One baby is a nice surprise , twins are a blessing but EIGHT babies? Nature or a hormone treatment gone out of hand?BELLFLOWER, Calif. — Newborn octuplets in Southern California are a feisty bunch that appear healthy even at nine weeks premature, a doctor said Tuesday.Three babies are being given oxygen but appeared to be doing well, said Dr. Mandhir Gupta, a neonatologist at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center.
At least four could be ready for their first oral feeding later Tuesday.
"All the babies were delivered vigorously, crying and kicking," he said.
The mother, who has not been identified, gave birth Monday to the six boys and two girls weighing between 1 pound, 8 ounces, and 3 pounds, 4 ounces (0.67 kilograms and 1.47 kilograms). She was resting comfortably Tuesday and was elated at welcoming eight children to her family, Gupta said.....(http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,483371,00.html)
We can imagine that means a lot of diapers, bottles, sleepless nights.....
That woman will die of exhaustion.
ReplyDeleteBrian and I were discussing this case a moment before I sat down at my computer.
I told him,it's better to terminate a few of the less viable foetuses to give the others a better chance at complete development,gestation and good health,than to have eight sick,weak,premature babies who could die.
In this case apparently all seem healthy.That's a miracle.
By the way,Brian disagreed with me.
One of the experts said that the woman for sure has undergone a hormone treatment. And that most doctors wouldn't have let the woman have all 8. Normally they try to avoid outcomes like that.
ReplyDeleteWell, she said she wants to brestfeed them ALL.
How can she breast feed all eight?
ReplyDeleteSome people are not realistic.
I do not envy that lady.
By the way,that's a gorgeous picture of little tushes...HA
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't know how she is going to manage. The children are to remain in the hospital for 2 months at least.
ReplyDeleteYes, they are cute....its called "Easterbottoms."
My daughter had trouble nursing the twins when they got bigger.We had to mix breast milk with formula,to stretch it out.
ReplyDeleteThe babies are nine weeks premature,so fortunately they'll be hospitalized for two months.She can recover.Can you imagine the noise in that house when they all start crying at once?She needs two nannies,not Liza.
I couldn't bring myself to finish my Ian story.Re-telling these events,brings them all back and kind of upsets me a bit.
ReplyDeleteLOL. That's a good one. I guess she'll need any help she can get. However, any baby under 2 kg is considered a high-risk baby. If the mother is out of luck she may end up with eight health-challenged babies.
ReplyDeleteI understand, Jeannie. Maybe at a later date. Poor little fella.
ReplyDeleteI find it hard to beleieve that all eight will be robust and healthy.Nature doesn't work that way.
ReplyDeleteSurvival of the fittest is nature's way.
The biggest one has 1.470 kg - the smallest 0.850. I think nature never had 8 babies in its plan. With IVF you can freeze the embryos. With hormone theraphy you only can abort.
ReplyDeleteBrian feels you should give all eight embryos a chance.I still feel that four would have been a sensible solution.The mother may have ruined her own health too.
ReplyDeleteOf course a man can't imagine what that pregnancy must have been like.It must have been hell.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy for men to be pompous and judgemental when they don't know what they're talking about.
However, the danger is if you abort one you might lose ALL. The expert was very crictical of the doctors responsible for the 8 kids.
ReplyDeleteI think men just think kids. They don't realize that a woman has to carry and nurture them for almost a year inside her body.
Exactly!
ReplyDeleteBecause of my daughters kidney disease,the doctors didn"t think she should carry both babies to term.They would have sugically removed the other embryo so as not to endanger the other one.
I guess she had to lie down most of the time she was pregnant or wear a baby-monitor.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the mother of the 8 couldn't get pregnant for a very long time and myabe she is very religious so that a partial abortion was unthinkable for her.
They don't reveal her identity but I am sure she is an immigrant woman. Just a hunch.
Religion would play a big role,or she may just be one of those "right to life"people.
ReplyDeleteShe must have been visiting a fertility clinic.
The experts are positive about that. Besides, if it was a natural conception the clinic/parents would have told the press.
ReplyDeleteKind of strange the secrecy.
With 8 kids - they will need all the help they can get - financially and otherwise.
Every woman wants kids...well most of us anyway,not all at one time,shit she had a litter ...it's great to breast-feed if thats what you want...I do,it's a joy,it's good for their immune system...I have ony one ,he keeps me empty..maybe twins...but eight..that's wishful thinking...thats just me....Nee
ReplyDeleteI highly doubt she can breast feed all eight. Besides, after two months in the hospital they will be used to the bottle. Not a chance.
ReplyDeleteDon't make any sense,two months her milk will be gone.It's sad for the babies,I know everyone wishes the family well...lets get real for a moment...if something happen to the parents,what would be the out come for the babies?
ReplyDeleteExcept she comes in every day to use the pump. But then the nurses still have to feed the kids via the bottle.
ReplyDeleteYou won't believe it bit this family ALREADY HAS 6 CHILDREN - among them a set of twins...I am speechless.
ReplyDelete