Babies?
By worldwise1
@worldwise1 (14885)
United States
February 13, 2009 1:38pm CST
I just came from reading a few articles in the news that related to babies. The first was about a 13-year-old boy who became a father in England. That is pretty earth-shaking and I suspect that he will face many trials in the future. Next, I read an article about actress Salma Hayek breast-feeding a baby in Africa. She explained that the infant was hungry and since she could provide milk for him she did so. Some may think this is weird but not myself. Wet-nursing was common in our society in the past. The last article dealt with the mother of the recently-born octuplets, and the fact that the family has set up a website and will accept Paypal. When I first heard of this story the thing that was uppermost in my mind was, "Why would the mother of six children even want to take fertility drugs to produce more children?" Maybe she has her reasons, but they are not coming through loud and clear for me. I wouldn't want fourteen children in several lifetimes! So what are your thoughts on all of this?
5 people like this
7 responses
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
13 Feb 09
My thoughts at the moment...things could be worse. And by that I mean that it makes me not worry so much about a current family situation. Two unemployed 19 year old parents are great when compared to a 13 year old dad who is more or less clueless about everything.
Salma Hayek nursing a hungry baby? Pftt...so what. Like you said things like that used to be normal. I have come close to doing that myself while baby sitting young babies who were apparently not as weaned as their mothers insisted they were.
As for the website for the octuplets? Well, I have very mixed feelings about that whole situation. I personally would love to have my family supported by simply asking the general public to do it...I mean when it comes down to it, money is money....but, and this is a really big but, I have more pride than that. I understand her desire for a large family but she should have been more responsible by making sure she could provide better for them on her own before she started mass producing them.
Ok think of it this way...if Brangelina announced they were expecting a whole litter, people would be annoyed but we'd also be saying "to each their own" because we know they are capable of providing for that many without help from the government.
2 people like this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
14 Feb 09
I couldn't agree more, foxyfire. Obviously the kids are going to need a lot of help to raise their baby. Face it, kids at that age really don't have a clue about what is required to parent. I also think that Salma Hayek did a generous and thoughtful thing in feeding the hungry baby. The last that I heard regarding the case of the octuplets, the fertility doctor is now under a lot of scrutiny.
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
15 Feb 09
It's probably going to be more like the (grand)parents raising all 3 "kids" together. The baby will probably be in kindergarten before dad even graduates from high school! I don't know if you saw it but another online newspaper had pictures of them together at home. It was almost too sickly sweet about how "wonderful" Alfie was with the baby and it even included very obviously posed photos of him with the baby across his lap and the playstation controller in his hands. I'm starting to wonder if this is more of a story about two kids wanting to get attention. I know the last thing I would have wanted if I was in that situation would be to have reporters follwing me home from the hospital and reporting on every detail of the conception.
I'm glad the fertility doctor is being looked at. That's the part of her story where I start to have mixed feelings. IF she's being truthful that her other pregnancies also started out with 6 embryos but only resulted in 1 or 2 babies, then it stands to reason she honestly only expected 1 or 2 more this time around also and 8 was just a very huge fluke. BUT I'm sure she also knew that there was that slight risk of a higher order of multiple. Either way, it doesn't really excuse the financial situation she's in...it doesn't seem like she's capable of supporting the total of 7 or 8 she assumed she'd have after this pregnancy any better than the total of 14 she ended up with.
@maximax8 (31046)
• United Kingdom
13 Feb 09
I have just read about the 13 year old boy and the 15 year old girl that have just had baby Maisie. He hasn't got knowledge of how much nappies cost but he seems like a caring person. I am so pleased that the girl didn't have an abortion. I am pro-life.
The actress Samla Hayek fed a baby in the natural way that was not her own baby. I think the wet nurse idea was from a century ago at least. In some parts of Africa life is basic and it is not comfortable to see a hungry baby that is miserable. I can understand why the actress did that act of kindness.
I think that fostering children or teaching are ways to be around lots of children. I am a primary school teacher and it is wonderful to teach 30 children. They all have homes. I wouldn't want a huge number of my own children. I think that the mother of the octuplets is unusual and if a lady wants a baby to look after she could be a nursery nurse. If a lady has six children they will grow up so she might want a seventh. I guess it was a surprise to get eight babies. I wish the family with fourteen children luck with their money making web site. I have two sons and would love to have a daughter.
2 people like this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
14 Feb 09
I am pro-life myself, maximax, but I still draw the line at bringing a large number of children into the world unless you are wealthy enough to afford them. I agree that there are a few careers one can pursue if they have a burning desire to mother children.
@DRoddy77 (1776)
• United States
14 Feb 09
Wow, I have to say that I'm surprised at how shocked people are about the 13 yr old father. I'm 31 yrs old and there were a few girls when I was in high school having kids at 13-14 yrs old! I'm not saying it's right.. I dont know how a child could be capable of taking care of a baby mentally, emotionally or financially! I personally know someone who had a baby at 14 yrs old.. and THAT baby grew up to have her OWN baby at 14! So now this woman is 28 yrs old and a grandmother!! Can you imagine??
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
14 Feb 09
I think, DRoddy, that people are more shocked that the boy is so young in this case. Usually it is the girl who is very young with a guy who is at least a couple of years older. It's not good in either case though.
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
14 Feb 09
I can tell you the reason for the 8 babies, MONEY, she figured the whole country was coming to her defense and she would rack up the bucks. As far as her setting up a paypal account for you to donate money to, I don't know this woman and damn sure not giving her my paypal account information, now she has all these kids and wanting others to take care of them. The state, the people. I think something should be done to her and the doctor that done this this is a scam on the american people. Kind of like the woman who came into the canasta room I was playing in last night wrote could we wire her 50 bucks to get a motel room with for her and her kids they was in the street till monday,wonder if she had her computer pluged into the electric pole.
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
14 Feb 09
I agree, bdugas, that it's all about knowing how to "work the system." This woman's audacity is a force to be reckoned with, and the doctor should have his license revoked!
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
14 Feb 09
I was listening to the story about the thirteen year old yesterday and I found it quite frightening probably because he did not look thirteen. In fact he did not look much older than my 8 year old. I really do not think he has a clue what is going on it is all just going over his head and how they are going to cope is beyond me, two young lives ruined. I love the idea of the wet nursing though. I would not want fourteen children either, least of all on my own, four is hard enough, trying to find time for each of them and trying to get things done in a day why someone would go and have treatment and have 8 more is totally beyond me. I think she is quite selfish especially when she had six children already that should have been plenty.
1 person likes this
@wifeofharvey (1156)
• United States
15 Feb 09
Not too sure on just what I think of the 13 year old father. Some people are mature at a very young age and others aren't. I was became a mother at age 16, and I would stack my parenting up against any 25 year old first time mom. Did I make mistakes??? You bet, so does everyone else.
So far it seems that most MyLotters are not too thrilled about the single mom having 14 kids. My question is more like where are all the pro-choice people??? How come they aren't supporting her choice??? If she had choosen to abort they would have been pretty vocal, but now????????
