It’s hard to believe that it’s been thirteen years since the world-famous “Octomum,” Nadya Suleman, gave birth to her eight children while the whole world watched.
Nadya, who used to go by the name Octomum but now goes by the name Natalie, was already a mom to six kids when she added another eight through IVF in 2009.
Now, on their 13th birthdays, the well-known multiple-mum is giving a sweet tribute to her “extraordinary and unique” kids as they all enter their teenage years together.
Sharing a great picture from the past of her octuplets as babies, cuddling up on the couch with their mother and her father, Edward Suleman.
“Happy 13th birthday to Nariyah, Isaiah, Maliyah, Jeremiah, Noah, Josiah, Jonah, and Makai!” the now-46-year-old painted.
“You are all becoming some of the kindest, most humble, most grateful, and best people I have ever met. You are all different from other kids your age, especially in our society today, because you have rare and unique qualities. Followers of God, you are kind, beautiful, not interested in material things, and you love and fear God. “I have never seen children like you who love and want to help others (especially those who are less fortunate) so boldly and confidently,” she said.
Dr. Michael Kamrava, a fertility specialist in Beverly Hills, implanted Natalie with twelve embryos in 2008. He had also implanted her for all six of her previous IVF pregnancies with an unnamed sperm donor.
She made headlines all over the world when she gave birth to six boys and two girls: Noah, Josiah, Nariyah, Maliyah, Jonah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Makai. She signed deals to show off the babies, taking advantage of the interest in her very unusual multiple pregnancy and birth.
In 2008, when twelve embryos were put into Nadya (Natalie) Suleman and eight of them grew, she got a bad name.
But the 33-year-life old’s wasn’t great, so she turned to alcohol and drugs, had a short-lived career in porn, and ran out of money. At one point, she realized that the stress was making her think about killing herself.
She recently told The New York Times, “I have PTSD from all the reporters coming in over the years.” “Back in the day, I would take anything I could and let them in. I was going down a dark hole at a fast rate. Octomom had no chances to do what was good for her. I did what they told me to do and said what they told me to say. At least for me, when you try to be something you’re not, you fall flat on your face.”
Many people wondered how the kids would turn out since they all live in a small three-bedroom house and some have to sleep on the couch, but she’s surprised everyone.
Natalie is also the mother of Elijah, 20, Amerah, 19, Joshua, 17, Aiden, 60, and the 14-year-old twins Calyssa and Caleb, who were also born through IVF.
The busy mom thinks that her kids’ good behavior is due to their raw vegan diet, and she says that she now stays out of the spotlight to raise her kids in a healthy way.
She told The New York Times, “My kids don’t get sick, and neither do I.” “Since day one, I’ve always fed them healthy food. I hate to cook. I am not domestic.”
She also said, “They are the only octuplets who have ever lived to be eight years old. I brought them up to be very alert.”
Natalie is an advisor who works full-time. Her family and friends help her get her kids to and from school.
When she went from having six kids to having fourteen in just one day, the new mom had her hands full.
Even though she loves all of her children, she says that life hasn’t been easy, and she’s not sure that she would have implanted eight embryos if she could do it all over again, especially since it’s been hard on her health. Natalie says that her body has never been the same since she had the octuplets. She has had her breasts enlarged and had some plastic surgery.
She says, “Four of the five discs in my lumbar spine have fully ruptured.” “Think of squishing a jelly doughnut. It would hit nerves and cause sciatica on both sides. And I have irreparable sacral damage. And I have nerve damage in my arms and legs. I haven’t felt my right foot’s toes in a long time, and my fingers are always and always numb. It was because of the pregnancy. The 8.”