Octomom Recalls Being Target of Death Threats and ‘Global Scorn and Condemnation’

The 49-year-old single mother of 14 — who welcomed eight children at once in 2009 — is prepping a new documentary about her complicated life.

“Today, my family and I are taking our life back,” she told PEOPLE.

The Lifetime movie and docuseries — titled I Was Octomom and Confessions of Octomom — will premiere March 8 and March 10, respectively.

The projects come after years of retreating from the public eye and will reportedly give those curious an in-depth look at Suleman’s life along with her history-making octuplets and her decision to have another IVF procedure after having six children.

“I’ve been saying, I want to keep them safe and protect my kids, and well, they’re older now,” she shared of why she waited to do the doc. “They’re turning 16 and making the decision to really do this.”

She famously made headlines in 2009 when she gave birth to octuplets — six boys and two girls — via in vitro fertilization, earning the nickname “Octomom.” Suleman’s octuplets include Noah, Josiah, Nariyah, Maliyah, Jonah, Jeremiah, Isaiah and Makai.

She was implanted with 12 embryos by Dr. Michael Kamrava, a Beverly Hills fertility specialist, who oversaw her previous IVF treatments. Her six other children — Elijah, 23, Amerah, 22, Joshua, 20, Aiden, 19, and twins Calyssa and Caleb, 147 — were also conceived by IVF.

“In the beginning it was complete pandemonium,” she said of the notoriety and being condemned by the world.

“There was of course all of the details of the death threats and fearing for my family’s life. And then on the other hand, I had to continue to sacrifice my integrity repeatedly to survive and provide for my family.”

“It wasn’t until they were maybe about 4 years old, I finally was able to escape all of that, the attack it felt from the world … and all that global scorn and condemnation, being the target of misplaced hate,” she added. “I could escape and finally go back to the life I had once known before.”

Suleman insists she raised all 14 kids alone and “paid for nannies” until they were two, recalling “really struggling financially.” She credited her “strong faith in God” for everything finally falling into place.

In the doc, the children will also have an opportunity to speak for the first time in the public eye.

“Our mom would finally be able to say her side of the story, because I feel like it was very unfair how she was terrorized and hated for just being a mother. And she had to sacrifice so much just for her children,” Suleman’s daughter Nariyah told PEOPLE.

“I’m not this compartmentalized caricature,” Suleman said. “I am not Octomom, I’m a mom.”

I Was Octomom premieres March 8, while Confessions of Octomom premieres March 10, both on Lifetime.