Octomom: Should Nurses Judge?

I’m a student of the English language and it seems that a new word has crept into our lexicon: octomom.

I always wonder who coins these new terms—many times it’s authors, journalists or others who work in the media—but suddenly, we see the word octomom everywhere and everyone knows exactly who and what it means.

There seems to be no consensus, though, about how we should feel about a woman who has given birth to eight children at one time—on purpose.

In case you’ve been in a cave, 33-year-old Nadya Suleman , a single Los Angeles mother, underwent in vitro fertilization, and the six implanted embryos yielded eight babies, including two sets of twins. This after already having six children, three of whom are said to be special-needs kids. Imagine 14 children under 8 years old, including eight preemies.

Someone has already created a page on the Wikipedia Web site for Ms. Suleman, with a note that the page “is in the middle of an expansion or major revamping” because the birth of the octuplets is an ever-unfolding current event.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I’m rather fixated on this saga.

I don’t’ lose sleep over it, but if a story about Octomom appears in the newspaper, it’s the first one I read. And if Ms. Suleman is being interviewed, the television gets my undivided attention.

I suppose the reason why I’m not the only one mildly obsessed with this anomaly is that it is just so downright outrageous and unbelievable, but it did happen.

As a mother, I can’t even fathom taking care of 14 children, much less eight preemies.

As a nurse, I know full well the care that these tiny bundles of life require. And I’m ever curious about how the Kaiser Permanente hospital, where the octuplets reside for now, is going to handle the discharge of the babies. The Octomom’s family lives in the modest three-bedroom tract home that belongs to her mother. It can’t possibly absorb eight more who will need round-the-clock care for months.

But where will the octuplets go?

Who will be responsible for their care?

How will the mother and the long-suffering grandmother cope?

At this writing, Octomom doesn’t have a clue. She’s turned down offers of help, risking that the babies will be placed in foster care.

As a lay observer of this ever-changing story, I’m puzzled, amazed and angry. Were I Ms. Suleman’s nurse, though, I’d have to suspend judgment and make her needs paramount.

And lay person or nurse, I must remind myself that it’s all about the kids now. They didn’t ask to come into the world, and could be in for a very rough childhood. They are going to need all the help they can get.

What do you think of the story?

Do you care?

And what about the fertility specialist who helped Ms. Suleman become the Octomom? Does he bear high responsibility?

Tell us what you think.