Octomom's Octuplets: Where Are They Now?

Gettyimages | Tiffany Rose

In 2009, there wasn't a grocery store in the United States that didn't have news about the Octomom plastered across its magazine rack. Nadya Suleman was a worldwide phenomena, given that she gave birth to healthy octuplets, adding to her family of six existing children that she conceived via IVF. She boggled everyone's mind and we all wondered - how will she do it? Can she do it? Now, 11 years later, all the proof is there for anyone who ever doubted her.

Gettyimages | NBC NewsWire

While she was in the media spotlight, Nadya Suleman (she now goes by Natalie on Instagram) received plenty of scrutiny. In order to provide for her fourteen children, she dabbled in the adult film industry - which brought her plenty of backlash. But now, taking a look at what she's been posting lately, those days seem to be behind her. Life with the octuplets and their six siblings is pictured as well-rounded and well-adjusted. The drama splattered on the covers of the tabloids could never have seen this one coming.

Gettyimages | Jason Mitchell

The octuplets -Noah, Maliyah, Nariyah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Josiah, and Makai - are in fifth grade now. In December 2018, The New York Times described them as "small for their age, but they’re polite, they cook, they’re vegan, they read two books a month and do their homework without being prompted." Later on in the article The New York Times even goes so far as to say that they are "model fourth graders." (They were in fourth grade when this article was released more than a year ago).

Gettyimages | Charles Norfleet

In 2016, Nadya Suleman filed for bankruptcy and pled no contest to a count of misdemeanor welfare fraud. In lieu of that, she completed community service. Since then, she's turned her life around for her kids. Before the fame of being the Octomom, she had worked as a counselor. While on The Doctors, she shared that she returned to her passion. "I went back to my life as a counselor. I went back and my kids had a healthy, happy life."

Gettyimages | Jason Mitchell

Taking care of fourteen kids is no small task in itself, but one of her six children prior to the octuplets is on the severe end of the autism spectrum. "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," she said. "I, his mother, am, and always have been, his only care provider (I only trust my kids to help out, and on rare occasions a sitter I’ve known over a decade)."

Gettyimages | Jason Mitchell

There was a rough patch at both the beginning - due to the fame - and the middle - due to financial struggles - of the octuplets' lives. But such is life in general - except for Nadya Suleman, those hurdles are multiplied by fourteen. But life is smoother than ever, with six of the octuplets singing in the choir at school and two of them playing instruments, art is a big part of their lives as well. Sounding like any proud mom, Nadya wrote under a recent 'first day of school' Instagram post: "You are all becoming some of the most kind, selfless, caring human beings I have ever known."