Forget about your average mom and dad! Instead, prepare for a journey that will take you to the very fringes of parenthood.

Our list debuts with an example of parenting done wrong. Don’t worry! Good things make their way further down the list. The 16th parent you won’t believe exists is guaranteed to leave you speechless.

1. Natalie Suleman

via Radar Online

Natalie Suleman is the Octomom, and we are disappointed to inform you she did not give birth to octopuses.

No, the story of this unbelievable parent is even more formidable. Natalie gave birth to octuplets, one of the few cases known throughout medical history. However, her incredible pregnancy was not the result of an accident.

It will probably outrage you to know Natalie hunted fame by having 12 embryos put in her body following in vitro fertilization. The standard procedure usually implants two or three, with the hope that at least one evolves successfully into a baby.

Things get even worse once you know Natalie was a single mom with already six children on her back. It turned out she was practicing the sport of having children by the dozen as a way of accessing public assistance.

It doesn’t end there. The former Octomom embraced a short-lived career in the porn world and recently filed for bankruptcy. She dragged her 14 children through a reality show and probably has a comfortable place reserved in hell.

via Radar Online

Even fathers can get pregnant. Check out the newest trend that threatens traditional families!

2. Thomas Beatie

Thomas Beatie

via Global Women Connected

Thomas Beatie is probably one name that is going to stick with you a long time from now.

The photo showing him pregnant is as real as it gets. The former female model and Miss Hawaii Teen USA pageant finalist started to feel like a man since the age of 10. However, the sex re-assignment surgery he went through left the female reproductive system intact.

Because his wife Nancy was infertile, Thomas accepted the challenge of becoming the world’s first pregnant man. Now that’s something you won’t hear about too often.

Despite losing his first pregnancy, Thomas repeated the stunt and is now the proud father (or mother if you prefer) of three. Don’t ask us about his maternal instincts overriding his role as a father. As for the needed genetic material, Thomas used donated sperm from an unknown source.

via Getty Images

3. Beulah Hunter

Beulah Hunter

via Mom

Beulah Hunter fought something was wrong with her when the baby failed to pop out at the classic nine months deadline.

Before going any further, please note this is not a folk tale crafted by a mother anxious to see her name written in the Guinness Book. Experts documented the pregnancy that lasted an astonishing 375 days, 95 more than the standard duration.

The most reasonable explanation is that the fetus developed slower than normal. In healthy pregnancies, the moment of birth coincides with the moment the fetus gets robust enough to withstand the conditions outside the womb.

Beulah, who was 25 at that moment, gave birth to a perfectly healthy little girl that she named Penny Diana. You can imagine the unique bond that formed between the two.

Beulah Hunter

via Mom

Can you guess the age of the oldest father in the world?

4. Ramjit Raghav

via Barcroft Media

Ramjit Raghav is one lucky bastard.

Not only he proudly ranks as the oldest father in the world (he fathered a child at 96), but the Indian farmer is not shy in admitting he has sex three times a day. That’s quite something from a man that recently celebrated his 100th birthday.

Ramjit has an interesting background even if you choose to ignore his remarkable display of virility. He was a wrestler back in the days and recently embraced being a vegetarian.

We are not sure how much it helped to change the diet. Only one thing is sure. Ramjit became such a celeb, PETA chose him as an ambassador for its numerous campaigns in rural India.

Let’s repeat that again, for those of you who suffered a mild seizure. Not only did Ramjit had sex, but he produced a healthy baby, at the age when most grumpy fellows have a hard time remembering their name.

Ramjit Raghav

via Getty Images

You should sit down before reading the next story. It’s unusual enough to blow your mind.

5. Lina Medina

Lina Medina

via The Sun

Lina Medina was just five when she delivered her baby.

That’s a one-line punch that circled the globe back in 1939 and triggered an avalanche of reporters, and medical specialists take an arduous journey all the to Peru’s capital, Lima.

Lina suffered from what doctors labeled as precocious puberty. Parents rushed her to the hospital for what they believed to be a tumor developing inside her tummy. It turned out to be the story of the century for the medical world.

Everyone was relieved once the surgery was over. You might expect a stillborn or at least a helpless babies. The cesarean section welcomed into this world a healthy boy weighing 2.5 kg.

Of course, the moral implications outran the physical ones. The paternity of the kid remained unknown, and he grew up to believe Lina was his sister.

Can you imagine sharing the toys with your mother? They must have had awkward family scenes, that’s for sure.

Lina Medina

via The Sun

The next mother had a great excuse for giving away all her babies.

6. Carole Horlock

via The Sun

The topic of surrogate mothers is sensitive as it is and the unbelievable story of Carole Horlock comes to complicate it even further.

Most people rub their eyes in disbelief when they read that the 51-year-old British woman gave birth to 15 children, of whom only two belonged to her.

Forget about postpartum depression or the fear something can go wrong down there. Carole embraced being a surrogate mother as a full-time job for the last two decades.

If you insist on knowing, it pays quite well to help women who can carry children of their own. Although it has its risks, the job is a continuous period of binge eating and not having to care about the extra pounds.

Some would say that Carole’s body got used to the symptoms of pregnancy and thrived on it. What do you think? Is it immoral to pay the bills by carrying others’ babies in your womb?

via The Sun

The human body is incredible, and the next parent pushed herself to extremes just so that she can become a mother.

7. Stacey Herald

via Barcroft Media

Stacey Herald holds with unexpected dignity the title for smallest mother in the world.

Little over 60cm in height, Stacey suffers from a condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Despite the fact that doctors gave her slim chances of survival in case of pregnancy, Stacey is now the proud mother of three.

Most women dread the thought of delivering babies because it will wreak havoc on their perfect bodies. For unlucky Stacey, the risk was several magnitudes worse. Doctors forwarded the idea that a bigger baby would have crushed her lungs and heart in an attempt to reach full growth inside her body.

You will not be happy to hear two of her children inherited the mother’s bone malformation. Miracles do happen, but sometimes they come with a pinch of salt.

via Barcroft Media

Can you guess the age of the world’s youngest father?

8. Sean Stewart

Sean Stewart

via Better Bext

No, the photos don’t show a young mother taking care of her two children.

The one on the left is 11-year-old Sean Stewart, the poster child for what can go wrong if you enjoy puberty before going through sex ed. Just look at his eyes saying “What have I done?”

The youngest father in Britain’s history shocked the world and made parents put stronger locks at their daughter’s door and windows at night. The love story between Sean and 15-year-old neighbor, Emma Webster would have been cute if it wasn’t for the unlucky boy hitting the jackpot the first time.

While it’s not unusual for women to give birth at such tender age, Sean looks completely overwhelmed by the situation. You will be disappointed to know the two separated and Sean currently serves a jail sentence.

via Better Bext

The next parent did what many viewed as disgusting. It turned out to be a beautiful act.

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9. Alicia Richman

Alicia Richman

via Prweb

Alicia Richman gave the “Got Milk” catchphrase an entirely new twist.

The 28-year-old mother of one is a parent holding a record that might be a bit too much for those with a sensitive stomach. Alicia donated 87 gallons (320 liters) of breast milk to charity.

Not every mother is lucky enough to be able to breastfeed. Especially when it comes to premature babies, human milk is one vital nourishment impossible to replace with something else.

Guinness took note of Alicia’s unmatched contribution to the local milk bank and recognized her record for “Most Breast Milk Donated.” That’s not something to make the average woman proud, but Alicia chose to step forward as a way of raising awareness on the issue.

You might be wondering what other mothers do when breast milk comes in excess. Well, let’s just say that some kids give up the nipple only when they sign up for school. As for the fathers, they all tried it at least once, with some developing a sick fetish.

via Texas Milk Bank

Check out what happens when the baby grows too big inside the tummy.

10. Carmelina Fedele

via AP

Carmelina Fedele is a name pop culture journalists don’t know if to love or hate.

The Italian mother from Aversa, Italy delivered the world’s heaviest baby. Although the record succeeded in becoming a Guinness World Record, we lack any further information about what happened to the parent and her infant.

Weighing 10 kg, baby Fedele must have been quite a heavy burden. Science still doesn’t hold an answer to why some children are born that way. A healthy weight is one between 2.5kg and 5kg.

As it often happens, we lack reliable evidence from the 1955 birth. The only thing we can do is trust the Guinness official that had the misfortune of traveling to the peninsula with a certified scale.

Something tells us the local Mafia bribed him with more than spaghetti to close its eyes at baby Fedele having stones in his diaper.

via Baby Gaga

You will never guess how meticulous the next couple was in unleashing one baby after another. Their story still echoes from the past.

11. Mrs. and Mr. Vassilyev

via Ravishly

Make way for the most prolific couple!

According to an 18th-century report from Russia, the Vassilyev family had 69 children throughout their lives. The story was viral enough to reach British tabloids and remain in the headlines until today.

We know what you are thinking, and the answer is no. Mrs. Vassilyev did not deliver 69 times. Instead, she had 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets, and even four sets of quadruplets. Nevertheless, Octomom’s record is safe from the greed of these Russian peasants.

Let’s take the occasion to remind you of the glorious days when no one knew about birth control pills or condoms. As far as the Vassilyevs understood, it was God’s will for them to have so many children.

via Pinterest

Check out a modern equivalent of the Russian parents!

12. Leontina Albina Espinoza

via University of Alberta

If our 18th-century Russian family was halfway between myth and reality, let’s look at an exceptional case backed by solid facts.

Leontina Judith Albina Espinoza was a Chilean woman who claimed to be the world’s most prolific mother, at least of recent history. Her portfolio includes 58 children, a number that would make even rabbits bite their nails in anguish.

Because parents abandoned Leontina when she was an infant, she made a pledge never to use contraceptives or refer to abortion. A near death experience using an intrauterine device convinced Leontina God has a plan for her – boost Chile’s population as much as possible.

It seems that the legendary mother attracted a lot of envy from stakeholders in the race for a world record. The media crafted stories of how most of her children were in fact adopted from the streets. Guinness eventually retired the record after the women had provided only 14 birth certificates.

via University of Alberta

The next story shows it is never too late to become a mother.

13. Daljinder Kaur

via Cover Asia Press

Daljinder Kaur is one Indian woman who achieved something many saw as impossible.

Modern medicine preaches that conceiving babies is optimal before hitting the age of 30. Menopause is like a ticking time bomb and mothers who deliver in their 60s almost always reach the front page.

Daljinder Kaur broke everything we know so far about the limits of the female reproductive system. Although receiving a helping hand from in vitro fertilization, the 72-year-old Indian woman counts as the oldest mother in the world.

Her successful pregnancy triggered a massive family celebration. Indian traditions claim infertile couples are cursed, and even the state denies the right of adoption past the age of 45.

However, many can’t stop but wonder what will happen to the little boy. Because of the age difference, 1-year-old Armaan is set to remain orphan quite soon.

via Barcroft Media

On the next page, you will get to read about the longest baby in history and its famous mother.

14. Anna Bates

Anna Bates

via Pinterest

Standing 243 cm (7’ 11’’) tall, Anna was the tallest woman ever born. But records don’t stop there.

Anna gave birth to what historians call the largest newborn ever recorded. You will be disappointed to know the gigantic baby weighing 12 kg and measuring 76 cm did not survive more than 11 hours. It was Anna second unsuccessful attempt to deliver a child.

Maybe it had something to do with her husband. Martin Van Buren Bates also ranked as a giant, although a bit shorter than Anna – 232 cm (7’ 7.5’’). With such a formidable gene pool no wonder their babies were no match for the rudimentary tools of 19th-century Obstetrics.

Some say it’s better it ended this way. Anna and Martin could have started a new race of giants.

via Getty Images

Just give the next mom a medal for her sacrifice!

15. Joanna Krzysztonek

Joanna Krzysztonek

via Reuters

In our hunt for the extremes existing in the world of parenting, we tend to neglect cases like that of Joanna Krzysztonek.

The 31-year-old Polish woman spent an impressive 75 days in labor. And not only that, but she had to sit in a very uncomfortable position.

Joanna lost one of her triplets after experiencing contractions only 21 weeks into the pregnancy. Besides prescribing drugs, doctors also recommended her a strange body position that would prevent further problems.

You will be amazed to know how the heroine mother fought for the lives of her surviving children. She sat for two and a half months in a bed tilted at 30 degrees and with her feet pointing up.

Imagine Joanna’s struggle and mental torment. Relief came after surgeons performed a cesarean to deliver Iga and Ignacy. She was one of the lucky ones!

via TVN

We will conclude with a bloodthirsty father that had thousands of children. Unbelievable!

16. Genghis Khan

via Wikimedia

For the untrained eye, Genghis Khan appears to be a rogue entry on the list.

The ruthless Mongolian leader lived so many centuries ago it is hard saying anything about him as a parent. However, scientists recently uncover a secret that will make you ponder.

When he was not busy building the biggest land empire the world had ever seen, Genghis spent his free time between the sheets, creating an army of descendants that now accounts for 0.5% of the total male population.

Yes, you heard it right, and it is not a joke. Every 1 in 200 men alive today can trace his lineage back to the prolific father that is rumored to have had more than 3,000 children. That’s means eight full years of uninterrupted births, one each day. Someone deserves more than the “father of the year.”

Obviously, Genghis’s lineage is dominant in countries from Central Asia. The number makes the other record-holding parents on the list look pathetic.

via Discover Magazine