The Octuplet Controversy: Dr. Oz Weighs In

Posted on Feb 20, 2009 3:11 PM

The California octuplets are almost a month old. People everywhere are still talking about Nadya Suleman, who is now the unemployed, single mom of 14 children. For the first time, we hear from the man who says he raised Nadya and knows her best: her father. On today's show, he shares his thoughts on Nadya's decision to have so many children, how it's affecting the family and what he thinks of her fertility doctor. Then, Dr. Oz weighs in on how the medical community is reacting.
Replies: 1,010
1. Re: The Octuplet Controversy: Dr. Oz Weighs In
Feb 20, 2009 8:00 PM   |   In response to: harpobear

No doubt fertility clinics will now be forced to follow much stricter rules about who they are giving treatments to now after the Suleman case. I heard on the news the house Suleman is in is in danger of foreclosure. Is this how fourteen children should wind up? On the streets, homeless, and starving, in California? The state of California needs to step in and take the children away from her. Yes, it echoes Ontario's confiscating of the Dionne quintuplets from Elzire and Oliva Dionne but there is no other way.

Important questions that must be asked of every woman who desires a child:

Do you love children?

Why not help at a daycare or home for disabled children?

Want children of your own? Why not adopt?

There are many questions that need to be answered. I do not admire Suleman at all but I do care about the six kids she already has, plus the eight babies, if they do survive after coming home from the hospital. Chances are they will have all sorts of health problems due to the premature birth.

It's a shame that life is no longer sacred, and that babies have become the latest fashion accessory for women. Look at how we treat babies and children.

I am just glad I am no part of the "Baby must have" movement in the United States of America.

2. Re: The Octuplet Controversy: Dr. Oz Weighs In
Feb 21, 2009 11:55 AM   |   In response to: harpobear

I am so saddened by this whole story. This woman who obviously has some problems, the doctor who acted so very irresponsibly, all the kids she now has. I have only been able to have one child in my life and I am suffering right now because I want another baby so bad, I am 33 and I can't afford to take measures this woman took, it seems so unfair. I feel like someone should of stepped in and done something, I realize she is a grown woman but she obviously isn't capable of taking care of herself and making responsible decisions and treating this like it's some sort of game. As a woman who is dealing with infertility I have a very hard time being understanding. I will be interested in hearing more on Tuesday.

3. Re: The Octuplet Controversy: Dr. Oz Weighs In
Feb 21, 2009 12:54 PM   |   In response to: maklee

I am also saddened by this story and am interested in hearing more on Tuesday. It is upsetting that people are so hateful and violent toward this family. It must be frightening to her children. I keep hoping there will be a way to help her somehow, but so far it has all been very negative. Her babies are very cute and I hope they can stay with their mommy if at all possible.

4. Re: The Octuplet Controversy: Dr. Oz Weighs In
Feb 21, 2009 12:57 PM   |   In response to: maryg12

I'm not sure how bad the problem is,or the conditions. But I am surprised people would say "they should take her kids away"

I've got news for y'all. You can't just take someone's kids away. Especially if she has a mental condition that requires medication or treatment. She needs help. Not a witch hunt.

5. Re: The Octuplet Controversy: Dr. Oz Weighs In
Feb 21, 2009 1:21 PM   |   In response to: harpobear

PS Oprah said that Dr. Oz said this lady was "selfishly delusional" I am very interested in hearing the meaning of this. I have read about delusions. I certainly have never heard the two words put together "selfishly delusional" What Up, Dr. Oz?

6. Re: The Octuplet Controversy: Dr. Oz Weighs In
Feb 21, 2009 3:06 PM   |   In response to: harpobear

I raised my daughter on my own while working full time, and just cannot imagine how the Octo-Mom is going to assume responsibility for 14 children by herself. This is not a task to be taken lightly (or taken on at all) for her "15 minutes" of fame.

The one issue that I have not heard in all this is the impact of this many additional children on the planet in our materialistic society. With natural resources being consumed at an unprecedented rate by almost 7B humans, and with our planet in peril, such decisions to have 14 children are unthinkable to me.

Where are our personal standards/physician's ethics of social responsibility? We need to be making thoughtful decisions for a sustainable economy and environment. How else will the human population (& all the animals!) and their progeny have a home on Planet Earth tomorrow if we continue to destroy it today with such mindless, self-centered decisions as the Octo-Mom's.

7. Re: The Octuplet Controversy: Dr. Oz Weighs In
Feb 21, 2009 4:40 PM   |   In response to: harpobear

This whole story is so sad for those poor children. However, what do we expect when we glorify these family of multiples on so-called reality tv shows like Jon and Kate Plus 8? To watch that show you would think having multiples is the easiest thing in the world, full of wonderful trips, organic food, high end matching clothes and million dollar homes. Never seen is all the behind the scenes help that goes along with making this look so effortless. These young women aspire to be just like their idols on tv so they can have the life they covet. Who pays the ultimate price for this? The kids who never asked for every private detail of their Truman Show lives to be shown every week to millions of people in order to sell the not-so-subtle products placed on these shows (hello Whirlpool, Playskool, Juicy Juice, et al). Shame on the Oprah Show and all the others who continue to perpetuate these myths and contribute to the exploitation of the children by denying them a normal childhood.

8. Re: The Octuplet Controversy: Dr. Oz Weighs In
Feb 21, 2009 4:47 PM   |   In response to: g2gpeace4a

Well said, g2gpeace4a. Dr. Phil said, "Be mad at the mother, not...). I couldn't believe my lying ears - the show was all about the displaced anger growing to the point where it appears to be at the raging point. The volunteer PR person had her life threatened and quit the job. It sounds like mob mentality! And, why? The woman clearly needs some kind of psychological help - she's trying to fill a void in her life with "babies" - come on, will someone wake up and stop the assault on this woman and her babies and get on with the job of trying to save their lives. Doesn't anyone see that their very lives could be in danger? I don't know, I feel like it's watching another tragedy, like a personal "Katrina" being played out on TV and everyone's watching and judging and pointing fingers at who's responsible for what's already been done, rather than being proactive and trying to prevent the fallout, just allowing more lives to wither away while we watch. And I'm watching people I've admired for years doing this. Yeah, what is up?

9. Re: The Octuplet Controversy: Dr. Oz Weighs In
Feb 21, 2009 5:51 PM   |   In response to: g2gpeace4a

Hi g2gpeace4a.....How did you know Dr. Oz said this lady was "selfishly delusional"? Were you at the taping of this show? I was there and just wondered what you thought of Nadya's Dad and what he had to say.

10. Re: The Octuplet Controversy: Dr. Oz Weighs In
Feb 21, 2009 10:16 PM   |   In response to: harpobear

This whole story is mind blowing to me. This woman needs help, but I like so many of us are so outraged by her actions that we don't want to give it, especially through our tax dollars. I worry so for the children, not just the octuplets, but the other six children that have to be suffering now because of their mother's own immature actions. With many of us suffering our own financial disasters at the moment, especially those of us that have tried to do everything right and somehow ended up hitting rock bottom, it just erks me that she will probably be bailed out and will come out smelling "like a rose". I do pray for the children.....I wish only the best for them, even though their mother has put them in such a bad place.

11. Re: The Octuplet Controversy: Dr. Oz Weighs In
Feb 22, 2009 6:41 AM   |   In response to: harpobear

I hate to be the stick-in-the-mud at the bash-fest, but I'm fresh out of stones.

My husband and I got great jobs, fell in love, got married, had our two wonderful children, we could afford for me to quit and stay home and life was perfection. Then BOOM, my husband was laid off and one of my children became ill and our income, savings, and plans went down the tube. So, the "right way" to do things wasn't a sure bet. Nothing is. God has a plan for all of the Suleman children and every other child. Nadya was wrong to have children to fill an emotional void, I hear ya, and I agree, children should never, ever, be used for any reason. However, I felt the "void" or need of having children before I had them, and they, and my husband are my greatest blessings. I'm not saying she was right, but this has turned into such a witch hunt, what is she supposed to do at this point? Nobody chased her down the street when she just had the six, how many of the new eight should she have aborted to stay under the world's radar? I know of too many people that have had nearly this number of children and didn't want them to hurl all of my hatred towards Nadya Suleman. I'm NOT, NOT, NOT saying she made the best choices, but death threats? Really? Come on, people, we are better than that.

12. Re: The Octuplet Controversy: Dr. Oz Weighs In
Feb 22, 2009 8:44 AM   |   In response to: harpobear

It's quite obvious that Nadia Suleman has become stricken with the Kate Gosselin syndrome... aka...the audacity in thinking the world owes you an inheritance of silver spoons because you had a rare multiples birth.

Kate and Jon Gosselin originally started their television quest with their sextuplets to show the world what it's like raising six infants + two toddlers. Then in recent seasons the viewers began to see a lot less parenting and more receiving; receiving free handouts from people, companies, resorts and media outlets. Free tummy tucks for Kate, free hair transplants for Jon. Free trips around the globe for the family, $20,000 speaking engagement fees at churches around the country AND then passing around donation buckets at these same functions (why would you donate money to a family making $millions$ on their own television show...AND...most importantly, why would you have the ignorance to ask for donations when you are making major bank???)

It's called Greed. It's called pimping out your children and receiving all the financial gain from it.

Jon and Kate Plus 8 episodes these days focus on what freebies Kate will fill her new million dollar home with next instead of having episodes of her simply even playing with her own children. It's sickening. Truly.

Mentally unstable whackadoos, like Nadia, see television shows like Jon and Kate Plus Whatever Free Stuff We Can Score Next, or whatever it's called, and think "oh boy, I want to live that life too" Kate's family doesn't even speak to her because of her selfishness simple because she can't settle for having enough of anything...I hope Nadia wont fall victim to Gosselin type antics, too.

I tell you what, though, Kate Gosselin must be having a seizure right about now hoping Nadia doesn't steal her show for her own. God forbid Kate's kids would have to stop supporting mom and dad's greedy lifestyle.

13. Re: The Octuplet Controversy: Dr. Oz Weighs In
Feb 22, 2009 10:03 AM   |   In response to: harpobear

In the NBC interview, Nadya refers to having children as a way to "fill the void" that she believes we all have. I believe I have heard nearly the exact same language used by guests on Oprah's show when discussing their problems with hoarding or addiction. Unfortunately, loose medical standards have created a situation in which the "hoarding" of children is possible. My reaction to past hoarders on Oprah's shown has been a mixture of shock, disgust and sympathy. While my reaction to this is similar, I'm having a hard time feeling sympathy.

14. Re: The Octuplet Controversy: Dr. Oz Weighs In
Feb 22, 2009 11:07 AM   |   In response to: lmoniquel

Thank you. I feel what you are saying too. Mental health disorders are hard to diagnose and sometimes people can fall through the cracks. I wasn't diagnosed with bipolar disorder until my mid-thirties. I hate to see any young mother demonized in the public eye. Like you mentioned, it is dangerous and irresponsible. :x

Gayle's 'cuckoo for cocoa puffs' comment, has kind of stuck with me all weekend.

15. Re: The Octuplet Controversy: Dr. Oz Weighs In
Feb 22, 2009 11:09 AM   |   In response to: b-leeve

I heard Oprah say it on Friday's show. I know I heard correctly because I googled 'selfishly delusional' and saw that someone had mentioned Oprah saying it. Besides finding a few stories about Nadya, people were also saying that Hilary Clinton's last speech was 'selfishly delusional' So at least she's in good company, right?:x

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