Woman Who Gave Birth To Octuplets Has Six Other Children

The Southern California woman who gave birth to octuplets this week has six other children and never expected to have eight more when she took fertility treatment, her mother said Thursday.

Angela Suleman said her daughter expects a big challenge raising 14 children. The good news, she said, is all the babies appear healthy.

“I looked at those babies. They are so tiny and so beautiful,” she told The Los Angeles Times.

Suleman’s daughter gave birth to the octuplets Monday at a hospital in Bellflower but has requested that doctors keep her name confidential. Media knew little about the woman until a family acquaintance told CBS’ “The Early Show” on Thursday that the mother is “fairly young” and lives with her parents and her six children, including twins.

Within hours, media had camped out at the family’s home in Whittier, where the babies’ grandfather pulled up in a minivan in the evening and briefly spoke to The Associated Press. Beside him were two children – a 7-year-old and 6-year-old – who said they were excited to have eight new siblings.

But the grandfather warned that media may have a tougher time finding the family after the babies are released from the hospital.

“We have a huge house, not here,” said the man, who would only identify himself as Ed. “You are never going to know where it is.”

Suleman said her daughter had embryos implanted last year, and after finding out she was pregnant with multiple babies was given the option by doctors of selectively reducing the number of embryos. The woman declined.

“What do you suggest she should have done? She refused to have them killed,” Suleman told the Times. “That is a very painful thing.”

Dr. Harold Henry said the woman was already pregnant when she came to Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center, and she was counseled on the option of aborting some of the fetuses. Doctors had been expecting only seven babies, but an eighth was born in the cesarean delivery.
At a news conference Thursday, Dr. Karen Maples, chief of the department of obstetrics and gynecology, read a statement she said was from the mother.

“We understand that you are all curious about the arrival of the octuplets and we appreciate your respect for our family’s privacy. Please know, in our own time, we will share additional details about this miraculous experience,” the statement said.

“The babies continue to grow strong every day and make good progress. My family and I are ecstatic about all of their arrivals. Needless to say the eighth was a surprise to us all, but a blessing as well.”
In lieu of names, the babies have been assigned letters A through H, in the order of their birth.

Dr. Mandhir Gupta said seven of the babies were breathing without assistance. One, Baby G, was still receiving oxygen through a tube in his nose.

Seven of the infants were receiving tube-feedings of donated breast milk. Baby E, a boy, was expected to begin feedings Friday.

All babies continued to receive an intravenous nutritional supplement. They were expected to remain in the hospital for several more weeks.

Doctors Mandhir Gupta (L), Karen Maples at the podium, Harold Henry (C), Alejandro Vazquez (2ed R), Jalil Riazi (R) hold a press conference at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center after delivering octuplets on January 27, 2009 in Bellflower, California. (David McNew/Getty Images)