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Octuplets' mum wanted huge family | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A Californian single mother-of-six who recently gave birth to octuplets has spoken for the first time about her desire to have a "huge" family. | |
In excerpts from a TV interview yet to be broadcast, Nadya Suleman said she wanted to make up for the loneliness she felt growing up as an only child. | In excerpts from a TV interview yet to be broadcast, Nadya Suleman said she wanted to make up for the loneliness she felt growing up as an only child. |
Ms Suleman, 33, also defended her decision to conceive her children through in vitro fertilisation (IVF). | |
The case has sparked a debate over the ethics of her treatment. | The case has sparked a debate over the ethics of her treatment. |
That was always a dream of mine, to have a large family, a huge family Nadya Suleman | That was always a dream of mine, to have a large family, a huge family Nadya Suleman |
Fertility experts have raised concerns about the number of embryos implanted that resulted in the octuplets' birth, and questioned whether the procedure met medical guidelines. | |
Ms Suleman, whose six older children are aged two to seven, said that all 14 of her children were conceived through IVF with sperm donated by a friend. | |
Investigation | Investigation |
Speaking to NBC's Today Show, due to be broadcast next week, Ms Suleman defended her decision to conceive by IVF. | |
"I took a risk. It's a gamble. It always is," she said. | |
"A lot of couples, usually it's couples, do undergo this procedure and it's not as controversial because they are couples so it's more acceptable to society. | |
All I wanted was children. I wanted to be a mom. That's all I ever wanted in my life. I love my children. Nadya Suleman | |
"For me, I feel as though I've been under the microscope because I've chosen this unconventional kind of life. I didn't intend on it being unconventional, just it turned out to be," she added. Asked about her background as a single child, she said: "All I wanted was children. I wanted to be a mom. That's all I ever wanted in my life. I love my children. | |
"That was always a dream of mine, to have a large family, a huge family. | |
"I just longed for certain connections and attachments with another person that... I really lacked, I believe, growing up." | "I just longed for certain connections and attachments with another person that... I really lacked, I believe, growing up." |
She said she had tried for seven years to get pregnant before finally conceiving through IVF. | She said she had tried for seven years to get pregnant before finally conceiving through IVF. |
"From that facility, it was successful. And then I just kept going in," she said. | |
Asked whether she had considered reducing the number of embryos that had successfully implanted, she replied: "Oh no. Sometimes we have that dream and that passion, and we take risks. And I did and it turned out perfectly." | |
A huge team was needed to deliver the octuplets successfully | |
Ms Suleman's eight babies were delivered nine weeks early by Caesarean section in a hospital near Los Angeles on 26 January. | |
All are reported to be doing well. | All are reported to be doing well. |
The facility, the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Bellflower, California, has said it was not involved in the octuplets' conception. | The facility, the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Bellflower, California, has said it was not involved in the octuplets' conception. |
The California Medical Board has begun an investigation into whether there was a "violation of the standard of care" in the case. | The California Medical Board has begun an investigation into whether there was a "violation of the standard of care" in the case. |
The American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommends that women of Ms Suleman's age have no more than two embryos implanted. | The American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommends that women of Ms Suleman's age have no more than two embryos implanted. |
Fertility experts have pointed to a lack of regulation in the field and called for professional organisations to put stricter rules in place for doctors and clinics. | Fertility experts have pointed to a lack of regulation in the field and called for professional organisations to put stricter rules in place for doctors and clinics. |
Multi-birth pregnancies come with a heightened risk of premature birth and health risks for the mother and the babies. | Multi-birth pregnancies come with a heightened risk of premature birth and health risks for the mother and the babies. |