Awesome - Defying Her Doctor, Mom Decides to Get Pregnant with Her 22nd Child

Many people followed the progress of the Radford family with interest, but after Bonnie Raye was born and Sue and Noel started to get older, many observers wondered if they’d carry on any longer. And then Noel and Sue seemed to confirm the rumors, announcing to The Sun that they’d decided that they did not want any more children.


Source: Facebook / The Radford Family

The couple both said that Bonnie Raye had “completed their family.” Noel added that “some people decide to stop after two or three kids. We’ve made it after 21.” But even though the parents seemed to have made a decision, many of their kids joked and commented that they weren’t so sure. They all remembered one moment in the family past in which a similar situation occurred.




Not the First Time

You see, this wasn’t the first time that Noel and Sue had decided that their family was complete and they weren’t having any more kids. When they had their ninth child, James, they both stated that their family was big enough. In fact, they were so adamant in their decision that Noel went and got a vasectomy to make it official.


Source: YouTube / The Radford Family

However, after Noel had his operation, the couple started to have second thoughts. They began to feel regret and decided that maybe they did want more kids after all, so Noel went and got the surgery reversed, allowing him to have children all over again. So, when Noel and Sue said they were finished with children after Bonnie Raye, could we really believe them?


Is It Really the End?

Despite what their kids were saying and what had happened with James in the past, Noel and Sue were determined to prove that their decision was final. At the hospital, the midwives joked that they’d be seeing Sue all over again a year later, but Sue said “Definitely not!” Having spent over 800 weeks of her life pregnant, she claimed to be totally finished with the experience.


Source: Facebook / The Radford Family

She even went as far as planning to throw out all of her maternity clothes, the crib that had been used for her babies over the years, and other baby items too. After getting home with Bonnie Raye, she went on social media and said it was strange to think that that was the “last time we would drive our newborn home.”




They’d Heard It All Before

It sounded like Sue was pretty serious, but even with all of her claims and determination, her kids still didn’t believe that Bonnie Raye would be the last little sibling they welcomed into the world. They’d heard the same old story too many times in the past and many of them kept joking that their parents were bound to have another kid eventually.



Source: Facebook / The Radford Family

Second-born Sophie said that her mom and dad couldn’t possibly stop at an odd number of children, while Chloe said that even if they weren’t planning on another child right now, there was still a chance of it happening. After all, they had never really planned to have 20+ kids in the first place!



Becoming A Grandma and Grandpa

Well, while some of the Radford kids were busy arguing about whether or not their mom and dad might have another child, one of them was busy having some children of his own! Chris Radford, the oldest of all the Radford family children, met a woman named Nicole Spencer. The pair fell in love and decided to settle down and start a family of their own.



Source: Facebook / The Radford Family

So, it didn’t take long for Chris and his wife to bring their own new baby into the world. Their firstborn was called Maisie Radford, and she was born on June 3rd of 2017. She was the first grandchild of Noel and Sue, and it was a very proud and happy moment for them both, as well as the rest of the family when little Maisie was introduced to everyone.



More And More Grandkids Start to Come

And, just as we saw with Noel and Sue’s children, their grandchildren suddenly started to come one after another! Maisie was the first, but there were still more to come. Chris had a second child, a son named Jacob, with his wife Nicole, but he wasn’t the only one having babies.



Source: Instagram / @theradfordfamily

Sophie, the second Radford child, married a man named Joe Broadley and had three kids with him called Daisy, Ayprill, and Leo. So, before they even knew what had happened, Noel and Sue weren’t just parents, they were also grandparents to five additional children! And with so many more kids growing up and meeting people, it’s amazing to think of how big their family could eventually become.


A Very Big Announcement

So Noel and Sue were suddenly a grandma and a grandpa, as well as the parents of 21 children! It had been quite a rollercoaster ride up to that point, but was there one final twist in store? Of course, there was! One day, Noel and Sue shared a YouTube video with the world, revealing that they were pregnant once more with their 22nd child.


Source: Facebook / The Radford Family

They managed to keep the whole thing secret for quite a while, as Sue revealed that she was actually 12 weeks pregnant at the time the video was posted and said that the couple was on their way to a scan to take a look at their next baby.



One More Member On The Way

For everyone who had been following the family’s adventures and developments, this was huge news! Sue revealed that the due date for the next baby was sometime in April 2020, and she later went on Instagram to scare a scan image of the baby inside her womb.


Source: thesun.co.uk

Sue joked that the new baby looked a bit grumpy in the photo, but she was clearly very happy to be pregnant once more and excited to add another member to the ever-growing Radford family. Many of the family’s fans and followers were very excited about the news as well and started to follow the developments of the pregnancy with close attention. And they were in for a bumpy ride, as this pregnancy didn’t go quite according to plan.











Some Worries Early On

It’s always exciting for a woman to learn that she’s pregnant after trying for a baby, but the whole process can be quite a scary one too, even for someone like Sue, who has been through it all many times in the past. She knew that she was a bit older and so the chances of issues arising with the pregnancy were higher, and in the early stages, there were some worrying signs.


Source: Facebook / The Radford Family

The doctors were a little worried after performing routine scans and seeing that the baby didn’t seem to be developing at the regular rate. Fortunately, this bad news went away in the months that followed and the baby started to grow normally once again.











The Average Day

So what is it like having such a big family? Well, the average day for the Radfords is pretty different from what you might experience at home. Each and every morning, the family starts the day bright and early at 6.30 am. Each breakfast, they consume a total of 18 pints of milk, three liters of juice, and three boxes of cereal on average too!


Source: Facebook / The Radford Family

From there, they have to send the kids off on ferries to different schools and preschools, as well as ensuring that each kid has food to eat, all the necessary school supplies, regular health check-ups, and more. Not to mention the cleaning, cooking, and other duties that come along with taking care of such a massive family.






A Big, Big, Big Job

It’s an absolutely enormous job for Noel and Sue to look after so many kids. Most of us can’t even imagine looking after three or four kids at once, let alone over 20 of them! Luckily, as some of their kids have gotten older, Sue and Noel can now ask them for help with various chores and tasks around the home.


Source: Instagram / @theradfordfamily

Really, there’s no other way they could cope! Two people can’t look after 20 kids all by themselves. Everyone has to pitch in and help out around the Radford home, so the older kids are able to look after their younger siblings sometimes and everyone does their part to keep the family unit running smoothly. Of course, problems still happen, but the Radfords have learned to cope with almost anything!





How Much Does It All Cost?

Having so many children and such a big family has its upsides, but one major factor that many people immediately think about when hearing about the Radfords is the cost. Even the simplest of things like going to the movies or eating out at a restaurant becomes much more expensive when you have over 20 mouths to feed.


Source: Facebook / The Radford Family sWza

A typical dinner out costs the Radfords close to $200, while a trip to the movies is at least $130. The family loves going trampolining together too, but that costs around $300 each time, so Sue says she’s always on the lookout for discounts and deals in an attempt to save a bit of cash wherever and whenever they can.



Their Very Own Company

So how on Earth do the Radfords pay for everything? Just food and activities can cost so much for them, and we haven’t even mentioned the costs of school tuition, utility bills, school materials, and everything else the average family needs to get along. You might think they must get a lot of help from the government or maybe have millions in savings, but a lot of their money is generated by their very own business: Radford’s Pie Company.


Source: Instagram / @Noelradford

Noel has been baking pies for over 25 years and has earned a lot of fans and happy customers all around the country. They also get $225 per week from the government in child benefits, and they’ve received some cash from appearing in several TV documentaries about their family.




Home Sweet Home

And what about their house? It must be pretty big to cope with all those kids, right? Well, the Radfords live in Morecambe in a house with ten bedrooms in total. They purchased the property for around $312,000 back in 2004 and have been living there ever since, even as their family has grown bigger and bigger.


Source: Facebook / The Radford Family

Even if the kids can’t all have their own bedrooms, the house is big enough to cater to the whole family, but it can get a little messy sometimes! Sue says that the laundry machines are basically running non-stop and there’s always cleaning going on somewhere around the home. But even though there’s always work to be done, the Radford home always seems to be a place of joy and laughter.


A Very Happy Place To Be

In many interviews, documentaries, and social media posts, Sue and Noel say that the Radford family home is one of the happiest and liveliest places on Earth! With so many kids around, it’s like a summer camp that never ends. As Noel says, “There’s never a dull moment. It’s a happy house full of laughter and we just love being surrounded by all our children. The kids love being part of a big family too.”


Source: Facebook / The Radford Family

To those of us on the outside, the Radford family home might sound like quite a chaotic place, and it’s easy to focus on all the negatives and challenges of having so many kids, but it’s inspiring to see that Sue, Noel, and their children are all such positive people. We can’t help admiring this positivity and optimism.



An Optimism We Can All Admire

That incredible “Radford optimism” is something we can all admire. Life is filled with challenges of all kinds, and it’s easy to get down now and then when problems arise, but when we look at the Radfords and see how they’ve accomplished so much, doing it all with smiles on their faces and joy in their heart, we can all feel more positive about the world.


Source: Facebook / The Radford Family

The family’s optimistic outlook has helped them earn many fans and followers. Over on The Sun website in an article about the Radfords, one commenter said, “Hats off to them. I’ve always found them inspiring — if they can have that many children and financially support themselves.” And there are countless other positive comments and views on the Radfords.



Fans Far And Wide

And as word has spread about the Radfords, the family has captured the attention of fans and followers from all over the globe! On Instagram, for example, they have a total follower count well beyond 200,000, with many fans hailing from different countries and continents, including Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.


Source: Instagram / @theradfordfamily

Even though this family lives and works in Britain, their story has a special kind of international appeal. People from all walks of life can relate to the Radfords desire to have lots of kids and a big happy family. It’s something that binds and connects us all, and their story has inspired many folks of all ages.











TV Stars

Naturally, with such a special and unique family, it was only a matter of time until the Radfords caught the attention of the media. They were featured in several tabloid and magazine interviews, to begin with, before revealing that they were going to star in their very own documentary!


Source: Facebook / The Radford Family

The first documentary was called 15 Kids and Counting. It aired on Channel 4 in the UK and introduced viewers around the country to the Radfords, who only had 15 kids at the time. Ever since then, the documentary has returned each year, with a new title each time. First, it was 16 Kids and Counting, then 17 Kids and Counting, and so on.











The Latest Documentary

As they say, the show must go on! As long as the Radfords keep on having kids and as long as the public is interested to hear in how their lives are progressing, the documentaries keep on rolling. Channel 4 has continued to make more and more of these documentaries on the Radfords each and every year, and the latest edition was 21 Kids and Counting, which aired in January of 2019.


Source: Instagram / @theradfordfamily

Since Noel and Sue are now expecting another baby in 2020, we can expect that the show will return once more for yet another edition, set to be entitled: 22 Kids and Counting. Each year, fans are amazed to see that the Radford family has continued to grow, and everyone can’t wait to meet the next baby.











Record Holders

You might be wondering if the Radfords hold any special records since they have so many children. Well, they aren’t actually the biggest family on Earth, but they are the current record holders for the biggest family in Britain! This unique title, combined with the documentaries, really helped to catapult the family into the spotlight.


Source: Facebook / The Radford Family

Many people love to keep up with news from the Radfords and many of the kids have their own social media accounts and big follower numbers too. Chloe, for example, has got around 24,000 Instagram followers on her own private account, and the individual Radford kids can basically be described as celebrities in Britain.











The Future for The Radfords

So, what does the future hold for this amazing and totally unique family? Well, we’ve already seen that baby number 22 is on the way, scheduled to arrive in the world in April of 2020, and that’s definitely going to be the next big milestone for Noel, Sue, and their nearest and dearest. All around the world, fans of the family are eagerly anticipating the birth.


Source: Instagram / @theradfordfamily

We’ll be excited to see the new baby when he or she arrives, as well as learning what Noel and Sue have decided to call their new addition and how he or she will fit into the family unit. We also have to wonder if this baby will finally be the very last one, or whether Noel and Sue might decide to do the whole thing all over again! Either way, the future is exciting for this family.