According to the Canadian Press, a British Columbia woman, age 44, just gave birth to her 18th child, a girl who weighed almost eight pounds. Her oldest is twenty-three. Her husband, Alexandru Ionce, said he wouldn't say no to more children: "We never planned how many children to have. We just let God guide our lives, you know, because we strongly believe life comes from God and that's the reason we did not stop the life. We let life come."
The large family is out of fashion these days, but maybe it's making a comeback.
Mother of four Katie Allison Granju writes on Babble.com about wanting six kids, and about how she doesn't feel her choice is widely respected:
While we do appear to have a pop culture fascination with big families - witness the interest in the Duggars, Jon and Kate Plus Eight, and even the Jolie-Pitt brood - our focus is somewhat akin to the way one would observe a circus sideshow act, complete with requisite smug ridicule. In fact, many of the people I know personally who make it a point to actively support reproductive rights don't seem to believe that those rights should also extend to actual reproduction; this is especially true for pro-choice folks who seem to believe I am committing some kind of heinous eco-crime by giving birth.
We never would have thought having a passel of kids would be controversial if you can take care of them, but judging from the feedback so far people have very strong feelings about the relative benefits and dowside of having birthing a small army. What do you think: heinous eco-crime, or god-sent miracle?
Reader Comments ( Page 4 of 9)
46. I wish I could spell capitalist.
Ryan Anderson at 9:05PM on Jul 29th 2008
47. What the divine media don't show is the other 18 or so couples who find themselves working too hard and paying too many taxes to even consider having a kid or two of their own! Who is really supporting all of these kids? I'm always disgusted when I go to WalMart and see people who can do nothing right except reproduce. The taxpayer shouldn't have to pay for all of this crap!
Mike at 9:42PM on Jul 29th 2008
48. Lucky for some of us, we choose to regulate how many children we have - thus hopefully giving balance to those who choose to have more and those who choose to have none.
While I wouldn't choose abortion for myself, I would never think to tell another woman what to do or not do with their body or their life.
And hey, you don't like chemicals, condoms work, and like it has been said before - do the deed - take the risk.
TJ at 10:15PM on Jul 29th 2008
49. I think as long as they are able to provide for all these kids, then God bless them. I don't think that ANYONE has the right to condemn them. The number of babies that a couple has is their business, not anyone elses.
LisaS at 10:40PM on Jul 29th 2008
50. If you can afford to have a bunch of kids, then I think it's fine to choose to do so. (What in the world could be the legal justification for outlawing birth control? Abortion should totally be illegal because that takes a life, but birth control?! I don't get it. I can see where one would have a problem with it religiously, but there's no legal justificaton for outlawing it. Surely it must just be emergency contraception they're talking about (which I'm all for: biologically and realistically speaking, one's life begins at implantation). I understand why people have a problem with it, though.
Cecilia at 11:49PM on Jul 29th 2008
51. Cecelia,
oral contraceptives CAN act as abortifacients.
Catholic church teachings are against oral contraceptives for a few reasons, this being one of them: the possibility of murder in the womb.
In the case of emergency contraception, Christians would like to see the best happen for both victim and implanted baby: Carry the baby, give up for adoption to a good family and not have the worries of going through an abortion which,besides containing the murder of an innocent baby-- in many cases, also ends up being a botched procedure which either kills the woman, compromises her overall health, and/or adds to her psychic trauma and severe depression for years to come.
Pharmacist, Nancy at 12:06AM on Jul 30th 2008
52.
I don't have a problem with a couple having that many children *if* they can take care of them.
And I don't mean just financially. Each child deserves love and time and attention from its *parents* and not just mostly from older brother/sister caretakers.
As for the catholics... you can all keep doing what your Master.., er, I mean, the Pope tells you to.
But I'm not catholic and he doesn't own me.
I'm glad birth control was an option for me and that my husband and I were able to enjoy 10 years together before *deciding* to have a child.
Birth control will NEVER be illegal no matter how much you wish it.
Doofus at 12:26AM on Jul 30th 2008
53. Pharmacist Nancy says: "...Christians would like to see the best happen for both victim and implanted baby: Carry the baby, give up for adoption to a good family and not have the worries of going through an abortion which,besides containing the murder of an innocent baby-- in many cases, also ends up being a botched procedure which either kills the woman, compromises her overall health, and/or adds to her psychic trauma and severe depression for years to come. "
Statistically, a first-trimester abortion is much safer for a woman than a full-term pregnancy. Some women who give a child to adoptive parents can suffer "psychic trauma" and depression, and many women who choose abortion suffer no emotional harm from their choice.
Please don't pretend that your opposition to abortion is based on your concern for the woman. You have other reasons, based on your version of Christianity.
I am glad we have freedom of religion in this country. I respect your right to your religious beliefs. But mine are different.
Laurie at 1:10AM on Jul 30th 2008
54. the catholic church is not God and nothing is wrong or immoral against any church. we don't sin against churches { as in buildings or "the church" as in the body of Christ } we sin against God. people really should read the word of God for themselves, search the scriptures. God's word is empowering, alive sharper than any two-edged sword.
Marcia J at 1:54AM on Jul 30th 2008
55. Birth control will NEVER be illegal no matter how much you wish it.
Doofus at 12:26AM on Jul 30th 2008
------------------------
Not even amongst the catholics.
Rhythm method?
The only papal approved form of birth control....an effectiveness of about 75 percent- when used PROPERLY- much lower when used practically.
mac at 1:58AM on Jul 30th 2008
56. your religious beliefs will bring you directly to hell.
abortion is murder and you can say that is a christian thing or whatever; taking a life is murder point blank. that is why legislation is fought over to determine when a fetus is a baby or just tissue. it is a baby at the moment of conception, life begins. the truth will make you free. the truth always prevails.
Marcia J at 2:02AM on Jul 30th 2008
57. ^
Huh?..."Your religious beliefs will bring you directly to hell." Hmm....never heard that from a Catholic before.
K C at 2:59AM on Jul 30th 2008
58. For all of your Roe vs. Wade stuff, saying that you beleive in it so that is why you have or want a big family, you then want to shove your pro-life agenda down the rest of our throats, apparently from your poem and comments. Beleive and do as you want, but don't make the rest of the world, listen to your crap.
Fel at 4:33AM on Jul 30th 2008
59. "As a woman, I say that natural family planning is cruel to women (and thus to their partners!) because, if a woman doesn't want to get pregnant, it requires her to abstain from sex with her partner during the time in her cycle when she has the greatest libido, around the time of ovulation."
Hey, let us not forget that there are other acts a couple can do which are fun and that don't result in pregnancy. However since they don't involve sex in the dark in the missionary position with nightclothes partially on, I don't think Janesophie and Sally would approve of that either. And I think having 18 kids is great, if 16 of them are adopted.
Melissa at 6:34AM on Jul 30th 2008
60. My good catholic parents tried the rhythm method - had twins with that method, they switched to condoms after that and then the old cut and stitch.
TJ at 7:01AM on Jul 30th 2008