Where are Natalie Suleman’s kids now? Details about I am Octomom subject explored
Natalie Suleman, popularly known as Octomom, gained media attention after giving birth to the first surviving sets of octuplets in January 2009. This became the highest order of multiple births conceived through IVF, sparking serious ethical questions and widespread controversy.
Natalie started her IVF treatments in 1997 at the age of 21. After giving birth to her first son and daughter, she went on to have three more pregnancies, giving birth to six more children. The complete story of Natalie Suleman is documented in Lifetime's new movie, I Was Octomom: The Natalie Suleman Story. The movie follows her journey and the decision to undergo one more IVF treatment.
Currently, Natalie Suleman lives with 11 of her children in a three-bedroom apartment in La Habra, Orange County, California. I Was Octomom: The Natalie Suleman Story, directed by Brianne Nord-Stewart, is set to premiere on March 10, 2025.
What is the story of Natalie Suleman?
Natalie Suleman was born in the neighborhood of Fullerton, California in 1975. She attended her psychiatric technician license from the Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. Additionally, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in child development.
She began her IVF treatments under the care of Dr. Michael Kamrava. Natalie Suleman's first child, a son named Elijah, was born in 2001. The following year, she gave birth to her daughter Amerah. Suleman further continued with her IVF treatments, and had three more pregnancies, birthing six more children.
In 2009, Suleman made history by giving birth to the world's first surviving set of octuplets, conceived through in vitro fertilization. However, her decision to have octuplets sparked public and media controversy. In June 2011, the Medical Board of California decided to examine Dr. Michael Kamrava's medical treatments.
As reported by Reuters on June 2, 2011, Kamrava's treatments were deemed an extreme departure from conventional medical standards of care. As a result, he was expelled from the fertility group. Additionally, Natalie Suleman received major public backlash, including death threats, after the children were born.
Natalie Suleman lives with her 11 children in a 3-bedroom apartment in Orange County
As reported by NBC San Diego on April 2, 2009, Natalie Suleman bought an apartment in La Habra, Orange County in March 2009. Her children celebrated their first birthday on January 26, 2010. On the same day, a People article reported that Suleman was raising the kids as a single mother.
"I don't get much sleep, but I'm used to that. Once one of the kids gets up, they all get up. Some nights I don't sleep at all or as little as half an hour. On the good nights, I may get up to two full hours. The longest I've gone without sleeping is 72 hours. It's hard, but I'm continuing to move forward with my life and trying to be the best mother I can be," Natalie Suleman said.
As reported by People on March 8, 2025, Suleman shared that she raised her children under strict rules and supervision. She stated that the teens are not allowed to date until they turn 18. Her daughter Nariyah added that they have only one phone in the residence for communication. Natalie also raised her concerns about the growing popularity of social media among young kids. She said:
"It's toxic. I don't even like going on it. I only do it to share and I dread it. It's like I can't even imagine the kids these days. It's so unhealthy. I don't believe anyone should go on social media, or be allowed on until they're 18 at least."
Natalie Suleman emphasized that she is raising her kids in an old-school tradition, encouraging them to focus less on themselves and more on serving others. She added:
"The byproduct of that is internal joy and happiness, rather than, no offense to other people and other kids these days, but they tend to be a little more, let's just say self-absorbed and self-entitled. I'm raising my kids to be aware of that and try to deviate away from that."
Suleman said that just like her, the octuplets and the older children are Vegan. She said that they save money because they don't buy animal products.
"Those are the most expensive, too. And it's the healthiest. But we're ethical vegans, and so we're doing it primarily just for the animals and to minimize the damage done to our planet," she said.
Suleman's children reveal that they are excited to step into adulthood. They play games at the house, workout in the gym, and enjoy a weekly family night. Suleman's daughter Nariyah said that she is excited to grow up and make money to help their mother. The youngest of the children, Makai said:
"In the future, when we have money of our own, then we could get gifts, real gifts for you," to which Suleman replied, "I don't really want real gifts. I don't like the materialism. I love the letters you write."
As per a Roller Coaster.ie article, published on January 26, 2025, Suleman's son Aidan is autistic and needs special assistance. As per the article, Natalie revealed through social media about her son.
"Aidan is non-verbal, requires feeding, changing (he is not potty trained), bathing, and one-to-one supervision, as he has no safety awareness and would walk aimlessly into traffic," Suleman wrote in a post.
Before the release of Lifetime's I Was Octomom: The Natalie Suleman Story, the children expressed pleasure and gratefulness in the way their mother was getting to tell her story through the movie.
Check out our other articles to know more details about Lifetime's I Was Octomom: The Natalie Suleman Story.
