In 2009, Californian Nadya Suleman, aka Octomom, hit the headlines after she became pregnant and gave birth to the most babies in a single pregnancy – eight! Nadya Suleman as well as her doctor produced unpopular decisions and took possible risk during the pregnancy in question, which made them controversial and ended up drawing heavy criticism. Even after this, they received a lot of public love and support. Her large family, however, appears to have sparked America’s interest. Find out a little more about Nadya Suleman and her numerous children, and also how she became Octomom and what helps to keep the Sulemans occupied these days.
Here’s What The Octomom Is Doing Right Now
A Big Family
Nadya Suleman has almost always desired a huge family of her own; as an only child, she longed for the emotional connection she appears to lack. Nadya’s greatest desire was to start a family and establish a bond with her future children. She had no idea that her deep desire to start raising a large and happy family would put her in tough circumstances, pressuring her to make life-altering choices in life. Even so, a miracle occurred as a result of her unwavering willingness to achieve her vision, which was witnessed by the entire world.
A Big Family
Becoming a Mother
Nadya Suleman started an initiative to acknowledge her adult dream of starting a family after graduating from a California high school. Nadya aspired to attend college like her peers, but she did believe that the most essential thing in her life was to realize her dream of becoming a mother. When she finally got the thing she’d always wanted – in a huge way – she was still quite young! When it comes to making wishes, everyone should exercise caution.
Becoming a Mother
Nadya’s First Love
Nadya Suleman met Marcos Gutierrez, a producer, shortly before she turned 21. He seemed to have a lot of good qualities because she felt a strong connection with him right away, and their relationship grew deeper and more meaningful over time. Gutierrez was completely open with Nadya about her desire to have a child. At first, there were no issues because Gutierrez also desired children and was madly in love with Nadya, but fate had other ideas.
Nadya’s First Love
A Risky Occupation
In 1996, Nadya married Marcos Gutierrez, the same year she received her psychiatric technician license from Mt. San Antonio College. She also started working at the psychiatric facility Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk, California. It was a rewarding job, but it wasn’t easy, and it was even risky for her. Nadya’s main ambition was to start a family, but she also desired a fulfilling career. However, something unfortunate occurred at her workplace, and the rest of her life became a roller-coaster ride.
A Risky Occupation
Tragedy Strikes
On September 18th, 1999, Nadya Suleman was working in a psychiatric facility when she was caught in the middle of a horrific incident. Because of twenty patients, a riot broke out at the facility, and Nadya tried to intervene right away. One of the female patients threw a wooden desk into the air during the commotion, landing on Nadya’s back and causing her herniated disc injury. The $170,000 in workers’ compensation benefits helped Nadya get by for a while, but it was the least of her problems.
Tragedy Strikes
A Goal Delayed
Nadya’s work-related accident occurred her not only physical discomfort but also psychological distress. Despite the fact that the compensation she received helped her deal with these problems, she had a more pressing problem at the time. Nadya was still having trouble trying to fulfill her life’s ambition after the incident, even after her and her husband’s efforts. They’d been attempting for three years to make Nadya’s dream of becoming a mom a reality, but no matter what they’ve done, they always came up empty-handed.
A Goal Delayed
Harsh Truth
The couple decided to consult various doctors to figure out what was wrong, and they were able to gather a lot of advice and tips on how to become pregnant. Because Nadya and her husband were desperate for a child, they made sure to follow every instruction they were given, but they were still unable to conceive despite their efforts. Nadya lost hope in conceiving after failing every time, and she became depressed as a result. They couldn’t imagine things the natural way, so other options should be considered.
Harsh Truth
The Limit
Nadya’s strong desire to have children, as well as her belief that other methods should be tried because the traditional method had failed, prompted her to raise the issue, but Marcos was adamantly opposed to them. Their opposing viewpoints caused a schism in the relationship, but it was her suggestion of IVF that pushed him over the edge (in vitro fertilization). An egg cell is fertilized outside of the body and then implanted into a woman’s uterus in this medical procedure. Marcos specifically warned Nadya that if she went ahead with the procedure, he would leave her.
The Limit
A Difficult Choice
Nadya now had to choose between her love for Marcos and the possibility of having children or her greatest dream of becoming a mother and losing her husband. Finally, Nadya decided to pursue her lifelong ambition and took a huge risk. Despite how difficult it was for Nadya to do so, she divorced in the year 2000. Since her ex-husband was no longer in the picture, Nadya decided to try IVF to start the family she had always wanted, but things didn’t turn out the way she had hoped…
A Difficult Choice
There’s No Such Thing as Free Lunch
Even though IVF (in vitro fertilization) isn’t complicated, its success rate isn’t 100%, and it comes at a high cost. These factors, however, did not deter Nadya in the least, as she was already tired of failing at this point. In terms of the procedure, most doctors recommend fertilizing many eggs to increase fertilization success. Actually, the procedure carried a significant additional risk for Nadya, but would she accept it?
There’s No Such Thing As Free Lunch
Worth It
Before undergoing the IVF procedure, Nadya Suleman had to consider one significant factor: the possibility of having multiple babies in the pregnancy due to the possibility that all of the multiple fertilized eggs implanted would survive. In fact, this makes pregnancy extremely risky, but Nadya was determined to start her own family, and her motto appears to be “the more, the merrier.” Despite this, some people believed Nadya should have been concerned, even if only a little, about being pregnant with multiple children at the same time.
Worth It
Welcome to This World, Elijah!
Not everyone considers the possibility of carrying multiple babies in pregnancy to be a risk, especially if they are hoping for twins or triplets. Although Nadya had no hopes of having twins or triplets, the IVF procedure produced amazing results. It was a huge success, and Nadya gave birth to her first child, a cute baby boy named Elijah, in 2001. After all of her struggles, Nadya had finally realized her dream, but she wasn’t finished yet; in fact, she was just getting started.
Welcome to This World, Elijah!
Babies, Babies, And More Babies!
Nadya gave birth to another IVF baby, a girl named Amerah, a year after giving birth to Elijah. Many people’s desire for children would be satisfied after having two children, but not Nadya’s. Her positive experience with IVF fueled her desire for more children and encouraged her to pursue more treatments. She eventually had a set of fraternal twins and two more children, making her a mother of six at the time! Even though six children is more than enough in countries like the US, Nadya felt compelled to have even more after her sixth child was born.
Babies, Babies, And More Babies
An Extreme Decision
Nadya Suleman’s next move stunned the world, and her decision made her a celebrity overnight in 2008. She went back to Dr. Michael Kamrava, who had done all of her IVF procedures because she wasn’t satisfied with only having six children. She wanted another IVF treatment, and this time she decided to have all six of her previously unused eggs implanted so they wouldn’t go to waste. Dr. Kamrava was asked to do everything by Nadya, who is pro-life, but the story didn’t end there.
An Extreme Decision
More Babies?
Dr. Kamrava was initially hesitant to comply because he was aware of the grave danger that six eggs implanted at once could pose to the mother. He did, however, say that he implanted all six eggs because Nadya insisted, although she knew she might be pregnant with multiple babies. However, the most intriguing aspect of this situation is that Dr. Kamrava actually implanted twelve eggs, far more than the recommended number! Such a large risk was bound to have a significant impact.
More Babies?
Eight Babies on The Way
Nadya Suleman and Dr. Kamrava’s decision was bold and unprecedented, as they radically deviated from standard medical practice by implanting twelve embryos, though Nadya Suleman has no regrets. Others would have been terrified, but Nadya was giddy with anticipation. Eight of the embryos they implanted stayed in place, and she gave birth to eight babies simultaneously. However, what a person wants isn’t always something they can handle, so Nadya had to ask herself to give birth to eight children after six.
Eight Babies on the Way
Mother Of Eight – Octomom!
Being pregnant until term with eight babies put a lot of strain on Nadya’s body, especially since one is difficult enough and eight is far more than the average. Soon after, the media picked up on her story, and Nadya and her children became celebrities. It was around this time that she earned the moniker “Octomom.” Not all single mothers in California make the news, but Octomom’s celebrity was earned for a reason: Nadya had a world-record-breaking pregnancy.
Mother Of Eight – Octomom!
Childbirth Success
Octomom was about to face reality: she was about to give birth to her children. Fortunately, all of her babies were born safely and were in good health. It was an incredible sight to behold, with the entire world paying attention because there has never been anything like Nadya’s case before, and it has gone down in history. The octuplets Nadya gave birth to set a record for being born alive and surviving for more than a week after delivery, as no other set of octuplets had done so before.
Childbirth Success
All Eyes On Her
Nadya was just happy to see and hold her new babies at the time, and she couldn’t wait for her six older children to meet their new younger siblings, but the rest of the world was watching her, skeptical of her ability to handle the situation. Many doctors attempted to speak with Nadya shortly after her octuplets’ birth because her pregnancy was an incredible feat that she and her octuplets had accomplished. People bombarded her with questions and demanded answers.
All Eyes On Her
Her Growing Fame
Nadya had already made headlines, as well as websites and newspapers before her octuplets were born. People began to recognize her; almost everyone knew her as Octomom. Nadya tried to keep control of the story and the various reports about her, and she considered using the attention to help support her large family financially. She hired a public relations team after the birth of her octuplets in the hopes of being able to control the story that was shared with the public, but this proved to be a difficult task.
Her Growing Fame
A Pubic Persona
After giving birth to her octuplets, Nadya received the same amount of media attention, earning her a slew of critics who accused her of desiring the limelight and even claimed that this was the real reason she chose to have all of her children despite the risks she took. Meanwhile, Nadya was preoccupied with adjusting to her new public persona and raising 14 children! Her pregnancy and delivery were contentious enough, but Californians also accused Nadya of squandering taxpayer funds and embodying practically everything that is wrong with modern America, and she was even threatened!
A Public Persona
Too Much
Despite the public backlash, many continued to support Nadya and her children, but eventually, it became too much for them. When People interviewed her, she expressed her feelings about the caricatures that had been made about her. “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,” she explained, even though her attitude toward the attention she was receiving had many people skeptical of Nadya.
Too Much
A Grim Situation
Even years after giving birth to her children, Nadya Suleman was still a subject of much speculation. Even though many Americans adored her and her numerous children, her detractors did not back down and continued to voice their doubts. To the displeasure of multiple witnesses, she was in a precarious situation and at a low point in her life. Nadya was facing an additional challenge in raising her 14 children and was left with no other option but to accept help from the government.
A Grim Situation
Problems At Home
During her time in the spotlight, rumors circulated that Nadya was abusing her children. It made sense because being a single mother of 14 children must be difficult, and it must take a lot of effort to meet all of the children’s needs. Child Protective Services was even called in to investigate the situation. They investigated whether it was true that Nadya was neglecting her children. Still, when they visited her home, they found no evidence of neglect and concluded that the rumors were false – they even claimed that her home was suitable for children.
Problems At Home
Forced to Move Out
Sadly, despite what Child Protective Services said, another person with actual power over Nadya’s life strongly disagreed that her home was suitable for her children. Her landlord didn’t like the idea and told Nadya that she had broken her lease terms. Furthermore, he informed the press about Nadya’s situation before evicting her and her 14 children. Nadya wanted to be a good mother to her children, but they were on the verge of becoming homeless, so she took drastic measures.
Forced to Move Out
Dire Situation
To Nadya’s dismay, nothing could persuade her landlord to change his mind, which meant she and her 14 children would have to leave! Despite her negative image in the media, Nadya Suleman had always been a loving mother to her children, as depicted in caricatures. She insisted that this was the real her. The issue was that she lacked the financial means to keep herself and her children off the streets. Nadya tried her hand in the movie industry, some businesses, and even the music industry because she needed money fast.
Dire Situation
Starting Anew
Being in the spotlight is extremely stressful, and the pressure eventually caught up with Nadya Suleman. She set out to evolve beyond stereotypes that had been created about her. Since she had decided to change her life, she has turned it into a happier and better one for her children. She changed her name to Natalie at first, earned a college diploma, started working, and is now a part-time family therapist.
Starting Anew
The Solomon Family
The octuplets of Nadya Suleman are now nine years old and doing well. They appear to enjoy their vegan diet, but it cannot be easy for children, as most children fantasize about eating candies and chocolates. Natalie stated that her children are aware of her journey because she believes that straightforward parenting and openness are beneficial to her children. Furthermore, Nadya believes that the way her family lives now is the best way to achieve the goal of a healthy home, and her Instagram followers are all too familiar with this notion.
The Solomon Family
Her Guardian Angel
Natalie Suleman’s life is going well now that she’s in her 40s, and she’s left the dubious jobs she had previously. When asked why she decided to change, she stated that she met her “guardian angel” in February 2013 and gave her the strength to stop living a “seedy” lifestyle. Natalie explained that while she was still in the film industry, she was approached by a very tall man who helped her realize things inside a Florida club. Natalie claimed that this was the start of her new life.
Her Guardian Angel
Looking Back
In 2013, Natalie Suleman began a major life overhaul, admitting that she had been “foolish, immature, and selfish” in the past for having so many children without giving it much thought. She also admitted that she hadn’t given much thought to the consequences of her decisions at the time, but she added that she has no regrets. Natalie continues to focus on raising her children because they are her top priority. She has stated that she is not interested in finding love because she is content with her celibate lifestyle.
Looking Back
A Humble Life
Raising 14 children is no easy task, but Natalie Suleman appears to be succeeding. She currently rents a two-bedroom apartment, and the entire family lives paycheck to paycheck and on food stamps. Natalie told the Daily Mail that she now feels “at peace” after all of the challenges she faced raising so many children on her own, partly because she can use her story to encourage and inspire women to make wise decisions.
A Humble Life
No Social Life
Natalie Suleman, a mother of 14 children, is much happier these days as she enjoys life, spending quality time with her youngest children, the octuplets Nariya, Noah, Makai, Maliyah, Isaiah, Josiah, Jeremiah, and Jonah, as well as all of her older children: 11-year-old twins Caleb and Calyssa, 12-year-old Aiden, 14-year-old Joshua, 16-year- Natalie decided to return to her hometown of Laguna, Orange County, to provide a more stable life for her children.
No Social Life
A Normal Family
Natalie Suleman is a very hands-on mother who has chosen to forego her social life entirely, resulting in a close relationship between her and each of her children. Natalie has an additional challenge in the form of Aiden’s autism, but her children are unfazed and constantly look after their brother. All 14 Suleman children are aware that their home lives differ from those of other American families, but Natalie has made it a point to teach her children that being different is fine and nothing wrong with it.
A Normal Family
Fun During Holidays
Natalie Suleman and her family may not have it easy, but they are one big happy family, and she makes sure that her children learn good values like being content with only one present at Christmas. Natalie believes that by doing so, she is teaching her children the importance of appreciating every little thing they have and not expecting free things in life, implying that they should work hard to obtain the things they desire. Apart from these factors, Natalie’s finances cannot support an extravagant lifestyle, so she keeps things simple during Christmas.
Fun During the Holidays
School
Natalie must be under a lot of stress right now because she is a mother of fourteen! The first week of class is stressful enough for a parent with one or two children. The 43-year-old mother expressed her worry on social media by posting pictures of her octuplets smiling for the camera before school. “Any other parents exceptionally stressed and overwhelmed by the first week back to school?” Natalie captioned the photo. Natalie joked that her older children refused to have their picture taken despite their mother’s pleas.
Going to School
Beating Stress
Raising 14 children can’t be easy, but Natalie has found a way to cope with the stress and pressure despite her hectic schedule: she goes to the gym and takes an hour or two for herself. Natalie claims that exercising has always been her go-to stress reliever. She explained, “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 is not only a strict mother but also a lot of fun. Natalie enjoys spending time with her girls, such as having a spa night with them, and she enjoys documenting their experiences with various skincare products and face masks. Natalie ensures that she bonds with her sons by watching scary movies because she wants to give each of her children the same amount of time and love. Her children are unquestionably her top priority, and she isn’t afraid to show it.
Girls’ Night
Interview with Dr. Oz
Natalie Suleman was invited to share her story on the Dr. Oz show in May of 2018, and she was asked to discuss how she came to the decision to undergo several IVF treatments and how she ended up with fourteen children. She also discussed her transformation from Nadya to “Octomom” and finally to the healthy and happy mother. She described her journey, what it was like, the difficulties she faced, and even the times she felt desperate to provide for her family’s needs.
Interview with Dr. Oz
The Genetic Game Of Luck
If you’re wondering why you don’t look like your siblings, it’s because of genetic differences. Some children inherit a specific genetic trait while others do not, much like a game of chance. If you have 14 children, like Natalie, your various genetic characteristics will most likely be expressed. Natalie adores all of her children and considers herself fortunate that they all have different genes and don’t look alike. Noah and Nariyah, two of her Octuplets, for example, have very different appearances.
The Genetic Game Of Luck
Active Lifestyle
The vegan octuplets enjoy eating raw vegetables, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and participating in marathons together. This photo shows Natalie’s octuplets finishing the Russ Miller Memorial 5-kilometer race in February of 2018, but they do more than just run races; they also help raise money for various causes. The kids enjoy participating in activities that benefit others, most likely because Natalie began instilling in them the value of helping others when they were very young. It appears to be paying off.
An Active Lifestyle
Contemporary Heroes
The octuplets lead a very healthy and active lifestyle, and they work extremely hard on their school projects. This photo depicts the posters that the students created for a school project. Natalie dislikes bragging about her children’s accomplishments. Still, her fans are curious about what keeps them occupied, so Natalie posts photos to keep fans updated and demonstrate that anyone can raise 14 children. Needless to say, her children appreciate all of her hard work and dedication in raising them, as evidenced by the next surprise they have in store for Natalie.
Contemporary Heroes
Handmade Cards
Natalie believes that everything she does for her children is worthwhile because she receives so much love from them, especially on special occasions like Mother’s Day. Natalie took a photo of the gifts, handmade cards, and handwritten dedications that her children had given her on that exceptional day. On a different note, Natalie was inspired to write a book about her experiences as a mother of an autistic child (Aiden) and 13 other healthy children, and she hopes that her book will be published one day.
Handmade Cards
Sisters
Only four of Natalie’s 14 children are girls, so despite their age difference, they are very close, and Natalie enjoys spending time and bonding with them. You can see a perfect moment Natalie shared with her girls in this photo, as well as their obvious similarities. Natalie makes an effort to set aside time each week to bond with her boys and girls separately, but she treasures when she can be with all of her children, which isn’t always possible.
Sisters
Family Fun Night
Natalie constantly emphasizes the importance of family traditions, which means that the Suleman’s take their Saturday family night very seriously. The entire family started this tradition, and they even call it “Family Fun Night.” They occasionally play a board game, watch horror movies or documentaries, or discuss various educational topics, but their favorite activities are chess and watching The Shining. Even though her adolescent children despise family tradition and would rather spend time with their friends, the tradition continues.
Family Fun Night
Dressing Up
Natalie’s children are aware that they are not like other families, but they embrace their differences and enjoy participating in school activities together. Natalie is understandably proud of her exceptionally gifted children. This photo shows the kids after they performed in a play at their Orange County school, and you can see how much they’ve grown. Don’t you think they’re lovely and handsome?
Dressing Up
Raw Veggies
Natalie Suleman captioned this photo with “Could we be any more vegan?” on her Instagram account. Her six older children aren’t vegans, but her eight youngest enjoy raw greens, so they eat health shakes, golden or red beets, bell peppers, chard, and organic kale regularly in addition to home-cooked meals with quinoa and sprouted lentils. The kids’ desserts, such as the green apple raw almond butter combo they usually have, are also vegan.
Raw Veggies
Complete Family
It’s not easy to get Natalie and her 14 children to pose for a family photo, so any time they’re all in one place, it’s worth snapping a photo of them laughing and smiling. Natalie can now easily share a variety of special moments like this, thanks to social media. Her posts are actually more interesting when we glimpse into her life as a single mother raising 14 children independently.
Complete Family
YouTuber
Natalie decided to create her own YouTube channel to reach out to more people because she only works part-time per week. Amerah, her daughter, wrote a six-minute letter to her mother for Mother’s Day in Long Beach, California, in the first video she uploaded. Natalie has been through a lot, and the reason she started her own channel was to share her story. Still, her children also assist her in running it, posting videos of fun activities, grocery shopping, vegan food challenges, and plenty of creative ideas.
YouTuber
Thanksgiving
Natalie encourages her children to stay active and make a difference even on special occasions like Thanksgiving, so ten of her children participated in the Turkey Trot. Their team spirit can be clearly seen in their matching t-shirts. Natalie has a lot to be thankful for and celebrates this Thanksgiving, her children Noah, Maliyah, Josiah, and Isaiah winning their age groups in the race. Because most of Natalie’s children are vegan, we’re guessing they ate the pumpkin pies instead of turkey for Thanksgiving, which is a special holiday for them.
Thanksgiving
The Struggle Within
It may not look obvious, but Nadya has had plenty of emotionally and physically tough times and she has ongoing battle with pain, which is the result of carrying her octuplets to nearly term. Looking at her, you would not think that she has had four ruptured lumbar spine discs, and has bilateral sciatica, irreparable sacral damage, and peripheral neurophathy. To fight the pain caused by her pregnancy-induced injuries, she climbs 10 miles daily on a stair master machine rather than using a treadmill. She also goes to a gym exclusively for women because she has suffered from severe social anxiety ever since she was young. She shared this snap to thank the people that gave her workout clothes (they noticed Nadya couldn’t afford to buy herself new ones).
The Struggle Within
Young Natalie
Nadya shared this throwback photo on her social media pages and you can see that it shows cute little Nadya sporting a messy clown costume with some smeared lipstick for Halloween in 1978. She may have changed her name, but that doesn’t mean she would also like to forget her history or erase it. Actually, she would just like to let go of her Octomom persona – the thing that almost destroyed everything she values. She has been proving to everyone that she is a great mom to all her fourteen children, which we imagine is not easy to do.
Young Natalie
Cat Lover
Prior to Nadya having her own kids, she expressed her motherly nature to a cat while she was growing up. She was a mother to over twelve cats, but one stole her heart – Boots. This photo taken in 1975 shows Nadya as a toddler and her cat Boots. Her children love this photo, especially her daughter Calyssa who loves cats as well, and they couldn’t believe how fat the cat was, that it weighed over 50 pounds and that it would drag her belly on the ground when she walked.
Cat Lover
Throwback Picture
This picture was taken in Germany in the ‘80s and shows a two-year-old Nadya, looking a lot like her son Caleb. Some of her kids are fair while others have a darker complexion but this amazing throwback photo could explain why. Nadya loves showing these lovely photographs from her past since they help her become more appreciative of her family. Raising 14 kids is surely not easy, but she knows how to be always positive – by appreciating the blessings that comes her way every day.
Throwback Picture
Nadya’s Background
Since Nadya has many followers who have asked about her origins, she decided to clear this up in a post about her father that had the caption: “Happy Father’s Day to my dad “Eddie” (a nickname he adopted to sound more American since emigrating from Jerusalem, Palestine fifty years ago).” Someone then commented, “Love this. But why have you given your kids Jewish names when your father is Muslim?” Many have probably been wondering the same thing, but she cleared things up with this: “Yes absolutely, and when my father immigrated to America, he befriended many Israelis and loved all people unconditionally.” Nadya added, “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
We actually don’t hear so much from Nadya in the press these days probably because she hired a PR agency and she’s also careful about not ‘exploiting’ her family. Nadya explained in a recent post on social media, “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.” Nevertheless, seeing as her children are now older, she added, “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 shares snaps of her family and children on social media and it seems as if her motherly instinct has rubbed off on her children. It appears that her kids are not content with how many people there are in their household since they love adding animals to the ever-growing nest that that they have. Nadya makes sure her kids have a healthy diet, and she also does the same for the animals. In one post she explained the cat is a bit overweight, but she captioned the photo with: “We are following the veterinarian’s diet plan and hopefully she will be at a healthier weight soon”.
Animal Loving Family
Veggies For Dinner
The shopping list in Nadya’s house must be impressive – similar to shopping for one giant army! Some moms may settle for fast or microwavable unhealthy food, but Nadya always ensures that she teaches her children to choose healthy options. She shared a recent snap of her son Jonah with a big green chard and her captioned was “Jonah sharing the soon to be devoured forest before dinner.” People regularly asks questions on her Instagram, such as how much Nadya shops and she 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?
Nadya’s social media posts are often about the organic, vegan, vegetarian and healthy meals she makes for her family and this has started to create something of a stir in her own social community. Her posts of delicious-looking and healthy meals have attracted plenty of positive attention. One follower recently commented, “You are an inspiration and should do a cookbook!” She replied, “The kids would love to help create a cookbook!” and she added a bit of humorous side-note, “But first I’m preparing to publish my memoir.”
Is A Cookbook On The Cards
Kids Will Be Kids
Nadya’s life may have been high-profile, but she does seem down-to-earth as a mother and allows her kids to enjoy being kids. She recently shared this cheeky snap of some of her kids monkeying around outside and she captioned it with: “Three little monkeys hanging on a tree, sharing with you all to see.” She may have attracted many fans because she keeps it real and her children look very healthy, playful and happy. When she uploaded this picture, her followers responded with positive and motivational things, like “I love seeing kids being kids!! Outside! Stay strong Mama,” and “You are doing an amazing job raising beautiful children!”
Kids Will Be Kids
A Birthday Surprise
Since Nadya does a lot for her children, it’s heartwarming to see how her kids sometimes surprise her to show that they appreciate her as well. Nadya recently posted this super cute picture of the surprise birthday breakfast the children prepared for her. She said, “Awoke this Sunday morning to 8 amazing kids surprising me with the best early birthday (big omg) breakfast!” Needless to say, the breakfast was organic and vegan and came with vegan mac and cheese, peanut butter, maple syrup, vegan pancake, organic fruit, and coffee in her favorite cup of course!
A Birthday Surprise
Busy But Healthy
Most busy moms don’t have a lot of time in the morning, so they just to have toast or cereal. However, Nadya ensures that she makes time to stay healthy. Recently, she shared this picture of her enviable, delicious-looking, healthy, vegan breakfast and this was her caption: “Sometimes breakfast and lunch looks like this”. One of her followers wrote a comment, “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 has gotten a lot of positive feedback for raising her younger kids with a strictly vegan diet. However, there was a comment on her post which expressed concern about how a vegan diet at such an early age may not be very healthy for child development. It seems that Nadya has gotten used to criticism already 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.” On the other hand, one of her followers encouraged her with this comment, “Good job momma influencing your kids to lead the healthiest (and most compassionate) lifestyle!”
Is The Diet Too Vegan
Pre-Workout Food
One reason Nadya makes an effort to only eat organic and raw vegan meals, and stay healthy is because her meals make up her pre-workout food. Oftentimes, she is asked what she eats in a day which helps her stay in shape, so she replied, “Pre/post workout, breakfast and lunch, in addition to 2-3 gallons of Alkaline water.” Nadya added, “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).” She explained why she has a strict diet: “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 ton of photos that show her younger children having a super healthy lifestyle and vegan diet, shares vegan recipes and admits to being a vegan activist. Her older kids, however, don’t share her views. She recently posted a photo of one of her octuplets happily enjoying getting fresh vegetables at the supermarket. Then, she posted another picture showing Amerah, her daughter, looking stubbornly with this caption: “The look my daughter gives me when I educate her on the benefits of being vegan”.
Not All Vegan
Spreading Kindness
Nadya appears to love teaching each of her kids good values and she wants to inspire them to be kind. On this post for the birthday of her daughter Amerah, Nadya wrote this comment: “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?
Her younger children often feature in Nadya photos that she shares on social media. However, she comments a lot that her older kids are not so keen on being in the spotlight, so they are rarely in her photos. Nadya cleared things up in a post of her eldest daughter Amerah. She wrote: “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
Nadya may have mentioned in some of her posts the struggles she has had in raising many children alone, but she still takes the time to be thankful of what she does have. This is an adorable photo that she shared two of her lovely girls and she wrote this caption: “Couldn’t help but pause and take a picture of my little angels.”
Time To Appreciate
School Life
This may look like just a regular group picture of kids starting third grade, but all these children are actually brothers and sisters, which some may find hard to believe. They all look pretty excited to go to school after summer break, and how fun must it be to already know so many people on the first day. Nadya shared this cute photo and captioned it with: “Had to share the first day of third grade! Caleb and Calyssa didn’t want me to “embarrass” them by taking a pic lol.” However, she added that all her kids were really excited and so was she – probably because she would have a bit of peace and quiet again while they were at school!
School Life
No Time To Share
Despite being pretty active on social media, Nadya is still a mother of fourteen, so she likely doesn’t have the time to post everything that she does. She wrote a comment on her post that finding the time is difficult. “I wish I had the time to share more!” she added. She explained that taking care of her “severely autistic son and all the kids monopolize most of my time so social media is neglected.”
No Time To Share1
An ‘Insta-Inspiration’
Nadya may have attracted plenty of media attention, positive and negative, for the life choices she has made, but her fans on social media look up to her. For them, she is an ‘insta-inspiration,’ a strong and inspiring mother. On her page, there are encouraging comments, such as, “I love how you have changed your life and continued college through it all and I absolutely adore that your kids are vegan! You’re an inspiration now as a mother of one I need to continue with my masters and or to a PhD”. There was another comment that said: “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 myself. 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 pictures which Nadya shares, the children do seem happy and healthy, picture-ready and bursting with energy. She shared this one taken at her friend’s pool during the summer and she captioned it with, “It seems like they were just born…Good looking group of kids…” Nadya’s posts on social media are usually about how her children often join in 5K runs together and how she makes sure they have a raw vegan diet that they enjoy. This might be their secret to happiness…. Whatever the case, Nadya seems to be doing a great job raising some healthy and happy kids!
Happy And Healthy
Setting The Record Straight
Recently, Nadya sat down with a New York Times reporter to talk about her experiences in more detail. She explained, “I’m at work on a book.” The book took her 13 years to write, and it seems she wants to set the record straight finally. “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
During the interview, the reporter was quick to say that the kids worked really well together as one family, especially when they are in the kitchen. “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,” he explained. Despite the fact that they live in an Orange County townhouse with only three bedrooms, he noticed that everybody worked in harmony. He said, “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 began, the reporter asked about how Nadya manages meal times, especially since there are 14 children in the kitchen. Nadya said that because there are very many kids, eating has to be done in shifts. Some of the children even sleep or do activities while the others are eating. It appears as if the family works together in harmony, and it’s quite heartwarming to see.
Eating In Shifts
Model Students
The reporter watched as the octuplets weaved around the kitchen and remarked that the kids are smaller than average, which is understandable. Nevertheless, he had this to say about the children: “They’re ‘polite, they cook, they’re vegan, they read two books a month and do their homework without being prompted.” The octuplets have been embroiled in controversy from when they were born, so the reporter couldn’t help but ask, “They’re model fourth graders. How did she do it?”
Model Students
The Controversial Birth
The interview put the focus back on Octomom and the controversial birth. Nadya recalled that 46 scrambling nurses and doctors had to work together in performing the C-section on her when she was in labor at 31 weeks. There were two girls and six boys born and they weighed between 1.5 pounds and 3.25 pounds. The birth was regarded as a medical miracle and captured the interest of tabloids all over the globe but the birth quickly became a newsworthy scandal for glossy magazines and tabloids.
The Controversial Birth
Cashing In
After the octuplets were born, the story became hot property and numerous offers from tabloids came Nadya’s way. Understandably, she cashed in, receiving money for interviews since she was raising her fourteen children singlehandedly. When the public interest started to fade, a dark time in her life also started and she told the reporter, “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.” Then, she added, “I’ve been hiding from the real world all my life.”
Cashing In
The Doctor
Nadya revealed to the reporter, “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 added, “Most of all, I was misled by my doctor.” According to Nadya, she originally just wanted twins, but she had this to say about Dr. Kamrava, her doctor: “He told me we lost six embryos, he said they were expelled out of me, and that’s why he wanted to implant another six.” In other interviews, on the other hand, her doctor claimed it was Nadya who had pressured him into doing multiple rounds of implants. Whatever the case was, the US medical license of the Iranian national Dr. Kamrava was revoked in 2011 and soon after, he left the country.
The Doctor
Funding The IVF
The reporter turned the spotlight to Nadya again and asked how she could afford to have several rounds of IVF. She explained that she had a degree in child development, which allowed her to work at a state mental hospital. She worked there for three years but she suffered an injury on the job, which resulted in more than $80,000 in disability payments. In addition, she received a family inheritance of $60,000. All the money she got helped fund the expensive IVF treatments.
Funding The IVF