values in her kids. For example, she told Us Weekly: “I’m focusing on raising the kids to focus on serving other people, to get out of their own head.” She wants them to learn to live with what you need and without excess.
Holiday Season
School Days
Each time Natalie sends her kids to their “first day of school” it is always more complicated than for families with two or three kids. The mother of 14 shared an Instagram post with a caption reading: “Any other parents exceptionally stressed and overwhelmed by the first week back to school?”
School Days
Some “Me Time”
There’s a lot of working that comes with being a single mother of 14 kids. In order to make sure she can handle everything, Natalie makes sure to spend time at the gym in order to have some time dedicated to herself. She shared: “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
While she says that she is a strict mother, she stresses that they still have a lot of fun together. Some of her kids’ favorite activities include spa night with her daughters where they all test out face masks and skin products. They also enjoy having movie night. She tries to give equal attention to all of her children.
Spa Night
Talking With Dr. Oz
In May 2018, Natalie made an appearance on the Dr. Oz Show and share her story about her IVF journey. She discussed her transformation from being Nadya, to Octomom, to Natalie. She said that she is self-made and went from a desperate single mother to a confident mom of 14. She also shared that she launched a YouTube channel with her kids.
Talking With Dr. Oz
Totally Random Chance
Genetics play a pretty important role in the way you and your siblings look. That explains why many of Natalie’s children look so different. If you have 14 kids, the chances of the variation of genes are much higher than families who only have two or three kids. Natalie emphasizes how much she loves her diverse kids and says she feels blessed that they each look unique.
Totally Random Chance
They’re Very Active
The octuplets all eat a raw vegan diet and enjoy living a healthy and active life, including running in races. Here you can see them after they finished the Russ Miller Memorial 5K race in February 2018.
They’re Very Active
Their Heroes
For one school project, the octuplets were told to create a poster to honor their personal heroes. Here you can see them proudly displaying their projects, and Natalie shared the photo saying she couldn’t be prouder of her.
Their Heroes
Special Notes
While raising 14 kids on her own is quite the challenge, what makes it all worth it for Natalie is the love she gets from her kids on a daily basis. Here you can see all of the hand written Mother’s Day cards she receives from her kids, and it’s the little things like this that make it all worthwhile for her.
Special Notes
The Sisters
Four out of Natalie’s children are girls, and she likes to make sure that she spends quality time with her girls Amerah, Calyssa, Maliah, and Nariyah. Natalie also makes sure to spend quality time with her boys, but she of course loves spending time with all of her kids at the same time the most when possible.
The Sisters
Keeping Family Traditions
It’s very important for Natalie to keep family traditions alive, and one of these involves weekly Saturday family night. They refer to it as Family Fun Night, and it involves watching movies together, engaging in discussions, or playing board games.
Keeping Family Traditions
The School Play
Each of her kids have their own unique interests and activities, but the octuplets have one activity that they have in common. They all enjoyed participating in the Orange County school play, as we can see in the photo of them with their costumes.
The School Play
Vegan Diet By Choice
Natalie shared that her oldest six kids are not vegan, while the octuplets’ diet consists of raw vegan foods that includes kale, Swiss chard, bell peppers, quinoa, lentils, and healthy shakes. For dessert, they usually enjoy apples and raw almond butter. Natalie was always an ethical vegetarian, so it was easy for her to switch to full on vegan.
Vegan Diet By Choice
Photo Reality
Capturing the whole family is never an easy task. Here we can see all 14 kids in one photo, but we can also see that it is difficult to get everyone to look in the same direction. Though it’s not perfect, it does show reality and that is definitely not a bad thing. Natalie’s caption read: “So THIS is what happened when we attempted to take a fun family photo with as many family members as possible. Per usual, Elijah, Amerah, and JJ are absent from the pic.”
Photo Reality
Her YouTube Channel
Natalie works as a part time counselor to help those who are struggling with substance abuse, but she has also launched her own YouTube channel. She created the channel to share moments in her life, and she and the kids like to film vlogs that chronicle their daily lives.
Her YouTube Channel
Thanksgiving Tradition
Every Thanksgiving is a chance for the family to spend time together and create memories through yearly traditions. One of their traditions includes participating in a Turkey Trot 5k family fun while wearing matching T-shirts.
Thanksgiving Tradition
Her Physical Pain
Despite being grateful for all of her blessings, Natalie still struggles with a lot of physical pain on a regular basis, mainly due to her time carrying 8 babies to term. To deal with the pain, she works out vigorously each day, climbing 10 miles daily on the stair master. She prefers to attend a women’s only gym.
Her Physical Pain
Young Natalie
Natalie shared this throwback photo of her dressed up for Halloween in 1978 when her mother dressed her up as a clown. While she has changed her name from Nadya to Natalie, it was more to distance herself from her Octomom persona rather than distance herself from her childhood.
Young Natalie
All The Cats
When Natalie was growing up, her mother had quite the collection of cats, and Natalie loved them all. She even jokingly referred to them as her cat siblings, with one cat in particular serving as her favorite. That cat was named Boots, and he is pictured here in this photo from 1975 of Natalie and her mother.
All The Cats
Her Mother
Natalie’s mother is pictured in this photo when she was just 2 years old and living in Germany. The photo is from 1940! This can help explain why so many of Natalie’s kids have a fair complexion.
Her Mother
Their 10th Birthday
In January 2019, the couplets turned 10 years old, and they celebrated at Circus Trix OC. They enjoyed bouncing their way to their double digits and they even wore T-shirts with numbers 1 through 8, signifying their birth order. Natalie told Inside Edition: “Now that 10 years passed on by, I feel as though I can relax and be myself, and be real.”
Their 10th Birthday
Teaching Them Responsibility
Natalie has made sure to teach her kids all about responsibility, appreciation, and doing their share. They each have their own chores to take care of. For example, Noah and Maliah do laundry, Jonah does dishes, and Jeremiah takes care of the drying. Nariyah loves cooking and so she makes a lot of delicious meals for the family.
Teaching Them Responsibility
Working Hard
Each of the kids enjoys their own activities and they spend a lot of time doing things together, like quizzing on another on math. Noah has discovered a love for playing the violin.
Working Hard
Counting Blessings
Natalie often posts Instagram images with captions that share just how much she appreciates her life and her family. She said: “I couldn’t do it without my kids. They are literal angels.” In another caption, she wrote: “You are my life. My heart. I love you.”
Counting Blessings
Feeling Nostalgic
While it might be difficult to always give each child individual attention, some days Natalie finds a way. For example, on Elijah’s 18th birthday in May 2019, she got nostalgic and shared a post detailing how difficult the labor was but how it made their bond strong and how it taught her perseverance, patience, and unconditional love.
Feeling Nostalgic
