Catch Up With Octomom And Her 14 Children

Becoming a Mother

She started her journey towards motherhood immediately after she turned into an adult. After Nadya Suleman graduated high school in her hometown in California, she started her quest in making the family that she had always wanted, now as a woman. She also wanted to go to college just like everybody else her age. Despite this new desire, her dream of becoming a mother was still more important for her. But as the old saying goes we must really be careful of what we wish for, because we might just get it. A young woman and, as others would say, a bit too ignorant for the ways of the world, Nadya got what she wanted – in exponentially bigger proportions!

Becoming a Mother

Nadya’s First Love

In her early twenties, Nadya Suleman met Marcos Gutierrez, a produce manager. We can only assume that he was charming as Nadya immediately felt drawn to him, and that connection turned into something meaningful and deep. The two – as stories often go – fell madly in love. She was very honest with Gutierrez in expressing her desire to have children. At first, it wasn’t a problem because, like Nadya, Gutierrez also wanted to have children of his own. Unfortunately, they were not meant to have the offspring that they wanted together.

Nadya’s First Love

A Risky Occupation

The year that Nadya married Marcos Gutierrez was the same year that she earned her license in psychiatric therapy from Mt. San Antonio College. She then started working at a psychiatric facility in Norwalk, California called Metropolitan State Hospital. Although her job was rewarding, it was not an easy one. And it would even prove to be dangerous for Nadya. Although Nadya had a family as her primary goal, having a meaningful career was also part of her game plan. Sadly, she experienced an unfortunate event in her workplace, one that would turn her life into a roller-coaster ride.

A Risky Occupation

Tragedy Strikes

In September 18, 1999, Nadya Suleman experienced a horrific event in the psychiatric facility she was working at, and she was right at the center of it. When twenty of their patients at the facility started a riot, Nadya immediately jumped in to intervene. In the middle of all the commotion, one of the female patients made a wooden desk somersault in the air. The said desk, unfortunately, landed on Nadya’s back. She got a herniated disc injury from the incident and earned $170,000 from workers’ compensation. The money helped her get by for a while. But you will soon know that it was the least of Nadya’s worries.

Tragedy Strikes

A Goal Delayed

Because of her work-related injury, Nadya had to suffer through physical pain and emotional distress. The money that she got as compensation helped her get through it, but there was a more important problem at the time. Throughout the incident and after it, Nadya was still struggling in fulfilling her lifelong goals. She and Marcos Gutierrez, her husband of three years, had been working hard at achieving Nadya’s dream of having children. They had tried again and again, but the result was always the same: no baby. They decided to consult a doctor next to know what was wrong.

A Goal Delayed

Harsh Truth

After consulting many doctors, they had collected a lot of tips and advice on how to get pregnant. As they were desperate to have a baby, they followed each instruction given. But even after all their efforts, they still didn’t conceive. Failing at every turn made Nadya lose hope in ever conceiving. It even made her depressed eventually. They then learned the harsh truth, they weren’t doing anything wrong exactly, it was just that Marcos Gutierrez was sterile. What else could they do? When they recognized that conceiving the natural way was impossible, they started looking for other options.

Harsh Truth

The Limit

Nadya continued to push the issue as she really wanted to have children. If they could not have them the old fashioned way, they would have to try other methods. Nadya was all for the ‘other options’ part, but Marcos was totally against them. Their opposing views on this topic started to drive a wedge between the two. What pushed Marcos to the edge was when Nadya suggested that she go through in vitro fertilization or IVF. It’s a medical procedure that involves the implantation of a fertilized egg into a woman’s uterus. The egg is fertilized outside of the body, usually in a test tube. If she pursued the said procedure, Marcos told her that he would leave her.

The Limit

A Difficult Choice

The situation left Nadya at a crossroad. She was torn between her love for her husband and her lifelong dream of becoming a mother. Would she stay married and give up her dream? She finally decided to take the leap and pursue what she had always wanted. It was very difficult for Nadya, but she got divorced from her former husband, Marcos Gutierrez, in 2000. She then decided to go through IVF and create the family she had wanted. She was thrilled to become a mother, but things didn’t happen as she wanted.

A Difficult Choice

There’s No Such Thing as Free Lunch

IVF or in vitro fertilization is not exactly complicated, but despite its popularity, it doesn’t have a 100% success rate. Do you know why else people don’t usually choose it? It’s quite expensive. Nadya, however, did not feel discouraged about all of these factors. At this point, she was already tired of failing. Most doctors recommended fertilizing several eggs in order to succeed in the fertilization process. This procedure entailed additional risk, one that would become significant to Nadya. But would she take it?

There’s No Such Thing As Free Lunch

Worth It

Nadya Suleman also had to consider one very important thing before pushing through with the IVF procedure. If multiple eggs were implanted in the uterus and all of those egg cells survived, this meant that the mother would have more than one baby in the pregnancy. This was actually a very dangerous thing, but Nadya was determined to have that family that she had always dreamed of. It seemed like her mantra was “the more, the merrier.” However, some still argued that having multiple children in a single pregnancy should have scared her, even a little. No one knew what the outcome would be.

Worth It

Welcome to This World, Elijah!

The possibility of having more than one baby isn’t always a risk – especially not if someone is hoping to have twins or triplets. In that situation it can be a good thing, too. Nadya didn’t necessarily hope for twins or triplets, but the result of her IVF procedure was really amazing. It was a success, to say the least and she welcomed a cute baby boy, her first child, in 2001. She named him Elijah. At long last, after all of her struggles, she had finally made her dream come true! But that wasn’t the end for Nadya. Actually, it was just the beginning.

Welcome to This World, Elijah!

Babies, Babies, And More Babies!

One year after Elijah was born, Nadya Suleman delivered another baby. This time a girl she named Amerah. Nadya’s thirst for having children was not yet quenched after her first two tries of the IVF procedure. Her positive experience only encouraged her to continue having treatments. She eventually had two fraternal twins plus two other children, making her a mother of six! In countries like America, six kids is more than enough. As in, MORE THAN enough. But even though that was the case for Nadya, she still wanted to have more children after giving birth to her sixth child. What she did next would definitely shock the world!

Babies, Babies, And More Babies!

An Extreme Decision

In 2008, Nadya Suleman made a decision that turned her into a celebrity overnight. She wasn’t satisfied with just six children, so she went back to the doctor who did all of her IVF procedures in the past, Dr, Michael Kamrava. She wanted another IVF treatment. Nadya had six eggs left, those which were leftover from her previous treatment. With a pro-life attitude, she decided to use them all, so they wouldn’t go to waste. She asked Dr. Kamrava to implant all of them into her uterus at once! But that’s not the end of it.

An Extreme Decision

More Babies?

At first, Dr. Kamrava was hesitant to comply. After all, implanting six eggs could be extremely dangerous to the mother. But according to him, he did end up implanting all six leftover eggs. This is mostly due to Nadya’s insistence, even if it could mean multiple babies. However, the most intriguing part about this was that Dr. Kamrava did not just implant six eggs, but twelve! The said number is actually ten times more that the recommended number of eggs for IVF implantation. Such a huge risk was bound to have a significant result. Nadya, however, thought she was ready to face the consequences.

More Babies?

Eight Babies on The Way

What Nadya Suleman and Dr. Kamrava did was unprecedented. Implanting as many embryos as they did was such a radical deviation from the standard medical practice, but Nadya Suleman had no regrets. Others would have been totally terrified, but Nadya? She was totally excited about it. Out of the 12 embryos that they had implanted, eight stuck, and Nadya conceived eight children – all at once. However, a person’s desire and what one can handle are actually two different things. The main question then was whether Nadya had the ability to deliver eight babies at once, after having six children, previously. She found out the answer soon enough.

Eight Babies on the Way

Mother Of Eight – Octomom!

Having carried her eight babies until delivery was quite strenuous on Nadya’s body. One was difficult enough, eight would have been a lot more than what a normal woman could handle. The media soon found her story and Nadia, as well as her children, quickly became sensational. This is when the moniker “Octomom” was born. Not all Californian single moms get to be on the news, but there was a good reason for Octomom’s notoriety. It would turn out that Nadya’s pregnancy was a record-breaking event that would change her life – but not all for the better.

Mother Of Eight – Octomom!

Childbirth Success

Before she knew it, it was time for the moment of truth. Octomom had to deliver the eight babies inside her womb. As it turned out, all of her eight kids were delivered safely and all of them came out healthy. It must have been such a relief for Nadya. It was an amazing sight to see, and even the world took notice. As a matter of fact, Nadya’s case was the very first in the whole world. Her children were the first set of octuplets who were born alive and who survived for more than a week after birth. Nadya, at that point was so happy to see and hold her babies and couldn’t wait to introduce them to her six older kids. However, the whole world was still watching and they were still skeptical about Nadya’s ability to handle the situation.

All Eyes On Her

Nadya’s amazing story was so sensational that everyone wanted to have the full details. Everyone, especially the medical community. Doctors were all trying to get a piece of her shortly after her delivery. This was due to the fact that her pregnancy was a feat like no other and she – Nadya Suleman – and her babies survived. So many questions were raised. How did she manage to successfully deliver them all? How did she do something that was once considered impossible? Many other questions of similar nature were asked, and people continued to hound her for answers.

All Eyes On Her

Her Growing Fame

Even before she gave birth to the octuplets, Nadya was already a media sensation. Websites, newspapers and news channels all reported about her unusual pregnancy. People started recognizing her. Even though not everyone knew her real name, they all knew her nickname: Octomom. Nadya attempted to control the story, or at least control what was reported about her. She wanted to use the attention to get the finances to support her big family. After all, she did suffer a lot to get there, so why not make sure that everything was on a positive note? Nadya hired a team for her public relations shortly after giving birth to her eight kids. This was so she could share her story to the public and have some control to it. This task, however, proved to be extremely difficult.

Her Growing Fame

A Pubic Persona

The media attention that Nadya received did not really change after she delivered her octuplets. She gained a lot of critics because of this and they would often accuse Nadya of coveting the spotlight. They even went as far as saying that this was the reason behind all the children she took risks in having. Meanwhile, Nadya had to cope with this public persona that she had earned and raising fourteen kids! As time went by, it became more and more difficult for Nadya to handle her fame. If her pregnancy and the delivery of many children was not controversial enough, she was soon assailed by Californians for wasting the taxpayers’ money, practically everything that would embody the negative aspects of modern American society. She even got threats! However, there were still some who supported her and adored her children.

A Public Persona

Too Much

All of the media exposure and attention became too much for Nadya. She was far from achieving her goals of controlling her story in the media. When she realized her failure, she decided to take things to the next level. She opened up about her struggles. In her interview with People magazine, Nadya gave her reaction to the caricatures made about her. She said, “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.” Still, her attitude towards the attention given to her made many people skeptical about Octomom.

Too Much

A Grim Situation

Years after Nadya Suleman gave birth to her children, many still speculated about her. Although her critics shared all of their skeptical remarks, many in America still adored her and her children. Unfortunately, this started affecting Nadya’s ability to raise her children. Reports from multiple sources suggest that Nadya’s situation is a grim one and it was one of the lowest point in her life. She was struggling to raise all of her 14 children. And as it was hard for her to support all of them, she had to accept welfare. It might have felt that she was at odds with the world. And even with all of the babies that she had, she still felt alone. Soon after, she was faced with a challenge that even government assistance couldn’t handle.

A Grim Situation

Problems At Home

In all the time that Nadya was in the spotlight, some rumors about her mistreating her children surfaced. It kind of made sense that a single mother of fourteen children would not have the ability to fully address their needs. The attention of Child Protective Services were sought and they decided to investigate whether Nadya or Octomom was really neglecting her children. When they went to her house, they didn’t see any signs of negligence on Suleman’s part. They saw no grounds for the rumors and even declared that Nadya Suleman’s home was quite suitable for children. Unfortunately, someone else with the power to change Nadya’s life strongly disagreed with the claim.

Problems At Home

Forced to Move Out

Although Child Protective Services declared her home suitable for her children, her landlord did not like the idea. And, to be honest, he’s one of the few people who probably had the power to affect her life significantly. He said that she violated the terms of her lease. He even went as far as revealing Nadya Suleman’s situation to the press before evicting her and her fourteen kids. Nadya only wanted to become a good mom to her children, but now they were about to become homeless. She couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. This drove Octomom to desperate measures.

Forced to Move Out

Dire Situation

To Nadya’s dismay, her landlord would not change his mind. She and her fourteen children had to move out! The media may have created a bad image of Nadya Suleman, shown in caricatures, but she had always been a loving mother to her children. And this, she had always maintained, was her real self. The problem was that she didn’t have enough money to put a roof above their heads. So she needed some cash, fast! She tried her luck in the movie industry. She also ventured into some businesses. She even tried to have a music career. But did all those help?

Dire Situation

Starting Anew

The unbearable stress of being in the spotlight got to Nadya Suleman, and when she realized it, she decided to let it go and start a new life. She became someone who was so different from the picture that the caricatures made of her. She knew that she needed to alter her life to become a better mother to her children and for her to live a happier life. When she changed her life, Nadya managed to turn it around rather impressively. She did it initially by changing her name to Natalie. She then earned her college degree. After getting her degree, she started working as a family therapist part time. But what happened to her children?

Starting Anew

The Solomon Family

The octuplets that Nadya Suleman had delivered are now 9 years old and all are doing quite well. All eight children are on a strict vegan diet which they seem to love. It’s not necessarily easy for children to do, as most would dream of having chocolates and candies. Natalie, their mother, has mentioned that she is open to her children about her journey. She thinks that being a straightforward parent is healthy for the children. She now thinks that everything, even her bizarre relationship with the media in the past, has turned out for the better. She also thinks that the lifestyle that they have now is the key to having a healthy household and she freely shares this with her fans on Instagram. The account name? The Solomon Family. On her page, people can see what she has been up to as well as how her children are faring.

The Solomon Family

Her Guardian Angel

Nowadays, Natalie Suleman’s life is back on track, right when she is in her 40’s. She has quit some of her questionable jobs. When asked what made her turn her life around, she said that it was through the help of her “guardian angel.” It was through that strength that she managed to let go of her “seedy” life and move on. She said that it happened in February 2013. She was still in the movie industry at that time, when an extremely tall guy approached her in a club she was at in Florida. According to Natalie, “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 several times.” It was a trying moment for Natalie and she couldn’t stop the waterworks from flooding. It marked the beginning of her new life. She said, “I knew I had to be my healthy self again.”

Her Guardian Angel

Looking Back

Natalie Suleman’s major life overhaul started in 2013 and she freely admitted that she was “foolish, immature and selfish” for bringing so many children into the world without much thought. She also admits that she did not think on the possible results of her choices at the time. However, she also said that she has no regrets, not one bit. With this confession, Natalie continues to focus on raising her children. They are her first priority. She isn’t even interested in finding love as she is content with her celibate life for now. Her social media account shows how different her life now is and how the family isdoing. This includes the amazing values and lessons that she teaches her fourteen children.

Looking Back

A Humble Life

It certainly is not easy to raise 14 children, but Natalie Suleman handles it pretty well in the two-bedroom apartment that she is renting. She and her family survive from paycheck to paycheck as well as on food stamps. She even changed her bedroom into an office to add another bedroom in their apartment. She told Daily Mail that she is now “at peace” after enduring all of the hardships that she has gone through in looking after so many kids all on her own. One reason for the peace that she has is the story that she has which she uses to inspire other women to make the right decisions for themselves and their families. Natalie, is not even called “Octomom” anymore. She thinks that the said persona almost cost her her life, as well as her family. She said, “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.” But how are the kids handling all this? Knowing the past and all?

A Humble Life

No Social Life

As a mom of fourteen children, Natalie Suleman is happier now, enjoying her life by spending quality time with her youngest kids, the octuplets, Jeremiah, Jonah, Josiah, Isaiah, Makai, Maliyah, Nariya, and Noah. Natalie said that she wants her kids to be proud of her and of what she has become. She doesn’t want them to remember her as “Octomom” or the persona it signifies. She told 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 they deserved.”

Natalie Suleman is now at her happiest, despite the trials that come with raising fourteen children. She enjoys every moment with her octuplets, as well as her older children: Elijah (17), Amerah (16), Joshua (14), Aiden (12), and Calyssa and Caleb (11-year-old twins). She described this group as “omnivores.” For her children to have a more stable life, she opted to go back to her hometown, Laguna, Orange County.

No Social Life

A Normal Family

Natalie Suleman is a hands-on mom who has absolutely given up her social life. This means that her relationship with each child is quite close. She told the Daily Mail, “They fight, play, fight and play again like any normal family.” She even described some of them as shy and keep to themselves, just like her. The others, she also mentioned, are quite friendly. One additional challenge is the fact that Aiden is autistic. However, Natalie’s children are not deterred, instead they look after their brother all the time. What’s more? Aiden and Makai are quite close. All fourteen children know that their life at home is quite different from any other typical American home. Natalie has been teaching her children that there’s nothing wrong about being different and that it’s okay. But her life lessons don’t end there.

A Normal Family

Fun During Holidays

Although things are hard for Natalie Suleman and her kids, they are one happy family. Natalie teaches good values to her all her children. During Christmas, each kid only receives one gift. She told US Weekly, “I’m focusing on raising the kids to focus on serving other people, to get out of their own head.” By doing this, Natalie thinks that she is imparting the lesson of giving value to every little thing that one receives. She also believes that it will teach her children not to expect gifts and how to work for what they want. Aside from the said reasons, Natalie’s finances simply cannot sustain an extravagant lifestyle. So, she keep things simple during the Christmas season. She feels extremely blessed for her kids and how extraordinary they all are.

Fun During the Holidays

School

We can only imagine the stress that Natalie goes through during the first week of school. Having one or two kids is stressful enough, but fourteen? Wow! The 43-year-old mother of fourteen has shared her anxiety on her social media account with a photo of her eight youngest children who posed for the picture before they started school. They were all smiles with their bags on their backs. Natalie captioned it with, “Any other parents exceptionally stressed and overwhelmed by the first week back to school?” She calls herself the “official bus driver” as she has to bring a lot of children to and from school. Doing this is a lot of work, and could occupy her the whole day. Natalie, however, joked that her older children didn’t like it and refused to pose for any first day photos even when she begged them. Good thing she still managed to capture this happy milestone of their everyday family life.

Going to School

Beating Stress

Natalie’s job can’t be easy. For her to deal with the pressure and the stress, she works out in the nearest gym, stealing an hour or two from her super busy schedule. She has even shared this with her fans on social media. She posted a picture of herself doing some exercise with the caption, “I would like to share about how I cope with inordinate stress, after being asked how I stay sane lol.” She even said that her way to beat stress was always exercising. She added, “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.”

Beating Stress

Girls’ Night

Natalie Suleman may be a strict mom, but she is also an extremely fun one. One of her favorite pastimes is to have fun with her girls and have a spa night. She documents the fun they have in trying different skin products and face masks. She tries to give all her children the same amount of love and time. So, she has girls night with her daughters and scary movie bonding with her sons. She puts her children first, and she’s not afraid to share that with the world.

Girls’ Night

Interview with Dr. Oz

In May 2018, Natalie Suleman was invited to the Dr. Oz show to tell her story about how she decided to have in vitro fertilization treatments and how she became a mother of fourteen children. She also discussed her transition from simply Nadya to “Octomom” to the happy and healthy mother that she is now. She talked about her journey and trials. She even mentioned her desperation in providing for what she now calls the Solomon family on her social media accounts. The show even gave her the opportunity to talk about her new YouTube channel which she recently launched with her children.

Interview with Dr. Oz

The Genetic Game Of Luck

If you are one of those people who wonder why you are so different from your siblings, then you need to know this. The main reason for this variation is your genes. It is actually like a game of luck, some kids get one genetic attribute, while others don’t. And when you have 14 kids, the chances of all your genetic attributes to be expressed is quite high. Natalie named this her dichotomous genes and diverse family. She just loves each of her unique children and she feels fortunate that each of them inherited different genes and even look different from each other. Take for example these two, Nariyah and Noah, they are from the same set of Octuplets, but they don’t look the same at all!

The Genetic Game Of Luck

Active Lifestyle

The octuplets are vegans and they like eating raw vegetables. They love living healthy and they also enjoy an active lifestyle. They even join marathons together. In the picture here are Natalie’s octuplets who completed a 5 kilometer race called the Russ Miller Memorial in February 2018. They also love participating in activities that help other people. Natalie has instilled in them the importance of helping others from a very young age, and it looks like her work is paying off. All of them look happy after they finished the race. Natalie’s fans are happy to know that her children turned out to be such caring individuals. They don’t just run races, you know. They also help raise money for those who need it.

An Active Lifestyle

Contemporary Heroes

Aside from their very active and healthy lifestyle, the octuplets also work really hard on their school projects. This is a photo of their posters when they were instructed to make a poster of their heroes. Natalie doesn’t really boast about her children’s accomplishments, but her fans really love to know what they are up to. So, Natalie posts these pictures not just to update the fans, but also to prove that it is possible for anyone to raise 14 children. They just have to be determined about it. Her children clearly appreciates all of her dedication and effort based on what they have prepared for her next.

Contemporary Heroes

Handmade Cards

Natalie thinks that all of her hardwork for her family is worth it because of all the love that she gets from her children, especially on special days like Mother’s Day. She took a picture of all the handmade cards and gifts, and handwritten dedications that she received from her children on the special day. These little things make her feel so blessed. Speaking of written work, Natalie got the inspiration of sharing her experiences in raising her autistic son Aiden, along with his 13 other healthy siblings, in a book. He thinks like an 18-month-old child; he doesn’t talk and he is still in diapers. She openly discusses autism with her children and she even teaches them about this subject. She hopes that her book will get published. She said in a Daily Mail interview, “It’s a story that needs to be told and I think it will encourage a lot of women to draw up strength they didn’t know they had.”

Handmade Cards

Sisters

Out of Natalie’s 14 children, only four are girls. She enjoys their bonding time together. They have a very close relationship despite the age gap. Her daughters are: Amerah (16), Calyssa (11), Maliah and Nariyah (9). This picture was taken during Amerah’s birthday celebration. The similarities are obvious among the ladies of the Solomon family. And we can see that this moment was picture perfect. Natalie always tries to have boy time and girl time among her children on a weekly basis, but her special favorites are the times when they are all together, which is sometimes not possible.

Sisters

Family Fun Night

Natalie always emphasizes the importance of their family traditions. This actually means that the weekly family night on Saturdays are taken seriously in the Solomon household. Natalie and her children created this tradition. They even gave it the name, “Family Fun Night.” So, every week, on Saturday night, they all spend time together. Their activities are varied, though. They sometimes watch horror films or documentaries. They sometimes discuss different educational subjects. Sometimes, they just play board games together. Their favorites are playing chess and watching The Shining. Her teenage children usually cringe at the tradition and prefer to hangout with friends, but the tradition stands. All the the other children, 10 of them to be more specific, love their Family Fun Night.

Family Fun Night

Dressing Up

While all of Natalie’s children are aware that they are different from other families, they always embrace their unique qualities and even enjoy school activities together. They are actually quite talented and Natalie is one proud momma! It’s amazing to see how fast they’ve grown. In this picture, they are posing for the camera after they played their roles in a school play in Orange County. They all look beautiful and handsome here.

Dressing Up

Raw Veggies

Natalie Suleman had posted this picture on her Instagram and captioned it with, “Could we be anymore vegan?” You got that right. While the six older kids are not vegans, the eight youngest children enjoy eating raw greens. They often have health shakes, chard, bell peppers, red or golden beets and organic kale. They also enjoy eating home-cooked meals with sprouted lentils and quinoa as the main ingredients. Their desserts are also consistent with their vegan diet. They usually have green apple made more flavorful with raw almond butter. Natalie Suleman’s upbringing as an ethical vegetarian made it easy for her to embrace a vegan lifestyle. The switch in her diet also made it possible for her to recover from previous physical conditions brought about by her multiple pregnancies and deliveries. She thinks that this way of life makes family cheat/treat meals all the more worth it.

Raw Veggies

Complete Family

Taking a picture of Natalie’s complete family – 14 children and their mom – isn’t easy to say the least. So when they are all gathered in one place, it is worth the shot to capture them smiling and laughing. Natalie posted this on Instagram and wrote, “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.” Good thing she can now easily share so many special moments like this on her social media. However, what makes her posts more interesting is the glimpse it gives us into the life of a single mom who is single-handedly raising 14 children.

Complete Family

YouTuber

As a counselor, albeit part-time, to people who are struggling with substance abuse, Natalie thought that she may inspire more people through her own YouTube channel. She first posted a video of her eldest daughter Amerah who was reading a letter she wrote to her mother, Natalie, on Mother’s Day. It was a six minute video taken at an event for women in Long Beach, California. After Amerah gave her speech, all Natalie’s other children lined up to give her a gift. Natalie’s purpose for the channel is to share her testimony about what she has gone through. Her children help her manage it by posting about vegan food challenges, fun activities, grocery shopping, and other creative ideas they can think of.

YouTuber

Thanksgiving

On special occasions like Thanksgiving, Natalie Suleman still encourages her children to stay active and continue making a good difference in the world. The 10 kids here in the picture are the Suleman children who joined the Turkey Trot, a 5 kilometer family run. You can clearly see their team spirit simply by looking at their matching shirts. Natalie has so much to be thankful for and to celebrate on the said day. Her children: Josiah, Isaiah, Maliyah, and Noah won the race in their age groups! Their prize? Pumpkin pies! This special holiday is equally special for all of them, even though some of Natalie’s children are vegan. So, we think that they had pies rather than turkeys for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving

The Struggle Within

Although it is not obvious on the outside, Natalie Suleman has gone through a lot of tough times – both physically and emotionally. She continues to fight the pain that she has incurred during the time when she carried her octuplet to almost full term. She had four ruptured discs in her lumbar spine, sacral damage that is irreparable, bilateral sciatica, and peripheral neurophathy! But you would never guess it when you look at her. To fight the pain of her pregnancy-induced injuries, Natalie exercises on the stair master machine instead of a treadmill and climbs 10 miles every day. She also has a membership to a women’s only gym because of her severe social anxiety which is something that she has struggled with since she was a child. Crowded gyms don’t really help. She took this particular picture to thank the people who sent her some workout clothes for free. They were prompted to do so when they noticed that Natalie couldn’t buy new ones for many years. The next picture will show you the extent of Natalie’s improvement and how strong she truly is as a woman.

The Struggle Within

Young Natalie

Natalie Suleman was once a little girl, too. And like other people she showed this throwback picture to her followers on her social media accounts. This was taken in 1978 when she was dressed up for Halloween – smeared lipstick and cute costume. She was dressed up as a messy clown by her mom. Although she changed her name, it does not mean that she wants to forget or erase any part of her past. The only thing that she wants to let go of is her Octomom persona that almost destroyed everything that she holds dear. Right now, she has proven to be a very good mother to her octuplets as well as her six other children. It sure doesn’t look easy but we think she is doing a great job.

Young Natalie

Cat Lover

Before she had her own kids, Natalie was first a mother of cats. She found a way to express her motherly love and nature to a feline while she was growing up. Although she had more than twelve cats, her heart was stolen by only one feline. In the picture, you will see Natalie, her mother, her brother, and her cat Boots. It was taken in 1975 when Natalie was just a toddler. Her mom must have influenced her greatly. Natalie’s kids love this picture of her and her cat, especially Calyssa who shares the same fondness of cats with her mother. They were surprised at how fat Boots was. Boots weighed more than 50 pounds and would drag her stomach on the ground when she walked.

Cat Lover

Throwback Picture

In this picture, we can clearly see Caleb’s resemblance to his mom. Natalie Suleman was only two years old when this was taken. It was during the time when she and her family were still living in Germany. What an amazing throwback photo from 1980! This could explain why some of her children are fair and why some have darker color. Natalie loves showing these beautiful pictures from her past. It makes her appreciate the family that she has now even more. It may not be an easy task to raise 14 children, but Natalie certainly knows how to keep a positive attitude by appreciating her blessings every day.

Throwback Picture

Nadya’s Background

Many of Nadya’s followers have asked about her background and origins, so she cleared this all up in this post about her dad. She captioned, “Happy Father’s Day to my dad “Eddie” (a nickname he adopted to sound more American since emigrating from Jerusalem, Palestine fifty years ago)”. One follower commented “Love this. But why have you given your kids Jewish names when your father is Muslim?”. We were wondering the same thing, so she cleared it all up with her reply, “Yes absolutely, and when my father immigrated to America, he befriended many Israelis and loved all people unconditionally”. She added how “This is how I grew up, loving all human beings, and embracing differences. Sad how America is so polarized in recent years. I pray one day we will all unite”.

Nadya’s Background

Why We Don’t Hear So Much From ‘Octomom’ Anymore

Whilst Nadya has been in and out of the media spotlight, and in the public eye as ‘Octomom’ for years, we actually don’t here so much from her in the press anymore. This might be because Nadya employed a PR agency and has been careful with what she shares about her family. Another reason is because she’s also careful not to ‘exploit’ her family so  much. On a recent social media post, Nadya explained, “I have always been against exploiting kids on a “docu-series” or “reality” type show (am aware consistent filming can be deleterious to a child’s developmental process); and all the documentaries we have done have been filmed and aired only in international countries.” However, she did add that since her children are older now, “At this point in time, my family and I would be open to an American documentary.”

Why We Dont Hear So Much From Octomom Anymore1

Animal Loving Family

Nadya still takes the time to share snippets of her children and family moments on her social media accounts, and it looks like Nadya’s motherly instinct is already rubbing off on her children. Not content with fourteen children in one household, her kids just love adding animals to their ever-growing nest. Nadya posted this recent picture of her daughter Maliyah and her cat, which she calls “her BIG baby Penelope”. Just as Nadya is careful to ensure her children eat a healthy diet, she also ensures the animals are just as healthy. In another post she did explain that the cat is a little overweight- maybe her kids are too over-excited to feed it! However she captioned here how, “We are following the veterinarians diet plan and hopefully she will be at a healthier weight soon”.

Animal Loving Family

Veggies For Dinner

We can only imagine what the shopping list must be like in Nadya’s house – like shopping for a giant army! But whilst some moms would settle for unhealthy, fast or microwavable food, Nadya is always careful to teach her kids how to make healthy choices. She posted a recent photo of her son Jonah, holding a giant green chard that’s almost as big as him. She captioned it “Jonah sharing the soon to be devoured forest before dinner”. On her Instagram, people regularly ask questions like how much she shops, and the healthy mum replied “every two days! In all honesty, shopping for fresh organic produce is the only shopping I love!”

Veggies For Dinner

Is A Cookbook On The Cards?

While Nadya regularly posts on social media about her healthy, organic, vegan and vegetarian meals for her family, she has began to cause quite a stir in her social community. With each healthy and delicious-looking meal she posts, she has received a great deal of positive attention from her followers. One fan recently commented how “You are an inspiration and should do a cookbook!”.  She did signal that this could be something she would explore in the future, replying how “The kids would love to help create a cookbook!” Still, she did add a little humorous side-note and said “But first I’m preparing to publish my memoir”. Who knows, maybe a cook book and memoir are both on the cards in the future!

Is A Cookbook On The Cards

Kids Will Be Kids

Although Nadya has lead a high-profile life, she does seem to be a down-to-earth mom and let’s her kids enjoy being kids. Nadya recently uploaded this cheeky photo of three of her children monkeying around outside, with the caption, “Three little monkeys hanging on a tree, sharing with you all to see” Perhaps the reason why she has attracted so many fans is because she does keep it real and her kids always look so happy, healthy and playful. When she posted this pic, she received more positive and motivational responses from her followers, like  “You are doing an amazing job raising beautiful children!” and “I love seeing kids being kids!! Outside! Stay strong Mama”

Kids Will Be Kids

A Birthday Surprise

Nadya does so much for her children, so it’s heartwarming to see that sometimes her kids surprise her and show much they appreciate her too. Nadya recently shared this super cute snap of her surprise birthday breakfast. She explained how “Awoke this Sunday morning to 8 amazing kids surprising me with the best early birthday (big omg) breakfast!” The most amazing part is that her children put so much thought and effort into it. The breakfast was of course healthy, vegan and organic and included a vegan pancake, peanut butter, maple syrup, organic fruit, vegan mac and cheese and of course, coffee in her favorite mug! Well it does look delicious and she does deserves it!

A Birthday Surprise

Busy But Healthy

Whilst most busy moms only have time to grab some toast or cereal in the morning, Nadya still ensures she finds the time to stay healthy. She recently shared this enviable picture of her healthy, delicious-looking, vegan breakfast. She captioned the post “Sometimes breakfast and lunch looks like this”. And there’s so many ingredients to it, including oats, banana, apple, Maqui Powder, Moring a Powder, Mulberry Berries,Goji Berries, Golden Berries, Fresh Blueberries, and even pineapple and blackberries. Seriously we don’t know how she finds the time to buy or make that! One of her followers commented on the post,”I love that you and your family are vegan and so healthy! I’m a single mom too, your story inspired me to keep my eyes focused on the babies when there is so much to distract us in the world.

Busy But Healthy

Is The Diet too Vegan?

Nadya received many positive responses for raising her younger children on such a strictly vegan diet. However on one of her posts, she did receive a little concern that being vegan at such a young age might not be so healthy for child development. Nadya must be used to criticism by now and replied ,”Yes the little kids and I are vegan! Their pediatrician said they are some of the healthiest kids she has ever seen in her practice.” Another follower  gave her the encouragement she needed with the comment, “Good job momma influencing your kids to lead the healthiest (and most compassionate) lifestyle!

Is The Diet Too Vegan

Pre-Workout Food

One of the reasons why Nadya makes such an effort to stay healthy and only eat raw vegan and organic meals, is because her meals are part of her pre-workout food. She often gets asked what exactly she eats each day to stay in shape, so in this post she replied how this is her “Pre/post workout, breakfast and lunch, in addition to 2-3 gallons of Alkaline water.” She added how “For dinner I eat raw vegetables such as organic kale, chard, collard greens, bell peppers, and red or golden beets (plus a cooked vegan dinner such as organic sprouted lentils or quinoa).” The reason she follows such a strict diet is because, “I grew up an ethical vegetarian (was an animal rescuer with my mom and adore all living things); therefore going vegan was not a challenging transition. Becoming raw has only enhanced my health, clarified and strengthened my mind, and helped heal my broken back (from her earlier injuries).”

Pre Workout Food

Not All Vegan

Nadya posts a great deal of photos of her younger children enjoying a vegan and super healthy lifestyle, shares vegan recipes and is very vocal about being a vegan activist. However another difference between her older and younger kids, is that the older ones don’t have the same views as her. She recently posted a snap of one of her younger sons happily enjoying buying fresh veggies in the supermarket. By contrast, she posted another photo of her daughter Amerah looking stubbornly at the camera, with the caption “The look my daughter gives me when I educate her on the benefits of being vegan”. Well even if they don’t share the same views, both the older and younger kids all look like they are growing up to be happy and healthy young adults.

Not All Vegan

Spreading Kindness

Nadya seems to love instilling good values in each of her children, and hopes to inspire them to spread kindness. On this post for her daughter Amerah’s birthday, Nadya commented how “One of the most important lessons I try to teach you all is that every person that crosses your path is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind, compassionate, and patient with people always; and aware that sometimes the brighter the smile the deeper the suffering. By looking at your beautiful smile no one could imagine the struggle you face, that we all face, daily. We are going through challenges for reasons God only knows, yet those challenges are meant to forge, shape, and strengthen our character. We have to be patient, continue to pray, and never stop working relentlessly and consistently at achieving our goals.”

Spreading Kindness

Where Are The Big Kids?

Nadya often shares pictures of her younger children throughout her social media pages. However she often comments that her older children don’t really like being in the spotlight and don’t feature so much in her photos. She cleared up why in one of her posts of her daughter Amerah. “I am often asked, “where are your big kids” lol…well they are all healthy, thriving, caring, compassionate towards others, focused on succeeding in school (a priority), and very busy socializing with friends (who I must know). I know where each and every one of my 14 children are 100% of the time, as I am a very over-protective parent.  This is the closest Amerah will get to allowing me to show her off on social media and I respect her choice. (my oldest girl). My kids are very modest, respect themselves, and others, and I admire and love them all more than words or pictures could possibly express.”

Where Are The Big Kids

Time To Appreciate

Although Nadya has mentioned in her posts how she has struggled to raise so many children alone, especially against all the odds, she does still take time to appreciate what she does have. She took  a moment to share this adorable photo of two of two of her beautiful daughters, with the caption “Couldn’t help but pause and take a picture of my little angels”.

Time To Appreciate

School Life

Although it may look like a regular picture of a group of friends starting third grade, it’s hard to believe that all these children are brothers and sisters. They make up almost half an average sized class! They all do look super excited to be back at school after the summer, and we imagine it’s quite fun to already have so many best friends already on the first day of school. Nadya shared this adorable snap with the caption, “Had to share the first day of third grade! Caleb and Calyssa didn’t want me to “embarrass” them by taking a pic lol.” She did add that all the kids were so excited for their first day at school. Nadya was also excited, but more that summer was over! We’re sure she was finally glad to enjoy a little peace and quiet while they were all at school again!

School Life

No Time To Share

Nadya is fairly active on social media, but as you can imagine with fourteen kids, she probably doesn’t have too much time to post everything she does. She commented on one of her  posts how it’s difficult to find the time and  “I wish I had the time to share more!” Nadya did add that caring for her “severely autistic son and all the kids monopolize most of my time so social media is neglected” She added “posting twice a month is a good month lol”. Well the pictures she does have time to post are always adorable!

No Time To Share1

An ‘Insta-Inspiration’

Nadya has attracted a great deal of positive and negative media attention for her life choices. However, her fans on her social networks look up to her as a strong, inspiring mother and an ‘insta-inspiration’ for their own lives. On her page she has received  encouraging comments like, “I love how you have changed your life and continued college through it all and I absolutely adore that your kids are vegan! Your an inspiration now as a mother of one I need to continue with my masters and or to a PhD”. Another user wrote how “Your dedication and love to your kids is something half of society lacks. I have 3 in a row as a single mom and I feel sorry for my self. I enjoy learning from your story and truly feel more positive about things. Keep fighting the fight”.

An Insta-Inspiration

Happy And Healthy

In all the photos that Nadya shares, her kids do seem to always look happy and healthy. They are also picture-ready, bursting with energy and have the cutest smiles. She shared this photo during the summer time at her friend’s pool and commented how “It seems like they were just born..Good looking group of kids..” Nadya often posts about how she ensures they enjoy eating a raw vegan diet and often take part in 5K runs together. Maybe this is the secret to their happiness…. In any case, she does look like she’s doing a good job of bringing up some happy and healthy kids!

Happy And Healthy

Setting The Record Straight

Nadya recently sat with a reporter from the New York Times to speak more in detail about her experiences. She explained, “I’m at work on a book,” one that’s 13 years in the making, and it seems clear she wants to finally set the record straight. “That’s why I want to do this interview. I’ve been writing this manuscript since graduate school.”

Setting The Record Straight

Weaving Around The Kitchen

As the reporter interviewed Nadya, he was quick to point out how the children worked so well together as a family, especially in the kitchen. He explained, ‘the children moved in unison, weaving around the tight kitchen and adjacent living room, while their mother checked on their brother Aidan, 13, who has autism’. It’s hard to believe that they all live in a three-bedroom Orange County townhouse, but he noticed how everyone worked in harmony. ‘One kid chopped veggies, one boiled water, one readied the silverware and on and on. The older children supervised, as Amerah, 16 warned the kids, “Be careful with that,” while also thumb scrolling’.

Weaving Around The Kitchen

Eating In Shifts

As the interview got underway, the reporter asked Nadya about how meal times work, especially as there are 14 siblings in the kitchen. Nadya explained how because there are so many kids, they all have to eat in shifts. Some even sleep on the couch or do other activities while the other kids eat. It seems as though the family just work together in harmony this way, and it’s pretty heartwarming to see.

Eating In Shifts

Model Students

As the reporter watched the octuplets weave around the kitchen, he also remarked how they are small for their age, which is understandable. Still, he couldn’t get over how the kids are so ‘polite, they cook, they’re vegan, they read two books a month and do their homework without being prompted.’ So even though the octuplets were embroiled by controversy from the day they were born and ‘in spite of all of the horror stories in the tabloids’, the reporter had to pose the question, ‘they’re model fourth graders. How did she do it?’

Model Students

The Controversial Birth

The interview then shone the spotlight back to Octomom, and her controversial birth. Nadya recalled how ‘it took 46 scrambling doctors and nurses to perform the C-section when she went into labor at 31 weeks’, which is staggering. When the babies were born, there were six boys and two girls and they all weighed between 1 pound 8 ounces and 3 pounds 4 ounces. The birth was a medical miracle and caught the interest of tabloids around the world. This was because never before had so many been born at once and survived. However, rather than being seen as a medical marvel, the birth was quickly overshadowed as a newsworthy scandal for the tabloids and glossy magazines.

Cashing In

After the babies were born, the story was hot property and Nadya received many offers from the tabloids. So understandably, she cashed in and received money for interviews, especially as she was a single mother of fourteen children. Still, after the public interest began to fade, Nadya went through a darker period in her life. Nadya spoke to the reporter about that time and reflected how “I was pretending to be a fake, a caricature, which is something I’m not, and I was doing it out of desperation and scarcity so I could provide for my family.” She added how “I’ve been hiding from the real world all my life.” This only sparked further intrigue and the interviewer delved deeper into her story.

Cashing In

The Doctor

Nadya opened up to the reporter, revealing how “I was the classic victim, a victim of having an alcoholic father, a victim of having been an only child, hungry to fill that void and victim of fate since I couldn’t conceive naturally.” She then added how “most of all, I was misled by my doctor.” Now here is where the story gets even more intriguing. Nadya revealed that she only originally wanted twins, but her doctor, Dr. Kamrava “told me we lost six embryos, he said they were expelled out of me, and that’s why he wanted to implant another six.” However her doctor countered this in other interviews by explaining that Nadya was the one that had pressured him into the multiple rounds of implants. Either way Dr. Kamrava, an Iranian national, lost his US medical license in 2011 and left the country soon after.

The Doctor

Funding The IVF

The reporter then turned the spotlight back to Nadya and asked how she was able to afford to fund the multiple rounds of IVF. Nadya explained that she studied for a  B.S. in child development and worked for a state mental hospital for three years. During that time she suffered an injury, which resulted in over $80,000 in disability payments. She also received a subsequent family inheritance of $60,000, which all helped to fund her expensive IVF treatments.

Funding The IVF

A Caricature

Nadya reflected how in the past  “I was selfish and immature” and became a caricature of herself. She explained  “I never wanted the attention”, but the staff breached her privacy and tipped off the press. “There were helicopters flying over the hospital while I was giving birth.” She added how “I have PTSD from all the reporters coming in over the years. I would take whatever I could back in the days, and I would let them in. I was spiraling down a dark hole. I was doing what I was told to do and saying what I was told to say.” But she came to a realization that “When you’re pretending to be something you’re not, you end up falling on your face.” Still, she was quick to highlight how she would never change the past, because she received her angels through it all.

A Caricature

Running Away

After going through a darker period of her life, she finally found the strength to run away from that downward spiral, both literally and physically. Nadya summed up to the reporter how, “Once I finally ran away from all of the pretending, I was able to be me.” Still, Nadya still had to work much harder to physically heal from the damage of the pregnancy, because “physically at least, that “me” has been irrevocably transformed.“ One of the major side-effects of the last pregnancy was that Nadya’s back was broken. While some would crack under the pressure of so much stress, Nadya started running half-marathons, and encouraged her whole family to run with her.

Running Away

The Pregnancy After-Math

In the after-math of the birth, it’s hard to believe how many health issues Nadya suffered. She listed a few of them, including ruptured discs, bilateral sciatica, sacral damage, peripheral neuropathy, migraines and endometriosis. That wasn’t all, as she has no feeling in her right toes and her fingers are still numb. She openly told the reporter how “the pregnancy caused it. The eight. My size, my abdomen was all the way out here.” But as she sipped alkaline water, it’s admirable how she managed to turn her life around and be so healthy.  Despite suffering agony every day, she still insists she still won’t take traditional medicine. “I’m a raw vegan, and I perceive pharmaceuticals to be poison.” she said. She also relies on prayer, and home exercise.

The Pregnancy Aftermath

Fitness Therapy

For Nadya, her fitness regimen is like her therapy, both physically and mentally. She told the reporter, “If I didn’t climb 40 miles a week on the StairMaster, which acts as a buffer, then I’d be completely incapacitated. I can adjust the pain based on my posturing.” While she doesn’t believe in traditional methods of medicine, she was also quick to point out how the children ‘don’t get flu shots’. Thankfully she ensures they do see doctors and have been vaccinated, but is convinced that her extremely healthy diet and lifestyle for her and her kids is the reason that. “But my kids don’t get sick, and neither do I.”

Health Fitness

Being Open

Nadya is extremely open about everything, and by that we mean everything. She is open about her own social phobias and fragility and about proving that she isn’t the caricature that the tabloids portray her as. She is also beams with pride and shows the world how her kids are thriving. “They’re the only surviving eight octuplets in the history of mankind. “I’ve raised them to be wide-awake.” The fact that they are wide-awake means that her kids are also fully aware of the darker period in her life. Nadya said, “we talk about everything.“They know, they went through it with me. It’s a huge weight lifted off of all of them when I went back to who I was. We were struggling financially.” She adds how it’s, “a blessing to be able to be free from that. Those were chains.”

Being Open

How The Older Children Feel

The reporter then turned his attention onto the older children, and it seems they have mixed feelings about all the media attention. One of her eldest daughters, Amerah voiced how,“Most of my friends don’t know about the eight.” She explained how, “When they were born, I was in elementary school. I would get questions about everything. But I would answer and say…I get that you’re interested, but I wouldn’t intrude on your family, why intrude on mine?” Nadya’s 15 year old son Joshua, a gamer, responds differently when people asked questions. He said: “Some of my friends don’t have any siblings, so they want to know what it’s like. It’s nice to have someone to play with.” Still, he did add how “it can be overwhelming at times.” And we totally understand!

How The Older Children Feel

Extraordinary Kids

Nadya rounded up the interview in the most prolific way possible. Having taken the time to reflect on her story, she explained, “I own and take responsibility for my poor choices, but it doesn’t take away from how extraordinary these kids turned out to be.” And, in the end, that’s almost all that matters. And we couldn’t agree with her more, her kids have turned out to be pretty extraordinary!

Extraordinary Kids

Birthday Love

The octuplets recently reached a milestone and all celebrated their 10th birthday. Nadya couldn’t be more proud of her children and posted this super cute picture on Instagram of the octuplets at 4 years old, to show how much they’ve grown. She also posted a heartwarming message expressing her unconditional love for her ‘miraculous angels’. She captioned how, “I love you forever, love you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby (babies) you’ll be.” She added how “I reflect daily as to what I did to deserve eight more blessings in my life, as you angels are the greatest gift any mom could wish for. Always know, with every passing year, my love for you continues to grow. I love you forever” Aw!

Birthday Love