Father of Octuplets Mom Defends His Daughter against Psychiatrist

Nadya Suleman, the woman who last month gave birth to Octuplets after already having a brood of six children at home, has been increasingly coming under attack in the media and the nation at large. Her new troubles, however, extend to civil complaints. A Southern California psychiatrist has filed a complaint with child-protective services against Suleman, noting that the newly-born octuplets should not be raised by the mother of 14. Said Dr. Carole Lieberman, "The best thing would be for [the eight babies] to be adopted straight from the hospital, rather than being allowed to go home and be in real danger."

Those concerns were likely stoked when Suleman’s mother admitted that she was having a hard time dealing with six children while her daughter and eight new grandchildren were recuperating in the hospital. Media reports from the home in which those six children reside with their grandparents noted the state of disarray of the house, essentially passing judgment against Suleman and her own parents in one fell swoop.

In Lieberman’s complaint to the L.A. Department of Children and Family Services, she noted that "Animals have litters, they don’t exert conscious control over the number of babies that they have. It is not psychologically, nor physically, possible to provide sufficient love and attention to the ‘litter’ that Ms. Suleman has chosen to deliver." After hearing that Lieberman not-so-subtly referred to his daughter as an animal, Suleman’s father, Edward Suleman, quipped, "She (Lieberman) needs a psychologist herself!" For her part, Suleman expounded on the treats she’s received, claiming, "There were letters and e-mails saying we deserved to die. There were protesters in front of my house. There are mentally disturbed people in the world."