14 DAY TRIAL // Nadya Suleman’s octuplets turned 1 the other day and, as we also reported, she started the day by hitting the gym to work on her now-toned body, the one she unveiled for the recent cover of Star magazine in nothing but a swimsuit. Speaking with People magazine in a candid interview, Suleman says she’s matured a lot this past year, being now less selfish and clearly more concerned about what the future holds for her and her babies.
OctoMom, as she’s dubbed in the media, has often been harshly criticized for putting herself first and of actually milking the story of the octuplets so that she could afford plastic surgery and who knows what else. This is not true, Suleman explains, her focus has been and will always be her babies, all 14 of them. Because of this, a day in her life means sleeping as little as 2 hours per night, hitting the gym also at night, not having time for herself at all and trying to divide her attention in 14 different ways so that she connects with her children as any normal mother would.
“I’ve definitely matured a lot. When this started, it was all about me. But now I find myself in a situation where I have to support a large family and take care of a large household. I’ve been through more in the past year than most people go through in a lifetime. I’ve been sued, harassed, abused, but I’ve held my own. I think about others now and not so much about myself. I spend more time thinking about paying bills, paying my mortgage and paying attention,” Suleman says of how this past year has changed her, making her a better mother and, ultimately, a better person as well.
So this begs the question: would she do it again? Would she have other children, since there are quotes of her in the media saying she was “open” to the idea of expanding her brood, People asks. Definitely not, a very determined Suleman answers: she never wanted this many children in the first place and she’s not about to have more. This may come dangerously close to the comment that got her much criticism in the media – namely that the octuplets had been “a mistake” – but it’s actually common sense.
“I don’t get much sleep. About two or three hours a night. But I’m continuing to move forward with my life and trying to be the best mother I can be. No, no, no… I love kids, but I also recognize that things could be better for mine. I never planned on eight. I wanted one or maybe two more. But I had eight. It’s not the best situation, but I’m doing what I can do,” Suleman explains.