Nadya Suleman became the focus of the world's media when she gave birth to eight children in January 2009, who have since gone on to be the only octuplets to survive for as long as they have.
She provoked a huge backlash when it emerged that she was a single mother who conceived the octuplets following IVF procedures, despite already having six children.
Nadya's story created a media storm but this film, for Cutting Edge, tells the inside story of what life is really like for 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman: an unemployed parent, with 14 demanding children under the age of nine, who faces the constant presence of dedicated paparazzi as well as ceaseless scrutiny by both the press and public.
Revealing a typical day in the Suleman household, the programme uncovers the colossal effort that goes into looking after 14 children: the anarchic morning routine, chaotic dinner times and the protracted difficulties of trying to get so many children to bed at the same time.
It also explores the huge expense that comes with caring for this big a family: a permanent team of helpers, several loads of washing per day, gallons of milk per day and 700 nappies per week.
The film also re-examines Nadya's back story to try and shed some light on what motivates her: her lonely childhood, her history of IVF procedures that eventually resulted in the against-all-odds birth of the octuplets, the extreme media attention that has surrounded her ever since, the legal cases she's been forced to answer and her ongoing difficulties with her own mother.
One of the most contentious and compelling tales of recent times, Octomom: Me and My 14 Kids provides an extraordinary insight into the realities of being a single mother trying to cope with 14 young children in one household.
Watch now on 4oD
On TV
First Shown
| Date | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 12 November 2009 | 9PM | Channel 4 |
Last Shown
| Date | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 12 November 2009 | 9PM | Channel 4 |
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