“Octomom” Nadia Suleiman’s family is growing.
The 49-year-old, who shot to fame when she gave birth to octuplets via IVF in 2009, announced on Instagram on Sunday that she had become a grandmother for the first time.
Suleman shared a photo of her granddaughter’s feet peeking out from under a blanket, along with a heartwarming message about life’s milestone.
“Thank you to my son and lovely daughter-in-law for this wonderful gift! I am so blessed to have her join our family!”
She added: “You are so loved, baby! I can’t wait to watch you grow up!”
According to Suleman’s post, her granddaughter was born on August 30th.
The former porn star is the mother of 14 children, including octuplets Jonah, Nariyah, Josiah, Mariya, Isaiah, Noah, Jeremiah and Makai. She has six other children: Amera, Carissa, Elijah, Jonah, Joshua and Aidan.
Shortly after splitting with ex-husband Marcos Gutierrez in 2001, Suleman, then 21, “saved” her own money to cover the $10,000 cost of IVF and welcomed her first son, Elijah. She welcomed five more children, including fraternal twins, through IVF over the next few years.
Then in 2008, Dr. Michael Kamrava (who was eventually stripped of his medical license and has since emigrated from the US) implanted 12 embryos into mothers, resulting in the birth of eight babies.
Suleman broke the Guinness World Record for the most babies born in a single birth. She delivered her babies via Caesarean section on January 26, 2009.
In August, Suleman took to social media to celebrate her son Joshua’s 21st birthday, suggesting that he had made her a grandmother for the first time.
“I am so proud of the man you are growing into. You are smart, funny, hardworking, loyal, humble and now a devoted husband and soon-to-be father,” she wrote alongside several childhood photos of Joshua.
In January, Suleman celebrated her octuplets’ 15th birthday with a sweet tribute on Instagram.
“Happy 15th birthday, Noah, Maria, Isaiah, Nariyah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Josiah and Makai!” she said. “I am so proud of the adults you have become! Stay true to yourself, humble, kind and honest.”
“I am so grateful for your love. I am so happy to have you in my life. I love you,” Suleman added.
Suleman maintained her identity as “Octomom” for a while, but now has a bachelor’s degree in child development and works as a counselor.
“Once I got out of that Octom persona – or rather, escaped – I went straight back into the healthy lifestyle that I’d had my whole life,” she told ITV in 2019.
