'Over three days, I miscarried eight times. I cradled each of them as they died in my arms': Octomum Mandy Allwood relives the hell of losing her babies in the week they would have turned 17

This week, Mandy Allwood - the original 'Octomum' - will mark 17 years since her octuplets passed away in her arms.
In September 1996, she gave birth to  six boys and two girls - just 24 weeks into her pregnancy.
Within hours of being born, each had died.
The years that followed have seen Mrs Allwood descend into depression, suicide attempts and alcohol addiction.

Mandy Allwood who was the first 'Octomum' but sadly lost all of her eight babies talks about her painful life after losing her children

Now, as she marks the week her children  Kypros, Adam, Martyn, Cassius, Nelson, Donald, Kitali and Layne would have celebrated their 17th birthday, Mrs Allwood has
said she still relives the death of each of her children, who were born - and died - over the course of three days.
In an interview with the Sunday People, Mrs Allwood said she has tried to kill herself twice, and still battles an alcohol addiction, and speaks out against the accusations she 'cashed in' on the tragedy.
She said: 'Over three days and nights I miscarried eight times.

'I cradled each of them for two-and-a-half hours as they died in my arms. It was horrible. Truly horrible.'
She said she prayed to God when she felt the last of her children being born that at least one of them would live, only for her eighth child to die too.
The children are all buried in West Norwood Cemetery, South London.
She said her grief was worsened by the media attention her pregnancy attracted.

In September 1996, Mrs Allwood gave birth to six boys and two girls - just 24 weeks into her pregnancy. Within hours of being born, each had died

The years that followed have seen Mrs Allwood descend into depression, suicide attempts and alcohol addiction

Her story was featured in newspapers around the world, on the Oprah Winfrey show, and she even had a personal message of support from Princess Diana.
But, she said, despite going on to have three daughters, she was still unable to recover from her devastating loss.
She told the paper she was at her lowest ebb in 2008, when she would drink wine from the minute she woke up, even ordering a taxi to taker to buy more up to four more bottles after she lost her driving licence,
She said she was even given an Asbo after she repeatedly played Sinead O’Connor’s Nothing Compares to You on full volume, 'deafening' her neighbours.
Then followed two suicide attempts.
The first, in a public toilet in Warwick, saw her swallow 90 paracetamol tablets, washed down with two bottles of white wine, and resulted in her spending five days in a high-dependency unit.
She claims there was little help offered to her in the days that followed. 

Mandy's interview on the Rolonda show when she was pregnant

Following the death of her children, her story was featured in newspapers around the world, on the Oprah Winfrey show, and she even had a personal message of support from Princess Diana

The eight white coffins of the babies were topped by pink posies for the two girls and blue for the six boys

Mrs Allwood said the second attempt made her realise she needed to completely change her life and start again with new friends.
She the spent five months in a residential rehab centre in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, in 2009.
Before the tragedy Mrs Allwood had a son Charlie from her failed marriage. But after longing for children with new partner Paul Hudson and suffering repeated miscarriages she took fertility drugs.
Claims were made at the time that Mrs Allwood went against medical advice by having the fertility treatment in the first place; and that afterwards she cashed in on the tragedy.
Mrs Allwood, who went on to have three daughters, has rejected these accusations and has said she wants to help others who have experienced the horror of a miscarriage. She  said she was 'angry' that some people judged her for her decision not to abort any of the eight foetuses to give the rest a chance of survival.
She admits that she still has 'depression days' where she can't speak to anyone, and still takes the 'odd sleeping tablet' but that she draws strength from helping a 'small circle of friends' who also suffer with depression.
She said losing all of her babies had been 'absolutely horrible', and added: 'But if I can help others that’s at least something.'