to think Octomum is bloody amazing!

[BigMomma3]

I thought she came over so well in the C4 prog. Her kids are healthy and beautiful. The nasty stuff bandied round about her is disgusting.

I have completely changed my attitude since watching the programme. AIBU!

Watched this on 4oD this morning and was impressed at how well she handled all situations. When she was speaking to reporters, she was still on the ball and was very aware of what was going on around her, alerted quickly if one of the children were hurt or upset. She seems level-headed enough and is coping the best way she can. As has already been said, it's done now so she'll just have to get on with it and has got hired help. She's being responsible about it.

I suppose her DC are being exploited but it's the lesser of two evils. They need food on the table and if it means their situation is going to provide that then so be it, IMHO.

Personally, couldn't imagine looking after 14 children, but she's a unique case to say the least. I am struggling at the thought of becoming a mother for the 2nd time, never mind a whole brood!

I have to admit when the story first broke I was sort of ARGGGH, Car crash in slow motion.

But when I saw her interviewed on Oprah, earlier in the year, i totally changed my mind.

She's the first to say that perhaps it wasn't the brightest move on her part, but now that the DC are here, no point in doing anything other than get on with it.

I'm so glad she's got herself into a routine, that the DC are settling - more or less - in time it'll all be OK.

Shame she has to hawk herself about in the media to make a living, but if that's the only way she can put food on the table, and it's not harmful to the DC, then go girl go!

That mother of hers was poison from the get-go. I'm glad she's been shunted off into the sidings.

I'm 100% behind Nadya, and her lovely, lovely children.

I watched a similar programme on Sky and didn't think she came across well at all. She seemed quite selfish and seemed to like the attention. And she seemed unhinged.

I was pretty impressed too. Like others I can't imagine making the same decisions she made - but I respect her for standing on her own two feet and dealing with the situation as best she can. I thought the lawyer was lovely. And also the nanny (I think she was a child development specialist) they interviewed was great.

I think the 10 mins quality time was good - I'm sure, in fact, they get more, but the point was that by having a set routine each child definitely got their turn - without that sort of system one might easily get left out.

I was also pretty appalled/mystified by the fact that there are people who feel so strongly about her they video themselves heaping approbium on her to post on the internet. and they think she's weird.

When I was watching it it reminded me of other programmes about people with loads of children - "10 kids and wanting more", or something. Slightly different, as all were within stable families and naturally conceived, but still absolutely huge families. My reaction on hearing about them is instinctively "how selfish" and "are they mad?", but often when I see them I change my mind. The kids are generally really well looked after and seem very happy. The mother in one of them said she spent at least equal quality time with each of her kids than a mother who worked full-time with a smaller family, which is probably true. She pointed out that she did not judge that mother, so was put out that they chose to judge her, which I thought was a fair point.

I did think that perhaps she should have thought more carefully about the impact of a potentially multiple pregnancy (she'd had twins, it was artificial insemmination, she knew there was a risk) particularly on her autistic child. And I felt for the older boy - I appreciate she has little choice but to sell stories, but she really should have made it a rule that he was not included, he was clearly very upset by it.

And totally agreed about the food point - she could easily save money by getting food cooked properly, I'm sure the cost of someone to cook food would be less than all those baby jars. Having someone come in once a week and cook up meals and then freeze them surely would be a better way forward. I do appreciate she personally doesn't have time to be Annabel Karmel as well.

It does always surprise me that people think they can impose their own judgment about what is a reasonable sized family on others. People with one child often get judged for it, and people with large families also at the other end of the scale. She may be rather an exceptional case, but there doesn't seem to be any suggestion of the children being on any sort of social services register, they all seemed OK, she obviously loved them and I noticed too that she totally had her eye on the ball all the time about what they were doing. Therefore, back off I say and let her get on with it the best way she can.

She had 6 embryoes implanted and ended up with 8 children? I am not sure I understand. Does that mean she had 2 lots of identical twins in that pregnancy?

Sounds like it, blueshoes

TBH, I thought the top limit on implanting was 3.

Maybe that´s UK?

diddl - the max is 2 according the programme and her dr broke rules by doing more. He's since been struck off I think

blueshoes, two of the eggs split making 8 babies.

my mums is a midwife and recently delivered quads. the mum had IVF also. mum asked her if she had intended 4. the mum said no, she was hoping for more but due to her age (41) she felt it was her last chance to have a baby and they decided to put all 4 of her eggs in. when they told her all four had taken, they asked if she wanted 2 taken away. she said it was'nt an option. she considered them all her babies equally, how could she choose to get rid of two of them.

perhaps this is how Nadya felt aswell.

Blimey. What are the chances of all 6 eggs taking and then 2 splitting. Miracle.

Was that in this country Booyhoo?

I don't think she's amazing at all. And while I think that death threats are stupid, I do think that the babies should have been taken into care and put up for adoption where they at least have the chance of a normal upbringing and the other children have the chance of the same.

There is no way that woman can give those children a normal upbringing.

Did anyone else think she'd had cosmetic surgery?!

I felt sad. I couldn't take to her. I felt the bad stuff she endured was OTT. But I felt that 10 mins quality time per pair and the daily life was awful. truely awful.
I know that sometimes I don't spend that much quality time with my 2 children, but on a regular basis, I do. 10 mintues and the general bedlam. It was not .....
She had many children already, before the final implant. I think that it where her judgement went wrong. But saying that once she became pg, what was she supposed to do, kill one, or some of the 8 ? No.
Guess she coped o.k. with the circumstances that she found herself in. Just a bit sad that she actually found herself in those circumstances.

I don't think that I am suggesting that her children, or some of them, should be taken into care.
But I didn't think the life they had was good.
Not good enough.
Not sure what I am suggesting here actually, but do you see what I mean ?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I was most shocked and horrified that when she was argueing with her mum, her older child (Elijah?) who had previously been hurting her came and offered to take over filming, up until that point she had been filming herslf and then she let him film her and her mother fighting

I had to rewing to believe it

Its no wonder the child is messed up and hates being filmed himself

It made me reflect that even though it's the 21st century, having a husband can still mean the difference between villification and acceptance. There's the Duggars. They have 18 children and are expecting 19. They deliberately sought out the media and allowed them into their lives and 'exploit' their kids. Same with John and Kate (they had sextuplets) No ones giving them such a such a hard time because they're deemed to be respectably married. Even though in the case of the Duggars they deliberately keep on having more.

If Nadia had been marrried these would be considered 'miracle babies' and she'd receive even more help and endorsement deals from baby companies etc.

There is an incredible amount of misogny in society still, and really I think people do genuinely feel resentful when women appear to go it alone. I think that's what the backlash is about rather than genuine concern for the children.

I personally think she's doing great. I found it difficult coping with one whilst having PND!

I saw less than a minute of it, but did notice that the babies had major bald patches at the back of their heads. Don't babies get that when left on their backs all day? Poor little blighters.

shiney, I feel the same way about the duggars and john & kate, actaully.
It is fine to have a big family. Lots of Mn'ers do.
But there is big and then there is just ..... too big. 14 or 18 is just not ...........fair ? is that the right word ?

She isn't going it alone - she has staff.

I thought she seemed a bit sad and needy, god knows how it'll all play out. Death threats are way over the top, but she has courted the media. As for 'I don't like attention', she could make herself a tad more incognito I suppose than making herslef look like Angelina Jolie and Michael Jackson's lovechild.

I don't get how anybody can be judged a 'great mum' or that her kids are 'healthy and happy' from watching how they all behave for a short period, with cameras rolling.

Maybe she is a great mum, who knows. But that doc last night gave us precious little insight. No doubt it's not the done thing to call somebody a crap mum based upon such thin evidence, why make the opposite judgement either.

The Duggars do actually get a hell of a lot of stick for their lifestyle. Just read the Television Without Pity discussion on them.

I think people's objections to large families are mainly based round environmental concerns, and the perception that it is somehow selfish to have a big family.

With regard to the bald patches, my dd has no hair on the back of her head - she is only on her back at night time and for a couple of hours out of the entire day while playing. It's not necessarily a sign of being "left".

There was a thread about the Duggars on here. They bring the girls up to clean the house while the boys play sports.

God wants them to have as many kids as they can, apparently.

I think they are frankly, bonkers.

Totally agree Shiney. Years ago big families were the norm, what's changed since then other than perception of it? People should mind their own business imo, large families can be close and loving; having 1 or 2 isn't "better" than having 14. They will all have their time with their mother. They might end up having more time with their mother than some with 2 children might, it depends on the person and indivdual circumstances to a degree as well.

Jon and Kate are divorcing now aren't they? Guess they'll be the next ones to be slated....

Just because some find it hard to cope with 2 children doesn't mean everyone will. I have 3 and would love more, it isn't always easy but it's nowhere near hard.

Jon and Kate are divorcing ?
That does not surprise me actually.
I watched , only a clip admittedly of them the other day. They seemed very .... distant, fractious. Is that natural decline of relationship ?