How many kids does Octomom have?

Nadya Suleman, more popularly known as Octomom, gained international fame when she gave birth to the first surviving octuplets in history in 2009 when she was 33 years old. From a young age, Suleman knew that she wanted a large family, something that she didn’t have growing up being an only child.

Suleman married at 21 years old and had an ectopic pregnancy, which is a life-threatening condition wherein the fertilized egg grows outside of the uterus. The pregnancy had to be terminated as a result, and Suleman soon learned that she had reproductive problems that left IVF as her only option to bear children. She separated from her husband in 2000 but decided to push forward with her IVF treatments.

Octomom had several children before the Octuplets were born

Suleman had six children aged 2 to 7 years old before the octuplets were born. She gave birth to her first child, a son named Elijah, in 2001. She describes him as “humble, genuine, kind, and loving.” In 2002, she gave birth to her daughter Amerah, an outgoing young woman who has dreams of becoming an orthopedic surgeon and having a big family, just like her mom. Joshua was born in 2003, and has a “sardonic sense of humor,” as Suleman says. He’s also the only one in the family who isn’t a vegan. In 2005, Suleman welcomed Aidan, who has autism and relies on his mother for everyday care. “I love him with all my heart, and will care for him until I die,” Suleman said. Twins Calyssa and Caleb were born in 2006, and while the former enjoys the arts, the latter is into sports.

Suleman wanted more children and in 2008, she approached Dr. Michael Kamrava, the IVF specialist who also implanted the embryos in her previous pregnancies. In 2009, she gave birth via C-section at 31 weeks, and while the infants were underweight, they all survived, making Suleman a single mother of 14 children. The octuplets — two girls and six boys — are Noah, Maliyah, Isaiah, Nariyah, Jonah, Makai, Josiah, and Jeremiah.

Octomom’s doctor had his medical license revoked

Suleman granted several interviews before and after the birth of the octuplets, and in the process, it was discovered that the unemployed single mother was in debt. Questions were raised about whether she was being selfish and whether Dr. Kamrava was negligent in implanting several embryos into Suleman, knowing that she already had several kids to take care of. Suleman claimed that she approached the doctor wanting twins and not octuplets. She further stated that the doctor told her that six of the embryos that were implanted weren’t viable, and another six had to be implanted. Dr. Kamrava defended himself by saying that he was just following what Suleman requested.

An investigation into the doctor ensued, and the medical board decided that he committed gross negligence, as he implanted more than the recommended number of embryos in at least three patients, including Suleman. As a result, his medical license was revoked.

But life went on for Suleman. In Sept. 2024, she updated her Instagram followers by announcing a new addition to the family. She is now a proud grandmother after her daughter-in-law gave birth to a baby girl on Aug. 30, 2024.