Whether you're willing to get an E-spay in the beginning, middle or late stages of pregnancy is a personal decision, and the decision of your vet in the case of when they're comfortable doing it. As with all things, everyone is entitled to their opinion. My opinion is that Sweetie had just as likely a chance of dying herself from the labor than surviving it, not to mention how hard it's going to be for *everyone* involved if/when the pups pass because she's just not strong enough to keep them all. There are hundreds of other rats on kajiji, craigslist, oops litters, rehomes, etc.. who won't be getting homes because of these 8. I already love them to bits, and the idea of Zotz, the runt, not making it makes me want to curl up in the corner and cry. Would I rather she had never been born? Yes. If Shelagh had been able to get her even a few days earlier, we wouldn't all be having this conversation, because she would have been spayed already. But they are here now and we're going to do the absolute best we can for them.
These are not humans, with conscious thought and understanding of their actions and the consequences of those actions. To compare a female rat who was tossed in with her brother to some randy teenager is not only insulting to the rat but completely the wrong comparison. She didn't know she was too young, too weak, and so badly off she could be doing permanent damage to herself by getting pregnant. She's a rat with basic animal instincts to reproduce, as is her brother. A human is capable of making the decision to be stupid; Only humans are capable of spreading their stupidity and allowing innocent animals to suffer the consequences of a human's actions.