BBC NEWS | World | Americas | First glimpse of octuplets
The first pictures of Californian octuplets, whose single mother already has six children, have been released.
The decision of Nadya Suleman, 33, to conceive her children through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) has been criticised by fertility experts.
They have raised concerns about the number of embryos transferred into Ms Suleman's uterus and questioned whether medical guidelines were met.
But Ms Suleman told NBC's Today Show having a "huge family" was her "dream".
In her interview with the programme, she said she had been singled out for criticism because she was a lone mother.
"I will feed them, I will do the best I possibly can," she added.
Ms Suleman, whose six older children are aged two to seven, said that all 14 of her children were conceived through IVF with sperm donated by a friend.
Health risks
The octuplets were delivered nine weeks early by Caesarean section in a hospital near Los Angeles on 26 January.
All are reported to be doing well.
She already has six beautiful children, why would she do this?
Angela Suleman
Octuplets' grandmother
The facility, the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Bellflower, California, has said it was not involved in the octuplets' conception.
The California Medical Board has begun an investigation into whether there was a "violation of the standard of care" in the case.
The American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommends that women of Ms Suleman's age have no more than two embryos transferred into the uterus.
Fertility experts have pointed to a lack of regulation in the field and called for professional organisations to put stricter rules in place for doctors and clinics.
Multi-birth pregnancies come with a heightened risk of premature birth and health risks for the mother and the babies.
Ms Suleman's mother has also attacked her daughter's decision, telling the website RadarOnline.com that the family was already finding it difficult to cope with the initial six children.
Nadya Suleman said she had been singled out for her "unconventional" life
Angela Suleman told the site: "She already has six beautiful children, why would she do this?"
"I'm struggling to look after her six. We had to put in bunk beds, feed them in shifts and there's children's clothing piled all over the house."
But Nadya's publicist, Mike Furtney, declined to comment on Angela's remarks.
"Those are very personal issues between a mother and a daughter," the AP news agency quoted him as saying.
'Under the microscope'
In her interview with NBC, Nadya Suleman said she had been singled out for criticism because she was a lone mother.
"A lot of couples, usually it's couples, do undergo this procedure and it's not as controversial because they are couples so it's more acceptable to society," she said.
"For me, I feel as though I've been under the microscope because I've chosen this unconventional kind of life. I didn't intend on it being unconventional, just it turned out to be.
"I just longed for certain connections and attachments with another person that... I really lacked, I believe, growing up."
She said she had tried for seven years to get pregnant before finally conceiving through IVF.
The first pictures of Californian octuplets, whose single mother already has six children, have been released.
The decision of Nadya Suleman, 33, to conceive her children through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) has been criticised by fertility experts.
They have raised concerns about the number of embryos transferred into Ms Suleman's uterus and questioned whether medical guidelines were met.
But Ms Suleman told NBC's Today Show having a "huge family" was her "dream".
In her interview with the programme, she said she had been singled out for criticism because she was a lone mother.
"I will feed them, I will do the best I possibly can," she added.
Ms Suleman, whose six older children are aged two to seven, said that all 14 of her children were conceived through IVF with sperm donated by a friend.
Health risks
The octuplets were delivered nine weeks early by Caesarean section in a hospital near Los Angeles on 26 January.
All are reported to be doing well.
Angela Suleman
Octuplets' grandmother
The facility, the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Bellflower, California, has said it was not involved in the octuplets' conception.
The California Medical Board has begun an investigation into whether there was a "violation of the standard of care" in the case.
The American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommends that women of Ms Suleman's age have no more than two embryos transferred into the uterus.
Fertility experts have pointed to a lack of regulation in the field and called for professional organisations to put stricter rules in place for doctors and clinics.
Multi-birth pregnancies come with a heightened risk of premature birth and health risks for the mother and the babies.
Ms Suleman's mother has also attacked her daughter's decision, telling the website RadarOnline.com that the family was already finding it difficult to cope with the initial six children.
Angela Suleman told the site: "She already has six beautiful children, why would she do this?"
"I'm struggling to look after her six. We had to put in bunk beds, feed them in shifts and there's children's clothing piled all over the house."
But Nadya's publicist, Mike Furtney, declined to comment on Angela's remarks.
"Those are very personal issues between a mother and a daughter," the AP news agency quoted him as saying.
'Under the microscope'
In her interview with NBC, Nadya Suleman said she had been singled out for criticism because she was a lone mother.
"A lot of couples, usually it's couples, do undergo this procedure and it's not as controversial because they are couples so it's more acceptable to society," she said.
"For me, I feel as though I've been under the microscope because I've chosen this unconventional kind of life. I didn't intend on it being unconventional, just it turned out to be.
"I just longed for certain connections and attachments with another person that... I really lacked, I believe, growing up."
She said she had tried for seven years to get pregnant before finally conceiving through IVF.
