Octomom!

That's the name a local radio station has given a woman who gave birth to eight babies this week.

Eight?

Ah, the wonders of fertility drugs, IVF and other tricks of the trade....

The initial stories all covered the "miracle of birth," of course. The medical team that delivered the eight tiny reindeer babies was all smiles and kootchy-koo. The reporters were fawning. It all seemed a miracle, particularly since all eight survived birth and are still alive (and apparently holding their own) as I write this.

But some unkind souls began to ask questions, and a few answers emerged. First, it seems the woman is unmarried and lives with her parents in an 1800 square-foot house, after losing a larger house last year in a foreclosure action;

The three of them live with the woman's six other very young children;

There is no father. Well, there is a father, of course, but he is an anonymous sperm donor. At least his name hasn't come out so far, though some people seem to know who he is. Some say the same man was also responsible for the other six tots, who also were the result of fertility treatments;

Though the recent multiple births took place in a hospital run by a major HMO, the woman has no insurance, and has been hospitalized there for several months, since the doctors advised her that she was running a fairly sizable health risk;

The babies, having been born roughly three months premature, will remain in intensive care at the hospital for another three months.

Apparently, everyone in Southern California (except me) knows the woman's name, but she is keeping the lowest of profiles at the moment. I can understand that; people are expressing rather unkind thoughts about someone would decide -- would, in fact, go out of her way -- to have eight kids when she is barely able to afford the six she already has.

Rumors swirl. The word "scam" appears often in those rumors. Sadly, I tend to believe most of them.

As time goes by, this looks more and more like a "your tax dollars at work" scenario. Many people are not amused, do not see this as a "miracle;" count me as one of them.