Eighty Fingers, Eighty Toes

Usually, humans have one baby at a time. Occasionally there will be two at a time, rarely three at a time, and every once in a blue moon, four at a time. At least that’s what nature intended. So I have to wonder what Mother Nature would think of the recent birth of octuplets in California.

Science bamboozled nature in this pregnancy, brought about thanks to in vitro fertilization.

While this is only the second case of a live birth of octuplets, multiple births are on the rise as more and more couples turn to in vitro to start their families.

After all, nature has an exasperating way of not quickly adapting to the times.

Women are pursuing higher education and careers in greater numbers than ever, and are choosing to delay starting their families as a result. But biologically, the easiest time for us to get pregnant is our early twenties.

The cruel irony of financial and emotional readiness paired with physical inability drives many couples to desperate measures. While in vitro is safe, it is expensive. One cycle costs about $12,400. Many couples make huge financial sacrifices to afford in vitro, so they want it to work.

The more embryos the doctor implants in the woman’s uterus, the more likely it is that pregnancy will occur. Because there is no regulation in the U.S. about how many embryos a doctor can implant, some will implant as many as the couple asks for.

Now, as a career-oriented woman in my mid-20s, I can’t exactly relate to the pain experienced by infertile couples. But in my opinion, transferring six or seven or eight embryos is irresponsible and unethical, no matter how desperate you are.

Multiple births – even twins – are a higher risk for mother and babies, and the risk grows exponentially the more babies there are. Multiples are more likely to be premature or have birth defects such as cerebral palsy, as well as respiratory and sensory problems. They are also far more likely to die.

Even if the babies are healthy, multiple births present a host of other problems. First, consider the cost. The estimate for the octuplets’ hospital bill is $800,000. I’m not sure even the best of insurance plans would cover all of that, and how is any family going to pay it, especially a family that now has 14 children to raise?

Furthermore, the ever-ballooning world population is a source of many of our planet’s problems. In light of that, having so many biological children is irresponsible. Americans consume more per capita than any nation in the world, so having more Americans is especially detrimental to the environment.

It may seem cynical to weigh things like money and carbon emissions against the miracle of a baby. But the realities of these issues affect us all – the octuplets themselves and everyone else. I believe there is probably no greater joy than being a parent, but that does not mean we should allow parenthood to be achieved by any and all possible means.