# The octuplet woman, crazy, selfish or normal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 10, 2009, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204 "2009-02-10T13:17:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/1 "2009-02-10T13:17:18Z")
I haven’t seen any threads about it, but I may have overlooked them. I’ve only followed the story lightly, catching bits of it on the news at a time, but this woman, Nadya Suleman, that just had octuplets…she already had 6 kids, and her mother is apparently caring for them in a 3 bedroom house. Now sh has 8 more babies, and as far as I understand it, only because she really likes children I guess. She was interviewed on TV a few nights ago and I only caught a portion of it. Its only my opinion but I think this woman is nuts. Even if she were rolling in dough I’d think she was a bit crazy, but considering that her family is getting food stamps I think she’s being reckless and irresponsible. 14 kids…hell, thats a lot of kids. I may be in the minority here, but I think Suleman is off her rocker. I just hope the babies get the care and attention they need. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/2 "2009-02-10T13:30:17Z")
She told a reporter she was getting any welfare. She is getting $420 a month in food stamps, but that’s aid for her six children. ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/3 "2009-02-10T13:42:25Z")
Do you want people to play Internet shrinks? I doubt you’d get a reliable diagnosis from someone who has never met the woman and whose total of information of the case comes from CNN’s section of odd stories. Everyday all across the USA hundreds or thousands of children are born to single welfare mothers with no realistic chance of ever being able to support them. So what so different in principle with this particular women, except the uniqueness of having eight of them simultaneously? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/4 "2009-02-10T13:52:50Z")
Didn’t she do an interview on TV where she said she was severely depressed, especially because at first she couldn’t conceive, and having children was some kind of way to make here life meaningful? So I think by her own admission, a little bit of crazy, I’d say. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/5 "2009-02-10T13:52:55Z")
Well it does seem a bit unusual given that she has six already. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/6 "2009-02-10T14:02:43Z")
Please stop giving this psycho any more attention. She sold the story right for something like $2,000,000. That’s why she did it - for the money. And, paying her attention is exactly what she wants. Pretty much a real life troll. Don’t feed her. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/7 "2009-02-10T14:06:13Z")
Even given (as Rune said) that there many cases of single mothers on welfare, this one is extreme. This woman already has 6 kids and then takes fertility treatment? 😕 How many more kids will she want? :eek: How well are 14 kids going to do in, relying on welfare and newpaper stories for income? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/8 "2009-02-10T14:13:41Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > She told a reporter she was getting any welfare. She is getting $420 a month in food stamps, but that’s aid for her six children. I would assume it will take a minute or two for the paperwork to be submitted for the other 8. ---
**Author:** ![Erasmus\_Darwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@Erasmus\_Darwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erasmus_Darwin)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/9 "2009-02-10T14:14:19Z")
> [@brewha](#): > > Pretty much a real life troll. Don’t feed her. Since she’s on food stamps, tax payers have to feed her anyway. At least with a movie deal, her financial burden can be offloaded on to the people who pay to watch that sort of tripe. ---
**Author:** ![HolyFreakingMoly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7ba0ec/32.png) [@HolyFreakingMoly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HolyFreakingMoly)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/10 "2009-02-10T14:30:10Z")
Looking at her and listening to her creeps me out. She’s just kinda creepy. I think anyone who wants 14 kids is nuts but that’s because the idea horrifies me! I can barely handle the two I have! I think having fertility treatments and 8 more babies when you’re supporting 6 existing children on welfare and foodstamps is incredibly short sighted and certainly displays an air of entitlement. I can’t imagine the dr. agreeing to it. Maybe he gets a cut of the $2M. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/11 "2009-02-10T14:38:18Z")
> [@glee](#): > > Even given (as Rune said) that there many cases of single mothers on welfare, this one is extreme. > > This woman already has 6 kids and then takes fertility treatment? 😕 Pretty much my thoughts. I’m not sure if she’s crazy or selfish–I’m placing my money on both–but normal ain’t in the equation. ---
**Author:** ![skylyn12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@skylyn12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skylyn12)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/12 "2009-02-10T15:13:33Z")
3 of the original 6 kids get SSI. She is one worker’s comp (supposedly bed ridden…?). She has sponged off of the system for her entire life. ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/13 "2009-02-10T15:18:55Z")
> [@brewha](#): > > Please stop giving this psycho any more attention. She sold the story right for something like $2,000,000. That’s why she did it - for the money. And, paying her attention is exactly what she wants. > > Pretty much a real life troll. Don’t feed her. I haven’t heard she sold the rights…though she’s been swamped with offers, and the Times says she wants $2 mill for her story (what story?!). > **[Latest news & breaking headlines](https://www.thetimes.com/)** > > The latest breaking UK, US, world, business and sport news from The Times and The Sunday Times. Go beyond today's headlines with in-depth analysis and comment. > [@](#): > > It was confirmed that Ms Suleman had hired a publicist and was reportedly seeking up to $2 million for her story. That article is dated Feb 7, so there could be new information since then. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/14 "2009-02-10T15:25:26Z")
> [@brewha](#): > > She sold the story right for something like $2,000,000. That’s why she did it - for the money. This statement doesn’t stand up to logical analysis for half a second. We’re supposed to believe that she took fertility treatments with the goal of having octuplets? Having fertility treatments doesn’t normally lead to octuplets. In fact, prior to this case, there was no case of octuplets all surviving. Hence’s it’s laughable to suppose that she took fertility treatments in order to have octuplets and make money off them. There is zero evidence that she suffers any sort of mental problem. ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/15 "2009-02-10T15:51:57Z")
The real question should be how fit of a mother is she? 6 kids, now 8 more, and she is on food stamps. It’s child abuse and the kids should be taken away and given a fair chance. A vagina is not a clown car. ---
**Author:** ![Atomicflea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Atomicflea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomicflea)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/16 "2009-02-10T15:56:17Z")
My issue isn’t so much with the actual pregnancies, but just how does she manage to scrimp together the funds for the conceptions? IVF is damned expensive, and she’s had SEVERAL rounds of it. Did her parents knowingly fund the IVF? If so, then some of the responsibility is theirs. Did the Dr. in question know she her situation? Apparently. It’s a fascinating case study. ---
**Author:** ![skylyn12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@skylyn12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skylyn12)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/17 "2009-02-10T16:07:25Z")
> [@Atomicflea](#): > > My issue isn’t so much with the actual pregnancies, but just how does she manage to scrimp together the funds for the conceptions? IVF is damned expensive, and she’s had SEVERAL rounds of it. Did her parents knowingly fund the IVF? If so, then some of the responsibility is theirs. Did the Dr. in question know she her situation? Apparently. It’s a fascinating case study. She received a workers comp. settlement. This most likely funded her plastic surgery and rounds of IVF. She has a ‘bad back’… ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/18 "2009-02-10T16:08:00Z")
> [@Daddypants](#): > > The real question should be how fit of a mother is she? 6 kids, now 8 more, and she is on food stamps. It’s child abuse and the kids should be taken away and given a fair chance. Well if she got $2 million, I guess she’s set for life and will have no financial obstacles to giving the children a good life. If she is now financial independent, why is it any different than when various superstars, like Madonna, Angelina Jolie or Mia Farrow trawl the world for babies to adopt. Also I guess she didn’t plan on having eight babies. Perhaps she though one or two would be nice, but was against abortion and so went with the eight. > [@Daddypants](#): > > A vagina is not a clown car. It isn’t? I actually kind of like to think it is. Anyway, her vagina, her choice. ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/19 "2009-02-10T16:10:13Z")
> [@Daddypants](#): > > A vagina is not a clown car. I think both sets of kids were born by Caesarean section. 😉 I think she’s irresponsible at best. Having another eight kids when you’re already on welfare support for the first six is quite selfishly idiotic. Did she stop to think what sort of a life she was giving them while chasing her own fulfilment in a large family? Bah. People. They make me angry. ---
**Author:** ![Atomicflea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Atomicflea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomicflea)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204/20 "2009-02-10T16:13:31Z")
> [@skylyn12](#): > > She received a workers comp. settlement. This most likely funded her plastic surgery and rounds of IVF. She has a ‘bad back’… _sigh_ I’m sure those pregnancies and all the Rambo-ammuntion-rows of :smack:snugglis she’ll have to wear helped with the back pain. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-octuplet-woman-crazy-selfish-or-normal/485204.md?page=2)