orichalcum (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
orichalcum) wrote2009-01-30 02:24 pm
orichalcum) wrote2009-01-30 02:24 pm
On the Octuplets
Some of you may have seen the news that a California woman had octuplets last week. That's not what's currently shocking me.
First, there was the news that she plans to breastfeed all eight. I have mixed feelings about this, because on one level, Yay Breastfeeding! Go her! On another level...we've only got two breasts, and there's some good reason for that. Someone calculated out that if you allow for the standard 10 feedings per day for newborns of 15 minutes each, for eight babies that works out to 35 hours a day of breastfeeding. I can tell you that with only one kid, newborn breastfeeding felt like a major hobby or part-time job.
And now it's been revealed that the mother in question has six other kids between the ages of 2 and 7 - a 7 year old, a 6 year old, a 5 year old, a 3 year old, and 2-year-old twins, and does not live with the father of her kids.
This is the point where I find it really hard not to be judgmental. Fertility drugs are a wonderful scientific development and, when used correctly, can allow caring, thoughtful, dedicated people to become awesome parents. I'm really glad they exist and grateful for how many people I know they've helped.
But there's pretty much no way you get octuplets without fertility drugs. And when you've got 6 kids under the age of 7, I'm sorry, but I think you've pretty much been blessed already. At that point, it's hard to see how using what must have been high levels of fertility drugs and keeping all the fetuses seems remarkably irresponsible as a parent to both your existing kids and to the potential ones.
It's hard not to try and imagine what's going on inside her head, but I respect her desire for anonymity. Still - am I irrational to be viewing this as a case of negligent parenting?
First, there was the news that she plans to breastfeed all eight. I have mixed feelings about this, because on one level, Yay Breastfeeding! Go her! On another level...we've only got two breasts, and there's some good reason for that. Someone calculated out that if you allow for the standard 10 feedings per day for newborns of 15 minutes each, for eight babies that works out to 35 hours a day of breastfeeding. I can tell you that with only one kid, newborn breastfeeding felt like a major hobby or part-time job.
And now it's been revealed that the mother in question has six other kids between the ages of 2 and 7 - a 7 year old, a 6 year old, a 5 year old, a 3 year old, and 2-year-old twins, and does not live with the father of her kids.
This is the point where I find it really hard not to be judgmental. Fertility drugs are a wonderful scientific development and, when used correctly, can allow caring, thoughtful, dedicated people to become awesome parents. I'm really glad they exist and grateful for how many people I know they've helped.
But there's pretty much no way you get octuplets without fertility drugs. And when you've got 6 kids under the age of 7, I'm sorry, but I think you've pretty much been blessed already. At that point, it's hard to see how using what must have been high levels of fertility drugs and keeping all the fetuses seems remarkably irresponsible as a parent to both your existing kids and to the potential ones.
It's hard not to try and imagine what's going on inside her head, but I respect her desire for anonymity. Still - am I irrational to be viewing this as a case of negligent parenting?
Re: I am not ashamed of being judgmental!
But it is a good idea to use it again and see if anyone notices.
Re: I am not ashamed of being judgmental!