8-PAGE FEATURE INCLUDING EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS & TELL-ALL INTERVIEW WITH OCTO-MOM, NADYA SULEMAN
In a two-hour sit-down interview with Life & Style, Nadya opens up about the choices she's made, the father of her children and reveals the truth behind all the rumors..
Nadya Suleman's home in La Habra, Calif., should be a scene of chaos, yet when Life & Style arrived on April 4, things were quiet and serene. Nadya seemed less concerned with her appearance than spending time with her kids. "This is who I am," Nadya says. "There are so many lies out there, and they're all just so different from the person I really am." Here, in her first extensive print interview, Nadya finally sets the record straight for Life & Style.
L&S: You've never talked about the birth itself. What did it feel like to give birth to eight babies?
Nadya: It was extraordinarily painful. With that many babies, it feels like your insides are being torn apart. The babies were ripping apart my organs. Afterward, people thought I went into hiding. I wasn't in hiding -- I was in pain. I could hardly move.
L&S: Did you ever dream of having a family the traditional way?
Nadya: No. I was married at one point, but it didn't work out. I decided to go on my reproductive journey alone. But people think I just woke up one day and decided to start a family. I've been trying to have kids since I was 19 years old! I'm 33 now. I'd just been saving my money. I was a psychiatric technician -- almost every day I was working 16-hour days. For years, I worked non-stop until I saved for the first four in vitros.
L&S: How did you approach the babies' father to donate the sperm?
Nadya: Years ago, I said, "Hypothetically speaking, would you ever help a friend have children?" He said he would. And I said, "Then help me." And he did. I kept going back to him, and year after year, he kept helping me. He was upset when I did it again. He said the same thing everyone else did: "You have six beautiful children -- why do you want more?"
L&S: Baby No. 8, Jonah, is still at Kaiser Permanente Hospital waiting to be released. What's wrong?
Nadya: He has a little cleft on his lip. But it's not a big deal. It's cosmetic. Eventually, they can close it. Jonah won't be coming home until he gains a little weight. He's only 4 pounds but he's growing bigger and stronger every day.
L&S: Are you going to do a reality show?
Nadya: Absolutely not! I have no interest in being famous. I'd love to vanish from the public eye as soon as I can.
For more from Nadya's tell-all interview and to check out exclusive photos of Nadya with the babies, pick up this week's issue of Life & Style Weekly, on newsstands now!
