It’s hard to miss the news about a mother giving birth to octuplets, adding on to her family of six children. But lately some news has turned downright ugly. When Nadya Suleman gave birth, we saw images of the team of doctors who helped all eight babies survive and pondered the wonder of medical technology. Lately though, we hear that the octuplets’ mom has been receiving death threats, which have sparked a Los Angeles police department investigation.

From the moment I first discovered that the mother already had six children, it was clear to me that we were reading about a mother who was some experiencing some sort of mental trouble, and I’m not expert in that field. I think we would do better to focus on the system that allowed a mother to conceive eight children—I’m talking about a doctor who implanted too many embryos and an unregulated fertilization industry that let this happen. I believe what it boils down to is greed for fame and money.

Meanwhile, 14 children are growing up in a world that feels bitterly about them. I understand that California taxpayers are concerned that a big share of the financial burden of raising Suleman’s 14 kids could fall on them, and California is suffering financially. But I think public furor should not affect the innocents, whether they are babies or people who are not well.

Let’s make changes instead so that doctors aren’t allowed to make this happen again. Let’s do it for the sake of society and those parents who have waited patiently through fertility treatments and played by unspoken ethical rules. I know. I have a friend who tried for years to have children and went through much agony before deciding to adopt two. They’re now teenagers who love their adoptive mom and dad.

 
If you’re trying to decide whether to have a second child, read Carolina Parent’s article, “Are You Ready for a Second Baby?”