The Southern California woman who gave birth to octuplets this week has six other children and never expected to have another eight when she took fertility treatment, her mother said on Thursday.

Angela Suleman said her daughter expects a big challenge raising 14 children, especially with the husband expected to return to Iraq. The good news, she said, is all the babies appear healthy.

"I looked at those babies. They are so tiny and so beautiful," she told The Los Angeles Times.