5 days ago
Octomom turns 50! Star reveals what she is most 'grateful for' after becoming famous for having 14 kids
Octomom has turned 50-years-old.
Nadya Suleman - who has 14 children - marked the milestone on Instagram on Sunday.
The reality TV star's note was sweet with a nod to her little ones.
'Couldn't imagine spending my birthday anywhere but home, surrounded by loved ones,' wrote the brunette star who used to be compared to Angelina Jolie, who also just turned 50 this summer.
'Thank you kids for making this day so special; and to my eldest (who are not in the photo per usual), thank you for the unique gifts, though I'm most grateful for your quality time and love.
'These moments I spend with you all each day make me so happy and blessed to be your mom. I love you ❤️.'
The tabloid fixture gained international fame in January 2009.
This was due to the highly publicized birth of the world's first surviving octuplets (eight babies born at once) conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF).
The circumstances surrounding the octuplets' birth sparked controversy and debate regarding the ethics of assisted reproductive technology.
The Fullerton, California native seems to be the only parent for the kids.
In 2001 Suleman gave birth to her first child, a son. In 2002 she gave birth to her first daughter.
Suleman continued IVF treatments which resulted in three further pregnancies (including one set of fraternal twins) for a total of six children (four sons, two daughters).
After that she had her octuplets.
She brings up all 14 kids in a three-bedroom home in Orange Country, California.
Having as many as 14 kids was not intentional, she has said in the past.
The reality TV star said she never intended to have that many and was 'misled' by her doctor.
The single mom told The New York Times in December 2018 that her doctor made her think she was only going to have twins. She ended up having eight children.
The star welcomed octuplets in 2009. She said Dr. Michael Kamrava, who has since lost his medical license and moved out of the United States, is the reason she has so many children, she says.
'I was misled by my doctor,' Suleman asserted. She thought she would have only two children.
But Kamrava implanted 12 embryos. 'He told me we lost six embryos, he said they were expelled out of me, and that's why he wanted to implant another six,' Suleman claimed.
It was also claimed that she was already drugged and not completely with it when it all went down.
Kamrava's friend Rabbi David Shofet told the Times: 'He told me he suggested to her not to keep all of them, but she said no.'
Suleman began IVF treatments in 1997, when she was 21 years old.
Also in the Times interview Nadya said she did not want to keep any secrets from her 14 children: 'We talk about everything,' she said.
And the star's daughter Amerah has nothing but good to say about her mom: 'She's been fighting for our family for 10 years now. No matter what, she's never going to give up and I know that.'
Her son Joshua told The Times that having so many siblings has its pluses. He said they like having so many siblings. 'Some of my friends don't have any siblings, so they want to know what it's like. It's nice to have someone to play with, but it can be overwhelming at times.'
