Strollerderby

I'm still waiting for this to make sense, now that we hear from the mother, it still makes no sense.

I've never heard of a fertility doctor implanting so many eggs and I don't think we've been given the entire story of why that was done.  Certainly a mother's wish to have "just one more girl" doesn't substantiate the action.

"obsessed with children"

Um, ya think maybe that she was just a little more to the dark side of obsession? Like pathologically obsessed and mentally incompetent?

The doctor that did this (RE) should have his/her medical license taken away - NO RE WOULD EVER IMPLANT 8 EMBRYOS unless they were horribly stupid and/or did not care for the health of the mother and the possible children.

Sorry, but this woman is insane and stupid to misuse assisted reproduction to get "one more girl" and the doctor is incompetent and just as much of a moron as this woman. 8??? Seriously??? It wasn't even because 3 or 4 were implanted and they split, nope, they put 8 in there???

I feel very sorry for those children.

And you know that someone this unbalanced is bound to need to get pregnant again and again - this looks like attention-seeking behavior and a pathological need that borders on a collection mania (like those crazy animal collectors that can't stop "adopting" dogs and cats to the point where they are neglected and malnourished and even die).

This is all kinds of crazy. I feel like there must be some back story we're all missing, but the more I read, the more it appears she's clearly mentally unfit. What kind of doctor would impregnate her with 8 embryos!? I agree, s/he should have his license revoked.

I agree with the "collection mania" suggestion. That's very much what it's like. Clearly, the mother is unbalanced. I fear for the long term health of 14 children being raised by a single mother who chose to have 8 embryos implanted because she wanted "one more girl." LUNACY!

I'm a little curious to know how she managed to pay for all this.  

Seriously, IVF alone is around 20K US$ a throw...not to mention the cost of a high-risk pregnancy...where did she get the money?  I almost wonder if some right-wing nutjob funded this to prove a point.

Here are some more interesting facts about the story:

www.timesonline.co.uk/.../article5627531.ece

-The grandmother takes care of the six older children. One of the children is autistic.

-The grandparents bought their daughter (the mother) a house several years ago.  Then they lost their home and had to move in with their daughter and grandchildren.  Now they are bankrupt and the grandfather is planning to go back to his native Iraq to work as a taxi driver and translator.

-The mother is seeking 2 million dollars from media interviews to cover the cost of raising her children.

I too thought this sounded like collection mania, but instead of cats, it's kids. This woman's support system has failed her, from her parents -- who should have gotten her help instead of supporting her -- to the medical community, who should have seen the obvious red flags. Let's just hope this example prevents it from happening again.

The fact that one of those FOURTEEN kids is autistic just breaks my heart.  My husband and I are just beginning to understand the full impact that our daughter's care is going to impose on our lives -- it's going to take every bit of our extra time, energy, and money to ensure that she has the best possible chance at a normal life.  What are this child's chances?  With thirteen siblings, no father, and eight premature babies?  Oh, it all just makes me sick.  She needed psychiatric care, not IFV.

OK, before the entire blogging community of women who have fertility issues and I have our brains literally blow out of our heads....

Embryos are not implanted.  Implantation takes place after the embryos are transferred.  So your word for today is transferred.

I am the mom of all boys.  I would have loved to have a girl.  But the most important thing is to have healthy babies.  I knew when to say when.

This is insane.  And, so harmful to those who need ART to get pregnant.  This just fuels the "your going to have a litter" attitudes toward women who need IVF.  Responsible women with responsible doctors are not going to have litters, they might have twins.  But this just perpetuates the myth that women undergoing IVF are the ones having high-order multiples.

The doctor should be investigated and lose his license.

Seriously, we are going to blame republicans for this one? Let's step back a minute and remember that just because it is crazy does not mean it is political. Being pro-life means valuing life. It is hard to imagine that these 14 kids will get a good quality of life. This is not a pro-life, it can be done statement. This is a wacky lady and a really bad doctor. Let's leave it at that.