Octomom Natalie 'Nadya' Suleman Shares 'Shocking' Experience of Discovering 'Hidden' Baby No. 8 During Delivery

Mar. 15, 2025

Octomom Natalie ‘Nadya’ Sulemanis ready to tell her story.

During the docuseriesConfessions of Octomom, the mom of 14 opens up about everything, from herin vitro fertilization journeyto harrowing moments in the delivery room. Despite being told that she was only carrying seven children at the time, Suleman said she knew there was an eighth child, calling it “mother’s intuition.”

“Something in the back of my mind told me there’s eight. It’s mother’s intuition,” she said. “I kept asking. I keep reiterating over and over, ‘Are you certain there’s not an eighth?’ and [the ultrasound technician] said, ‘Absolutely not. I’m a very skilled ultrasound technician. If there were eight, I’d see them.’ "

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Octomom Natalie Suleman.courtesy Lifetime

courtesy Lifetime

Suleman admits that her pregnancy with her octuplets “shockingly enough had zero complications,” as she continued her life as usual. The proud mom said she was “extremely active” until one move landed her in the hospital.

“I was making myself a lot of food in the kitchen, and I went back to the room to bed and laid down and I started eating my food,” she explained. “I crunched on a cracker, and then I turned and I heard cracking.”

Natalie Suleman’s children.Nicolette Lambright/courtesy Lifetime

Nicolette Lambright/courtesy Lifetime

“My ribs were broken and I was in such excruciating pain, but I had to force myself to get to the phone to call 911, so I kind of flopped myself down on the ground from the bed, like a beached whale, and I pulled myself to the phone and I opened it, called 911, and I said, ‘I need help.’ " she continued.

It’s been 16 years since she first made headlines and history, giving birth to the world’s first surviving octuplets, a feat that earned her the nickname Octomom and led to a chaotic life of infamy before she retreated from the spotlight in 2013.

Octomom Natalie Suleman.Gilbert Carrasquillo/WireImage

Gilbert Carrasquillo/WireImage

As she remergeswith a push from her now 16-year-old octuplets, and with the help of a new Lifetime filmI Was Octomomand subsequent docuseriesConfessions of Octomom, Suleman is taking stock in her incredible, and at times harrowing, journey.

Suleman was already a mother of six children — Amerah, Calyssa, Elijah, Caleb, Joshua and Aidan — when she gave birth to her octuplets, Noah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Josiah, Makai, Maliyah and Nariyah. The docuseries will feature theoctuplets and her six older children, who were all born via IVF. Ahead of it all, she opened up to PEOPLE exclusively, saying, “My family and I aretaking our life back,” as she works to own her complicated narrative.

“I’ve been saying, I want to keep [her children] safe and protect my kids, and well, they’re older now,” she shared. “They’re turning 16 and making the decision to really do this.”

I Was Octomompremiered on March 8, whileConfessions of Octomompremiered on March 10, both on Lifetime.

source: people.com