Birth of octuplets

Oh, don't get me started on welfare. I think welfare is a needed program to HELP people and families in a time of need, however I think there should be some guidelines. For instance they should be made to work (volunteer) doing things for civic organizations or non-profit organizations in return for the help they are getting. Not only would it benefit these places it would also help learn work ethics and not be giving them something for nothing. My thoughts are that if people are getting assistance and not MADE to do anything in exchange for it why would they choose to. They now have an easy life. In Wisconsin there is no cash assistance. They will help with food stamps and medical assistance but no cash. It really does make people want to and have to try to better themselves.

Of course you might be living check to check but whose money is in those checks? The taxpayers money!!! Yes, it is wonderful to be able to stay at home and raise your own children but why should people who have children and work to support them support yours too. YOU need to take some responsibility in supporting them along with raising them.

OH oh oh you are soooo wrong. I am a single mother living on welfare because I absolutly refuse to Put my children in daycare! I have a degree In computer programing and a 3 year course in early childhood education. But I chose to stay home with my children. I think that makes me a great mother. I think that any mother that wants to stay home with there children should be aloud to have welfare no matter how many children they want to have! If I was able to I would have 10 kids! I love children and I would rather spend every day with my children and only live check to check then be out working my butt off and have someone else raise my children!

I can think of lots of words to go along with iresponsible. I believe she does love her kids and loves having kids, however her choice to do this while single and not working was not only iresponsible it was down right stupid, uncaring, and most of all selfish. She thought only of herself and did not give one thought to the children, her parents or the people who now have to help her support these children.

I am not saying a woman has to be married to have children, however I do believe that in this case, with already having 6 children having more without a father to help support them was not the right choice to make.

I totaly disagree with you! I dont think a woman should have to be married to want children! I am a single mom of two children and I am not working havent been in 3 years! I have no intention of going to work until my children are in school full time! I had my daughter when i was married and I left my husband when she was only 1! I found out two weeks later that I was pregnant with my son! So your saying that I should never have had my son because I wasnt with my husband I was single! That is so wrong! A single mother can lover her children more then most men would do if they were there! There is nothing wrong with single women wanting a big family either. Mabie she just doesnt want to be with a man! Mabie she was hurt bad by one and doesnt want to be hurt again!

That is my point. I also read that she was an only child and I really believe that may have left some psychological scars which could be part of the reason she wants to have so many babies. Since I don't really know a lot about her childhood I can't really say but that thought did cross my mind. Doesn't she realize that it is the children who are going to suffer.

If you really listened to that story you would know that she did say that she was completly absolutly done having children. She did not expect in her wildest dreams to have 8 babies at one time!

from what they only showed in the interview I saw, she said she wanted to have as many children as possible, in no way did she say she was done. The grandmother said she told her she was done before the babies came. before they were even conceived. So I don't know it may have been entirely different from the interview I watched...

You make a good point when you said "why did they give her fertility treatments in the first place". There are always forms to be filled out before any proceedure and surely they knew she was single, already had 6 children and was going to school. Why didn't a red flag go up? Several questions come to mind when I read your post...first of all, how could she afford to have this proceedure done, and also, when going over the paperwork and seeing the current situation should they have required counseling? Don't feel alone as I think there are many of us who do not understand the situation.

I have to say it does raise all those questions and as usual we put all the blame of this on the mother, when infact others, such as the doctor that ticked the box for her approval for the treatment in the first place, needs to be held accountable too. It's just an inconceivable idea why? when she knows how tough kids are to support that she should want to add to her burden, which I hate to use that word because kids are very much a blessing in the right circumstances.

First of all I am not criticizing her, only her choices, and I am sorry but I can not feel sorry for her because her whole life has been turned upside down. SHE made that choice. Yes, she WAS a student working on a degree but how will she do that now and if she does continue with her degree who will be caring for all those children while she is? I have nothing against people that are on medical assistance or food stamps as long as they are trying to better themselves. Life can throw some nasty curve balls and things happen. Everyone needs help now and then but they also need to help themselves (which I am sure you are trying to do). My own daughter who has 4 small children is on medical assistance and food stamps since leaving a very abusive domestic violence situation, however she is not taking it for granted, trying to look for a job, and doing all she can to be able to stand on her own two feet, unlike the woman who decides that even though she is going to school and has 6 kids already should have some more. Sorry, I have no desire to have my tax dollars helping her. I did not mean to offend you or anyone else on assistance of any kind.

First of all...this lady has been saving her disability checks to pay the $10,000 fee for each try to get pregnant. I don't understand how she was getting all of this help with food stamps, etc.. with that much money in the bank. Maybe she needs to be investigated for Welfare Fraud. She said it took 3 tries for the pregnancy with the octuplets to take. $30,000? Are you serious? That is more than a lot of people make in a year! All the while she is collecting Food Stamps, Medicaid, and Disability for herself and her child with Autism. Recently, there was a premature baby born into my family. I learned that most babies born prematurely qualify for SSI, which is Social Security Disability. So she will most likely receive a a monthly check for each of those 8 babies. Hmm.. Do you think she realized this from the start? Because obviously she knew she would not be able to carry 6,7,8 babies full term! I think there is much more involved in her motives. WHAT ABOUT THE POOR FATHER? Although he has not legal financial responsibility--- how would you like to know you have 14 kids out there without a father? sad...sad...sad... She said that he "might come around in time" and have something to do with the kids. Possibly she has some sort of insane idea about her relationship with him? Who knows!! She is surely not right in the head.

I so agree with you! Everyone should just leave her alone! She is a brave woman for having 8 children at one time! As you say she never planned to have all 8 like she said on the news story they implanted 6. 99% of the time when they implant 3-4 only 1 will take hold not all 6. And def not twins!! I think that this is truly a miracle from God and those children will grow up to do great things!

Like I said, with all the help she is going to get for having these babies it tells everyone not to worry there is always help available. Not good.

What on earth happened to personal responsibility?

I asked my own father what he would say to me if I were living with him, unmarried, with 6 children and got pregnant again. We are by no way wealthy but just we do take care of ourselves, our family. My parents have always taken care of us to the best of their ability and they have never turned us away. But he told me in no uncertain terms that he would definitely turn me away and tell me that he and my mother couldn't take care of me and the children anymore. It's not that he wouldn't love me or his grandchildren anymore, it would just be that enough is enough. There was no reason that this unmarried woman had to have 14 children with no source of income, by herself, living with her parents. There must be some sort of personal responsibility in this country.

I have been piling up the information on her in the past few days, and she does not have money for much of anything at the moment, she literally is living off of food stamps from what I have heard. The woman is out of her mind.

I did not say she was living on hud housing, receiving welfare, food stamps or medical aid. I did say that with her circumstances that is what will probably happen. I think the main reason everyone is so upset is because of what she is saying and from what I have heard even since the birth of these children she has said she would have more if she could.

Hi Maddy, From what I have read her parents and grandparents are already doing that for the first 6 she has had, now they will have 8 more to worry about. I read she has gone into hiding because of all the controversy over what she did. I really hope the children will make it through all this mess as they are the ones who I feel will suffer from it.

I could not have said it better. I know there are times when life situations demand help for single moms and there is nothing wrong with that, however to keep on having babies in order to keep getting assistance is wrong. I think other states should follow what one state has started doing and that is allowing the family, either single mother or both parent families, to remain on assistance for a maximum of up to 4 years. The idea of this was that in that amount of time the youngest child would be in school and the mother would be able to go to work. If they have another child in an effort to remain on assistance it did not do any good as the time limit was set at 4 years.

From my understanding she was an only child which if true could be the root of the problem. I highly agree she should have had some counseling. Choosing to spend that kind of money on this treatment was ridiculous when it would have afforded her a better life for the children she already had. The doctor's actions in my opinion were careless, money oriented and uncaring. Doctors are supposed to know better than the patient and advise them. His actions say he was only in it for the money. At least in my opinion.

I think there are times where judgment should be split between .... something else, My judgement was a bit off when I went to be with my son's father. I ended up with my little man, which is a blessing, but I'm doing everything all by myself, and It's not easy not easy at all, I'm sure you know. Now imagine having 6 children already, that you can't take care of. How would you describe getting another fertilization when it is always always has a huge chance of multiples *especially if 8 embryos are involved*... I'm sorry but because of her statement on the television about wanting as many children as possible and caring little about the consequences other than the fact they will be hard... is downright horrible, it's harsh on the children in which has to grow up in such an environment, and harsh for the people who want to make sure these children are getting what they need. She doesn't seem to be taking care of them, I know my mom took care of 5 kids alone, but no one is the same, but if she isn't able to take care of her own children.... why why why get another implant? even when a lot of people say she doesn't even need it? I've been judged every single day since having my son, how I take care of him, what I do to him, blah blah blah, but there's a difference between the welfare of one person or two, to the welfare of 14 children who all need the love and support of their family. The lack of the mother's involvement with her child is what really gets me. and makes me boil. not to mention because she made this mistake it does effect many many people and not just herself or her own immediate family. It involves the state, the government because they don't keep children out in the cold as far as I know. meaning more tax money goes to them, and our economy goes even further down the drain. 6 children are expensive.... 14 children is even more so. I think because of this a lot of people will have a lot of scrutiny. I'm sorry but I had to put my two cents in what you have to say. i can understand that she is getting judged but mostly because of what she is saying, at least that's why I'm bothered by it. I know the media may cut out some parts I just don't like to think about a single woman living with her parents wanting as many children as possible....

Shawchert - I appreciate your thoughts, I truly do. I know that the decision that this woman made, I personally would not have for myself. Even though we may not understand it or get it, doesn't change the fact that this is the path this woman wanted and chose. She committed no crime. As you already know, judgment is harsh in any form, in any situation. Just because we don't understand a person's motive or decision, doesn't mean that we have the right to criticize or judge it. I'm happy to hear that she has help from her mother and family, however, those that are helping her made to the choice to help her and her children. They are not being forced to do so. As for the government and our taxes...our taxes pay for the disabled, but we don't discriminate as to how they became disabled (maybe it was by their own negligence). I'm not saying I agree with all of this, but you can disagree and try to understand, without passing judgement or harshly criticizing another. Thanks again for your response. I understand your personal situation and wish you the best of luck. As hard as the road is, it has been a most fulfilling one (as I'm sure you know). I am now married with 2 step-daughters and couldn't be happier. I regret nothing in my life, as it has made me who I am today. I hope you have no regrets as well!

Hi i googed that term and read a news about it. after reading it the first word came from my mouth is OMG. how can a woman can give birth to octuplets. I only heard about dogs and such animals giving birth to many puppies. this is amazing. well and how did she got that money for the egg implantation.why nobody objected to that?but of course after this shes now in news. shes no more an ordinary woman.and shes going to school means she wants to support her children in the future.but so many babies at once.well sounds as a mystery to me.and about the tax thing that you are saying is a fact. but as weall live in a free society so govt. can't impose any laws on her. and the nation treats all citizen as its assets. so what can more be said about that issue...

I doubt that is going to happen. She does not have the skills or work experience to obtain a good paying job and with 14 kids where will she find the time to work. It is a very sad situation all the way around.

I think that she should do what thousands of people are doing work from home! There are alot of companys out there that allow employees to work from home on there computer! I dont say she will be able to put them all in daycare! but the older kids will all be in school soon! So it wont be so hard on her when they go to school!

Well said. It is hard to understand how the government can say that she qualifies for help just because she has so many children even though she is capable of working when there are families where both parents are working and still can not make ends meet but can not get help. Of course when you think about the shape the economy is in and the fact that we pay our atheletes and actors so much money for playing a game or making a movie, would you expect anything different? Granted our stars do a lot for charities but when they can buy a piece of clothing that costs so much it could be used to feed a family of 4 for 3 weeks it makes one wonder about the rest of us too.

Sometimes it is really hard to figure out why people do the things they do but it is clear that she must have some issues of some kind. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with loving kids and wanting a house full of them however in her situation it is not "normal" (for loss of a better word) to do what she did, especially when she already had 6 and already needed help to care for them.

I highly agree with you about the doctor and apparently so does the Medical Board of California. One report stated that the Medical Board of California was looking into this case to see if there was a "violation of the standard of care". It also stated that as of Monday it had not taken any disciplinary action against him in the past.

I really don't think she was thinking about the "free" money but only of what she wanted to make her happy. Ya know like the saying "the one with the most toys wins". I just read a news report where she told them "she owed over $50,000 in student loans". If that is the case, how and why did she spend over $100,000 to have the ivf proceedure done for these babies? It is just a sad situation.