Strollerderby : Dr. Phil

Octo-Mom Home With All Eight Kids - VIDEO

Brett Singer — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:45:00 GMT

Nadya Suleman, the Octo-Mom (do we really need to say that anymore?), has "finally" brought the eighth and final octuplet home to roost. Jonah is his name. (Someone less sensitive than I would make a whale joke here. But I won't.)

RadarOnline has the EXCLUSIVE video of Nadya and the children. The kids are cute. There are a lot of them. She already has six. That makes fourteen.

We know all of this, of course. The question is, do we still care?

Is anyone else surprised at how quickly we seem to have become uninterested in Mme. Suleman? I wonder if whoever signs her up for a TV show is prepared for "Denise Richards – It's Complicated" level ratings. I mean, would you watch an Octo-mom show? Maybe at first, but for how long?

Anyway, here's the video for those who are interested. I sort of am. But I think I've reverted to feeling sorry for the kids, and even slightly sorry for her. Not that I think she didn't create this situation, but, as Hannah wrote, she seems like she might be "crazy in a way that requires compassion and serious psychiatric treatment, not a media campaign, and definitely not a fertility clinic." Well put.

Source: RadarOnline

Another Day, Another Dollar, Another Octomom Exclusive Interview

OctoMom's Second Publicist Quits

Suleman Cashing In - Trademarks Term Octomom

The Secret to Octomom's Expensive Pregnancies

Open Letter To The Woman Who Pushed Me While I Was Picking Up My Kid

Family Awarded Millions For Circumcision Mistake

Woman Will Go Free If Son Comes Back To Life

Suleman Cashing In - Trademarks Term Octomom

SunnyChanel — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:00:00 GMT

If you are chomping at the bit to create a brand such as Octomom Super Wipes, Octomom’s Octopus Plush Dolls, or the Octomom Birth Control Pill, your dreams may never come to fruition. Nadya Suleman has filed to trademark the term ‘Octomom’. What plans does Suleman have for the Octomom name? According to the filing she wants to use the name for TV programs, clothing, and disposable and also cloth diapers.

Her lawyer Jeff Czech told the Associated Press that, "She doesn't particularly care for the name but she thinks it's a good idea to protect it…She has a sense of humor about it.” When Suleman appeared on Dr. Phil, she demanded that that the term Octomom not be used. Apparently, she's now ready to embrace the moniker.

But Suleman wasn’t the first to file to lay claims to the name. Super Happy Fun Fun, Inc., a Texas company that creates video games, filed for a trademark of Octomom for their game where players "press down on Fertyle Myrtle's swollen belly, and another adorable bundle of joy will be brought into the world."

Suleman’s lawyer doesn’t think this application will be approved since it’s not just using the Octomom name but “is associated with a name or a person,” and therefore in Suleman’s case “it is protectable.”

What products would you want to see with the Octomom name branded on it?

Gloria Allred Sits On A Booster Seat

Brett Singer — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Reading this headline might cause you to think that we're being mean. Before you darn me to heck, though, consider this -- it's true.

W Magazine developed a fascination with Ms. Allred not dissimilar to our own. A key difference is that W Magazine's office is in the same building as Allred's, so staff members at the mono-syllabic-named mag popped in on a recent press conference she had regarding the OctoMom. (Nadya Suleman, perhaps you've heard of her?)

Anyway, among other amusing observations, the editors noticed that the "small and compact" attorney (their words) was seated on an actual booster seat. This one.

What seems odd to me is why Allred wouldn't just get a phone book, or a more grown-up version of a booster seat. Like maybe a pillow. The W editors wonder if "Maybe it's something she picked up from the Suleman kids?" Either that or product placement. Only time will tell.

Image: WMagazine.com

OctoMom's Second Publicist Quits

AUDIO - OctoMom 911 Calls Released

The Dr. Phil And OctoMom Show

OctoMom Video Blog at RadarOnline

OctoMom Rejects Angels In Waiting Offer

OctoMom Says Denis Beaudoin is Not OctoDad

Realities of Discharging Octuplets

Jimmy Kimmel And The Octomom

Brett Singer — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Now that I'm a parent I find that I don't have time to watch late night TV, but Jimmy Kimmel seems to have gotten pretty funny while I was busy with my brood. Luckily I can catch it all in dribs and drabs online. (Note: these are only sort of safe for work/the eyes and ears of your kids, so proceed with some caution.)

Like the rest of us, Kimmel has been taking pot shots at Nadya Suleman, aka the Octomom. Unlike the rest of us, he has a staff of writers and video people. (None of these are examples of tremendously complex comedy but it probably helped to have, you know, help.)

This video is really all about the wax lips that Jimmy puts on (and eventually eats) when he "plays" Nadya Suleman on his late night talk show. So it's a cheap gag, but still kind of funny.

It is a little gross when Jimmy/Nadya pulls out a Mason jar of embryos and sits on them. But again, it's kind of funny in a Beavis/Butthead sort of way. I'm also not sure whether he's talking about Nadya or Dr. Phil when he says he wouldn't "give money to that lunatic."

Jimmy also has video of the birth:

The babies are flyin'. Look out!

And Jimmy looked at the video of Nadya and her mom:

That little edit at the end didn't happen. It's kind of like the scene in 'True Lies', where Ah-nuld imagines punching out the car salesman who was lusting after his wife. Wish fulfillment. Something tells me Nadya's mom wouldn't mind having a DVD of that clip to watch when things get tough.

Image: DailyTube

OctoMom Says Denis Beaudoin is Not OctoDad

Power Ranger Toys For Babies And Adults

Wolverine Blow Up Toy

OctoMom's Second Publicist Quits

OctoMom Video Blog at RadarOnline

New Rick Springfield CD For Kids

AUDIO - OctoMom 911 Calls Released

RENT Too Risqué For Some Schools

Will Ferrell's Landlord Retires From Comedy

Oprah Gets It Right On Chris Brown

Brett Singer — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 22:00:00 GMT

My mother and I sometimes disagree (shocking, I know) and occasionally we argue about Oprah. (Not a lot -- don't worry, we're not obsessed or anything. We have far more important things to fight about.) She'll tell me that Oprah said this or that, and oh, isn't it wonderful, and I'll say, feh, Oprah, she's not so great, she's responsible for unleashing Dr. Phil on the world. So when mom told me that the Gayle King's best friend was doing a show about the Chris Brown and Rihanna situation, I was skeptical. Too many celebrities have been talking about the incident and not saying the right things.

For example: Sean Combs (aka Diddy or whatever the hell he calls himself these days) kind of missed the point when he told Ellen DeGeneres, "I don’t think it’s right for anybody to hit anybody…. We know sometimes relationships get ugly (but) we don’t know exactly what’s going on (in this one). It isn't right for him to put his hands on her or her to put his hands on him" -- which to me implies that somehow if Rihanna had slapped Chris, it would be OK if Brown gave her a black eye. Which it isn't. Ellen, for her part, gets it right when she says that she doesn't want any girl to think that "it's OK to go back to a guy that hit her," although she says it in a very wishy-washy manner ("I don't want to judge" anyone, that sort of thing) and lets Diddy to the hook too easily ("I want to dance!"). Yes, her show isn't exactly "60 Minutes," but this also isn't a fluffy issue. If you're going to bring it up, you should be clear how you feel, and if possible get the last word. (Here's a clip if you missed it, which would be understandable. I never watch that show.)

Back to Oprah. I didn't watch the whole segment (hey, I'm busy) but I feel confident that the tone she took with was the correct one based on this quote:

"Love doesn't hurt. And if a man hits you once, he will hit you again."

See, it really is that simple. I understand that the charges against Brown are pending, and as Diddy so brilliantly points out, none of us were in the car with the young couple when the incident occurred. But Brown has shown no remorse at all. More disturbing is the way that many of Brown's peers are defending him, and that anyone thinks his alleged actions are OK. Grammy-winning Rapper T.I. said on Carson Daly's talk show that he told Brown "this too shall pass." He went back on that statement, perhaps when he realized that Daly's show is actually broadcast on television, which is a mistake I can understand. And Usher backtracked on his earlier statement that Brown should "have a little bit of remorse" about what happened, and not hit the jet skis at Diddy's house. (Good thing he apologized -- that's crazy talk!)

Brown dropped out of the Kids' Choice Awards, which was a good PR move, but it's also somewhat irrelevant, since his statement just said something about it being difficult to "focus on the music" with all of this other stuff going on. Oprah used my line (OK, other people said it too) and called this a great "teaching moment." Problem is, I'm not so sure that the right lesson is being taught. It's important to everyone, but especially important to parents, since many of our kids are still young enough to not have formed opinions about this issue yet. (Some of those kids, though, are much smarter than our celebrities, which is always nice to see.)

For me this is a simple issue. While legally what Brown did falls into the category of "allegedly," he hasn't denied it, and in fact has basically admitted that he beat up Rihanna. Rihanna got back together with him and decided not to press charges. Anyone who says anything about this issue in public needs to be very clear because many of Brown's fans are young and for better or worse they sometimes take their cue from celebrities. Hitting your girlfriend is wrong. If your boyfriend hits you, leave. Why is that so hard?

Source: Oprah.com

Image from here

UPDATE: Chris Brown's Skipping the Kid's Choice Awards

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Heath Ledger's Daughter Gets His Oscar

The Dr. Phil And OctoMom Show

Teens Talk Back to the Media on Dating Violence

Grieving a Lost Pregnancy? Sorry, We'd Like a Drug Test

Why Teens Are Quick to Blame Rihanna

The Dr. Phil And OctoMom Show

Brett Singer — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 01:30:00 GMT

Who needs a publicist? Dr. Phil seems to have decided that he's going to ride the OctoMom Express as far as it will take him.

First, he convinced Nadya to accept help from Angels in Waiting. They may be sketchy, but if Dr. Phil says it's the right thing to do, then that's what

Then he visited the octuplets. Here's a clip:

I like the part where he says, "Oh, of course you see them all the time." Because we need to be reminded of that.

And now he's going to reveal what the arrangement is going to be -- but not until his next show! Because he cares about... ratings.

I understand that Dr. Phil is a TV host and he wants to make money. That's fine. But he pretends that he's being somehow helpful. That's not fine. I mean, he has exactly the same license to practice therapy that I do – none. Nadya Suleman needs actual help, and I don't just mean changing all those diapers. I mean, Angelina Jolie can't adopt all eight of her kids, right?

Source: All over the freakin' Internet

Image: Me and Photoshop

OctoMom's Second Publicist Quits

AUDIO - OctoMom 911 Calls Released

Realities of Discharging Octuplets

OctoMom Video Blog at RadarOnline

OctoMom Rejects Angels In Waiting Offer

OctoMom Says Denis Beaudoin is Not OctoDad

Gloria Allred Offers To Help OctoMom

OctoMom Says No Dating For Her

Video: Homecoming For Octomom's Babies!

Angelina Jolie Could Always Use an Extra Baby

OctoMom's Second Publicist Quits

Brett Singer — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 03:23:00 GMT

Victor Munoz, the second publicist to take on the OctoMom as a client, has quit. He's also talking smack.

From Us Magazine:

"It just got to be too much," he says. "It's pretty much a free for all over there right now. They are freaking out right now.
"Not to sound arrogant, but those people depended on me for everything," he continues. "You have no idea what I’ve had to do for these people.
"Nadya got real greedy. This woman is nuts," he adds. "This I can say: what ultimately destroyed the business arrangement was personal reasons."

Here's the best part:

Munoz -- who plans to meet with his lawyers Monday to go over the terms of his contract and confidentiality clause -- did not go into further detail.

Oh! Well thank goodness he didn't go into any further detail. And I'm sure we're all thrilled that he's going to see what confidential information he can share.

It was never clear to me why Nadya needed a publicist. Anyone who worked for her should have realized that they were getting involved in a situation that was unlikely to end well. Having worked in PR, I can honestly say that sometimes a client is not worth it. In fact, the only thing that can make a difficult client more bearable is money. In this case, how could there be any money to be had? Suleman's previous flack, Joann Killeen, claimed that she was doing the job gratis, and bailed when she received death threats. Now maybe I'm the crazy one here, but when I hear that about an available job that pays nothing and comes with death threats, my first thought isn't, "Hey! Job opening! Cool!"

I guess Nadya's not the only one who likes the drama.

We now return to... the neverending story...

Source: Us Magazine

Image: Me and Photoshop

Realities of Discharging Octuplets

OctoMom Video Blog at RadarOnline

OctoMom Rejects Angels In Waiting Offer

OctoMom Says Denis Beaudoin is Not OctoDad

Gloria Allred Offers To Help OctoMom

OctoMom Says No Dating For Her

OctoMom Loathes Being Pregnant

Realities of Discharging Octuplets

Brett Singer — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Here's a new twist on the neverending OctoMom story -- reality.

According to the blog Reality Rounds, discharging preemies, especially 8 of them, is always something that hospitals have to take very seriously. Caring for a premature baby is more difficult than caring for a child who was full-term. Even with a mother who isn't a quasi-celebrity, the babies aren't necessarily just released when the mother decides it's time to go.

This isn't always the case, however. Shannon says that when she arrived to pick up two preemies that she was adopting, no one did any due diligence to make sure she was able to take care of them. "I certainly wasn't visiting them and proving I could diaper and feed them daily, as I didn't know they were alive until the social worker called and said 'come and get your baby.'" Shannon wonders if this would have been the case if the babies had been white.

And Jeanne suspects that the real reason behind the hospital's reticence is legal in nature. "With a high publicity case like this, the hospital lawyers must be frothing at the mouth," she said.

(Note: we all chat by email about this stuff, that's where the quotes are from. In case you were wondering.)

When Nadya tells Dr. Phil that she is worried that the hospital won't release her babies, she should really be concerned with how exactly she is going to care for them. Babies are a tough job. Eight preemies? The mind boggles.

Source: Reality Rounds (thanks to Alice for the tip)

Image: Me and Photoshop

OctoMom Rejects Angels In Waiting Offer

OctoMom Says Denis Beaudoin is Not OctoDad

Gloria Allred Offers To Help OctoMom

OctoMom Says No Dating For Her

OctoMom Loathes Being Pregnant

UPDATE! Octo-Mom Alert! Police Visits and a Child Services Investigation

Octo-Mom Birth Video to Fetch a Cool Million?

AUDIO - OctoMom 911 Calls Released

Brett Singer — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:02:00 GMT

We already know that Nadya Suleman called 911 when she couldn't find one of her kids. Now we can hear it.

"Help me! My son is missing! I'm going crazy! Where's my son? Where's my son?"

(Visit TMZ to hear the call, or listen to it below.)

It's sad to listen to. Bizarrely fascinating but sad. Most parents will relate to the first call somewhat -- Nadya thinks her five-year-old is missing. The thing is, she loses it completely, saying, "Oh my God, I'm going to kill myself." She is then admonished by the 911 operator to not say something like that in front of her children. "Keep yourself under control." When the kid comes back, says "mommy," it's heartbreaking.

This woman is a mess.

Then comes the second call. One of Nadya's kids calls 911 and hangs up. The 911 operator calls back, talks to the kid, who claims to be in charge of the home, eventually admitting that a babysitter is there. That part is kind of funny. The operator really earns her keep by getting an adult on the phone who says everything is OK.

The common thread between the two calls is chaos. I'm not a fan of chaos. With kids, it happens. With six kids, it probably happens a lot. With fourteen? Do I need to say it?

Forget "reality show." Actual reality has crept into this story.

A commenter over on MomLogic has a theory that I wish I could say I don't take any stock in but it's hard not to at this point: "The movie 'The Changeling' in which Angelina Jolie has scenes where she is frantically beseeching to get her lost son back opened on October 24. Trailers for the movie must have been all over the networks for days. This 911 call came in on Oct 27. Total coincidence, I am sure."

Oy. Vey.

Source: TMZ

Image: Me and Photoshop

OctoMom Video Blog at RadarOnline

OctoMom Rejects Angels In Waiting Offer

OctoMom Says Denis Beaudoin is Not OctoDad

Gloria Allred Offers To Help OctoMom

OctoMom Says No Dating For Her

OctoMom Loathes Being Pregnant

UPDATE! Octo-Mom Alert! Police Visits and a Child Services Investigation

Octo-Mom Birth Video to Fetch a Cool Million?

OctoMom Video Blog at RadarOnline

Brett Singer — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:00:00 GMT

I don't want to be mean here. I really don't. But I'm starting to feel sorry for Nadya Suleman and her children.

I really think she needs help. I don't mean financial help. Help from a doctor not named Phil.

In a new video blog posted exclusively at RadarOnline, she says "I want to be private." She means that she doesn't want people to know where she lives, because clearly she doesn't want to be, you know, actually private. "Being in the field I'm in, I know there's a lot of emotionally disturbed people in the world…I have trust issues."

She's not worried about anything, she's not overwhelmed. She's hiring help. The other moms are supportive, everything is FINE.

What?

You see her interacting with her children, who don't seem all that happy. The tape feels like an audition reel for a reality show.

Other highlights, in case you can't bear to watch the video:

-   New house, a rental. "I'm doing it myself," meaning no help from anyone. Unclear how it's possible to rent a 2800 square foot house with no job.
-    MSNBC says that the video "shows Suleman struggling to speak as one of her older six kids bites her, pulls her hair and slaps her in the face," but I didn't see anything terribly unusual. I mean, the kids don't look thrilled by the camera and are eventually ushered out of the room (presumably to a very weary grandmother, but you don't see that). Still, the kids' behavior looks like a kid trying to get mommy's attention.
-   This part I will just quote: "Suleman said her older children are already jealous of the octuplets. When a friend showed the kids a picture of their new siblings, 'they hit the picture,' Suleman said." Oy vey.

Also bizarre are her hand-written blog entries. In this one she talks about meeting Dr. Phil. (Because that's really what a mother of 14 should be thinking about.) By not typing her entries for her, Radar clearly wants us to see Nadya's nutty side. (Read the PDF file here.)

It's all fairly disturbing, actually. Hard to look, hard to look away.

Source: MSNBC, RadarOnline

OctoMom Says Denis Beaudoin is Not OctoDad

Gloria Allred Offers To Help OctoMom

OctoMom Says No Dating For Her

Really Wanna Let Octomom Have it? Leave Her Alone

"Angels in Waiting" Apparently Still Waiting

OctoMom Loathes Being Pregnant

OctoMom Rejects Angels In Waiting Offer

Brett Singer — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:05:00 GMT

According to RadarOnline, Nadya OctoMom Suleman has rejected an offer from the group Angels In Waiting to "provide her with a temporary new home for six months."

Angels offer was pretty sweet. According to Radar: "around the clock individualized care by pediatric nurses and other early intervention professionals for her octuplets and their six other siblings." This is in addition to giving them A PLACE TO LIVE. Remember that the house she currently lives in -- her parents' -- is facing foreclosure.

Gloria Allred is all red with frustration -- actually, I don't know if that's true but I wanted to write that. Sorry. We'll learn how she feels later today when the attorney to the weird gives a press conference.

I can understand not accepting help from people for various reasons. In this case, I think Suleman should take what she can get, especially since she's already asking for help from anyone who is willing. So why turn this one down? Is it that she doesn't like Allred? She also seems to be rejecting offers of help from Denis Beaudoin, who said he'd give Nadya some money even if he wasn't the father. Can she really afford to be so, you know, choosy?

Commenter FoxyMoxie (thanks for the tip!) says that Allred will discuss the "'disturbing' phone conversations" she has had with the OctoMom. I mean, will this thing ever end?

Source: RadarOnline

Gloria Allred Offers To Help OctoMom

OctoMom Says No Dating For Her

Really Wanna Let Octomom Have it? Leave Her Alone

"Angels in Waiting" Apparently Still Waiting

OctoMom Loathes Being Pregnant

Brett Singer — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:00:00 GMT

When lawyers represent mostly accident victims, we call them ambulance chasers. What about a shrink who only wants to talk to screwed up people who get lots of media coverage? We need a name for them. Oh wait -- there is one. Dr. Phil.

Yes, the man that Oprah unleashed on the world is at it again. This time he's chatting with Nadya Suleman. You know. The OctoMom! Where ya been, people? This is the only important news story in the world right now. Pay attention.

Here's a little video to whet your appetite:

Doesn't she sound like a delusional 'American Idol' contestant? It's not that you're single. It's that you're single, intentionally had TONS of babies, and have no way to support them. It's irresponsible. How much time could you possibly be spending with any of your kids, the six you already had or the octuplets, if you're always out doing interviews?

This quote was the one that got me:

When Dr. Phil asked her if she was addicted to being pregnant, Nadya responding [sic] saying, no, she absolutely loathes being pregnant and she looked into adoption after her third pregnancy.

She LOATHES being pregnant. So…why do it again? And again? (Reminds me of another Dr. Phil 'patient', Britney Spears -- 'Oops, I did it again / I had 8 more kids…')

And by the way. Of course you loathed being pregnant. You were pregnant with eight babies! That's like carrying around a Humvee in your stomach!

Having never been pregnant, I can safely say that I have no idea how it feels. But many of the women I've spoken to say that they do love it, at least at times. The baby kicking, the life growing inside of you -- that sort of thing.

Since I have no idea, I'll ask the moms out there -- did you "loathe" being pregnant like Nadya?

Source: EverythingOprah

Image: Me

Gloria Allred Offers To Help OctoMom

OctoMom Says No Dating For Her

OctoMom Receives Death Threats

VIDEO-OctoMom And Doctor From Two Years Ago

UPDATE: GMA Snags an Interview with The Octuplet’s Baby Daddy!

Really Wanna Let Octomom Have it? Leave Her Alone

VIDEO-Octo Mom Publicist On GMA

What Octo-Mom Is Spending The Money On

Octuplet Mom Wants TV Career

OctoMom Says Denis Beaudoin is Not OctoDad

Brett Singer — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT

So you know that interview with Denis Beaudoin where he claimed to be the OctoDad? Nadya Suleman says that his pants, they are on fire. By that I mean he's lying, according to OctoMom. Suleman's new spokesperson Victor Munoz says that "Denis is definitely not the father."

What nobody is denying is that Denis donated sperm to Suleman on three different occasions. According to OctoPublicist Munoz, Denis twice "gave Suleman a sperm sample at home, which she held between her breasts to keep warm." Then a THIRD time, Denis "was brought to a fertility clinic after Suleman told him she had cancer and they were going to see a doctor." The sperm was placed directly into her womb, there were no embryos created, aaaaand… that's it. I'm done.

OK, one more detail. David Solomon is listed as the father of the oldest of Nadya's first 6 children, and Munoz says that there is one father for all 14 kids. But he won't confirm or deny that said father is Solomon.

Oh, and the hospital might not release the octuplets to Nadya. Seems they're concerned that she won't be able to care for them properly. So she called Dr. Phil. No. Really.

AHHHH!!!!

I'd call this a train wreck, but that's insulting because I kind of like trains. But I have to admit that I'm fascinated because there seem to be more details every other minute. It truly is… the never ending story.

Too much drama. Having kids is dramatic enough. Why include all of this other crap?

Source: ABC News

Image: Me, using Photoshop, using this from Amazon

OctoMom Says No Dating For Her

OctoMom Receives Death Threats

VIDEO-OctoMom And Doctor From Two Years Ago

UPDATE: GMA Snags an Interview with The Octuplet’s Baby Daddy!

Really Wanna Let Octomom Have it? Leave Her Alone

VIDEO-Octo Mom Publicist On GMA

What Octo-Mom Is Spending The Money On

Octuplet Mom Wants TV Career

Hospital May Not Let Octo-Mom Take Her Preemies

Madeline Holler — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:27:00 GMT

Nadya Suleman called Dr. Phil McGraw in a panic yesterday saying the hospital where her premature octuplets are being cared for may not release them to her.

McGraw (is he her new spokesperson?) told the LA Times about Suleman's distressed phone call.

He said Kaiser Permanente wasn't likely to release the babies -- who are now 34 weeks old since conception -- until she had a better living arrangement. She also told Dr. Phil that the hospital had some concerns about her ability to care for the children. He didn't have details on those concerns.

The hospital wouldn't comment on the Suleman babies specifically. But a spokesperson said social workers do work with parents to determine which services their children might need and what the family qualifies for. Child Protective Services may also be brought in if social workers feel there may be a risk to the children.

From the Times:

When the infants reach 35 weeks, they are released once they can maintain their body temperature, eat regularly and without difficulty and demonstrate continued growth. Often, the children are about five pounds when they are released ...

The babies are getting close and appear to be doing fine. But Suleman's parents' house, where she lives, is in pre-foreclosure and a bit full with her six other kids and only three bedrooms.

Octo-Gramps Tells Oprah His Daughter is Kinda Crazy

Octuplets' Fertility Doctor Strikes Again!

Ex-Employee of OctuDoc Shocked He's Still in Business

Octo-Doc Not the Only One Breaking the Rules

California Cutting Assistance to Foster Families

What is Octo-Mom Spending the Money On?

Photo: celebritygossip.com

Tell Dr. Phil About Your Home Birth—If You Dare

Miriam Axel-Lute — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:55:00 GMT

Dr. Phil is seeking home birth stories. But not just any home birth stories. He wants just the bad ones—the ones you regret, the ones that made you have your next kid in the hospital.

I'm sure those exist somewhere. I'm sure it is partly just who I know that the only parents I've heard of regretting their choice of birth location are people who went to hospitals (which is not to say that everyone who chooses a hospital regrets it certainly).

And Dr. Phil has a right to focus his shows how he wants. If I were doing a show on home birth myself, I don't think I'd go out of my way to find one that had been a disaster.

Nonetheless, it's awfully hard to look at the questions he's asking and not fear that the show will be a massive fear-mongering misconception fest, which is a definite problem as home birth keeps facing legal challenges. You can almost hear the condescension dripping:

"Did you want to have a soothing experience where you were in control and could bond with your child?

Did it not go the way you planned?

Did you have your second child the traditional way in a hospital?"

I suspect that I'm not the only mother whose reasons for to giving birth at home were a damn sight more numerous and complex than just wanting a "soothing experience" (though, frankly, feeling safe and calm is not just a perk—it can make labor a lot shorter). In fact, pne of my reasons was that our (trained, experienced, prepared for emergencies) midwives understood that birth usually doesn't go as planned and can't really be controlled. OBs and hospitals tend to forget that and are all too ready to make extreme interventions not because something is dangerous, but just because it's inconveinent or unexpected. For me, since my kid had unexpectedly turned breech the night before, being at home meant the difference between a trouble-free, quick delivery and an unnecessary c-section.

There are a number of midwifery and doula groups, as well as individuals, encouraging women to bombard Dr. Phil with positive home birth stories. I sent him mine, but I'm not sure how how much good it'll do. Sounds like his mind is made up. I think the suggestion someone made to pester Oprah to do a show of positive home birth stories (and, I would add, include real home-birth midwives talking about how they bring oxygen and know how to do sutures and do transport to the hospital when warranted) might have a greater effect in the long run. Or am I giving up on the good doctor too easily?

Photo, "Prepared," by freckle'sphotos.

Dr. Phil Bails Girl Arrested For Videotaped Beating of Classmate

Cole Gamble — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:00:00 GMT

The Dr. Phil show has seen fit to pony up bail for one of the girls recently arrested for beating a classmate unconscious and video taping the crime with intent to post on You Tube. When asked about the motivation, staffers for the show said it is common show policy to make financial contrubtions to former guests and hopeful future guests.

Where do I spew my bile first?

This brings up a few points in my mind:

1) Ah high school, how I miss it. Times sure have changed. Now that bullies have resources like MySpace and You Tube, kids can get ridiculed, battered and emotionally crushed without leaving the comfort of their homes. I don't want to date myself, but back in my day if someone wanted to destroy you socially they simply passed a rumor around school that you had herpes. Will it ever be so innocent again?

2) What's with the trend of video recording your crimes and posting them on You Tube? Maybe it's the era of the reality show seen to its only logical conclusion. Fame is fame, right?

3) With this following fast on the heels on Dr. Phil's Ill-advised Brittany Spears intervention/publicity stunt, is it clear to everyone now that this guy, or at least his show, is bottom-feeding? Oh, and he drives a $250,000 Lamborghini. Get over that!

By the way, my Babble Buddy Brett offered this tidbit of Dr. Phil trivia: Do you know what Dr. Phil did is doctoral thesis on? Arthritis. Hmmm, maybe you should just give me a cream for my crampy hands, Dr. Phil, and stop giving me advice.

Photo: www.blog.wired.com

Son, perhaps you should consider a trade

Brett Singer — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:15:00 GMT

Not only is it impossible to get junior into that elite Kindergarten, once you do, the little rat won't be able to get into college. At least that's what the numbers are telling us this week.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Harvard admitted 7.1% of students who applied this year, down from 8.9%. Yale and Princeton showed some drops as well. OK, you say, that's the Ivy League. As Garfield might say, big fat hairy deal. But, in yet another example of why we really shouldn't listen to Garfield (especially regarding college advice), state schools such as the University of Texas are showing a similar trend.

Although The Journal reports that many high school students are "freaking out" about the news, I would like to remind children everywhere that Dr. Phil McGraw attended the University of North Texas, which, according to U.S. News and World Report, is a fourth tier school. And he's done pretty well for himself.

In all seriousness, I think it's possible to get a good education in a number of different venues, but it's undeniable that the Ivy League and other top-tier schools offer connections and resources that are sometimes harder to come by at other institutions. The other aspect of this is the pressure it places on kids, the ones who are "freaking out" because they may not get into the college of their choice. More stress is never a good thing. Hopefully this news won't make crazy parents who started obsessing over college while their children were in utero start to act even crazier.

Look at it this way -- you can use all that money you saved to take a really nice vacation.

image: College Planning Specialists, and webdesign-guru.co.uk

Girl's Guide to the Snip-Snip: Vasectomy Care for Couples

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 16:14:00 GMT

Kellyology gives some great tips on what a couple can expect after a vasectomy. In addition to worrying about the crazies, a smart couple should also beware of valium-induced silliness, command ejaculation (the kind that is oh, so convenient with the small kids everywhere), and the dangers of post-operative child-lifting.

In short, Mommy better be prepared to have one more child around after he parts with a piece of his vas. Prior to having any sharp implements close to your precious' precious, you should also both be damn sure you are done having children, because the reverse procedure is possible but not usually successful (Dr. Phil's success notwithstanding).

I'd also recommend getting a sitter to help keep the house running while you're caring for him, and stock up on some of his favorite movies. My hubs caught up on the Lord of the Rings while in bed after the Big Surgery.

Any other vasectomy / surgery recovery tips out there?