Erin Bates and Husband Chad's Quotes About Wanting a Big Family

Bringing Up Bates star Erin Bates and her husband, Chad Paine, have endured both crushing heartbreak and miraculous joy on their parenting journey.

The Bates family found fame on their Up TV reality series, which chronicled Erin’s parents, Gil and Kelly Bates, raising 19 children. Erin and her husband, Chad, tied the knot at Clear Springs Baptist Church in Corryton, Tennessee, in November 2013.

The newlyweds faced trauma from experiencing multiple miscarriages and additional complications while trying to start a family, before their first son, Charles (a.k.a. Carson), was born in May 2014. Erin and Chad now share seven children: Carson, Brooklyn, born in August 2016, Everly, born in March 2018, Holland, born in November 2019, Finley, born January 2022, William, born in October 2023, and Henry, born August 2025.

Over the years, Erin continued to face numerous fertility setbacks and other health issues while growing their family. In September 2025, Chad reached out via social media to ask for prayers on his wife’s behalf, after she went into septic shock following Henry’s birth.

“We had asked for prayer for recovery for Erin due to complications. Her labor was longer and more intense than previous births,” Chad wrote. “She has been fighting through it and has been such a light and sweet testimony of grace to nurses, staff and doctors alike. We are all moved by her kindness and gratefulness in the midst of pain.”

Bringing Up Bates fans, friends and Bates family members from across the world sent Erin their support, as Chad described his wife’s health crisis as “one of the hardest things [he’d] ever faced.”

Keep scrolling for a look back at Erin and Chad’s past comments about parenthood.

Chad Once Compared Large Families to a ‘Circus’

Speaking to Knox News in 2016, Chad suggested that the appeal of Bringing Up Bates was that viewers were curious what it’s like to be part of such a big family.

“I think, ‘(Why) do people want to watch a huge family?’ It’s crazy,” he declared. “It’s almost like a circus sometimes, but people are very kind so I think maybe they just watch it because they’re in awe of how Mom can handle so many things at one time.”

Erin continued, “It’s a lot of fun. I love being from a large family. I feel like there’s so many friends and so much to do, and it honestly felt like it was normal to me, but I know it’s not now that I have my two kids, and I don’t think I could have 19 kids in my wildest dreams.”

Erin and Chad had five more children, to date, after those comments were made.

Erin Reflected on the Family’s Early Fertility Setbacks

In an April 2025 vlog, Erin described “one of the hardest seasons” of her life when she first experienced fertility complications. Erin acknowledged there were many “nights that would end in tears” because she and Chad wanted children more than anything.

“[We held] each other as our hearts ached,” she said. “We would cry out to God, asking for a baby. We wondered if we would ever hold a little one in our arms. Heartbreak followed heartbreak, and the waiting felt endless.”

When the couple welcomed their first baby, son Carson, in 2015, Erin recalled how her and Chad’s “hearts overflowed with joy.”

“He was everything we prayed for and more,” Erin beamed. “We couldn’t imagine life without the light he brought to our family.”

Erin and Chad Faced Uncertainty Over How Many Kids They’d Have

Erin explained to People in January 2015 why it was unlikely she’d be able to follow in her parents footsteps by having 19 children.

“With the at-risk pregnancy and everything, we want me to be able to stay healthy and that also means having a healthy baby,” Erin said. “I think we’re taking it one day at a time at this point and just trying to see what the doctors say and what the best decision is for us.”

Erin Underwent Multiple Ovary Removal Surgeries

In February 2021, Erin shared with her Instagram followers that she’d had “three surgeries over the past few months” because “cysts have ruptured and caused a lot of internal bleeding.”

“I ended up having to have one ovary removed and most of my second removed as well,” she told followers. “It has been scary and really discouraging at times, but we have been so grateful for the medical doctors who have helped us navigate through these uncertainties. God has held our hands through it, and has given us a peace and strength that we cannot explain.”

Erin Admitted Having a 5th Child Would Be a ‘Huge Miracle’

During a February 2021 interview with Us Weekly, Erin described the roadblocks that she and Chad were facing as they tried to have a fifth child.

“I’ve had COVID twice and ever since the second time that I had it, I started having all of these female issues and it caused a lot of internal bleeding,” she told Us. “So with the first surgery, they just removed all of the blood. The second surgery, they ended up taking out one of my ovaries. And then the last surgery, they removed most of my second ovary. So right now, we’re just dealing with trying to balance hormones with hormone therapy and stuff like that.”

Erin suggested it would be “a huge miracle” to have a fifth child at all because she only had “one third of an ovary left.”

“[The remaining ovary is] very scarred from three surgeries,” she said. “So at this point, it’s not in the question at all, which is sad because me and Chad always talked about having at least 10 children, but you never know what God has for the future. Sometimes it’s not like what you plan or how you envision it. So I don’t know what God has for us down the road, but we’re definitely open to many options.”

To the couple’s great joy, they welcomed daughter Finley in January 2022, followed by sons William and Henry in October 2023 and August 2025, respectively.

They Called Finley’s Birth ‘A Special Miracle’

Ahead of Finley’s arrival, the couple released a statement to People to share their gratitude over Erin’s “miracle” pregnancy.

“Every day life is a miracle, but this is such a special miracle for our little family,” they said in a joint statement “For the past year, Erin has experienced different health problems, which ended up leading to multiple surgeries.”

The couple explained that they went from believing “another baby was not going to be in [their] future” to Erin getting pregnant within the span of a few months.

“It was sad, just because we both really love kids, but I knew Erin’s health was the biggest priority, and we were overwhelmingly grateful for the four little blessings God has already given us,” Chad said. “We were content knowing that God sometimes has a different plan than our own. As you can imagine, we were absolutely blown away when we found out the good news and really in shock!”

Erin Acknowledged That Motherhood Was a Struggle

With six small children already and another on the way, Erin opened up about both the challenges and rewards of having such a big family in her April 2025 vlog.

“Motherhood hasn’t been easy,” she admitted. “It’s not for the faint of heart. There are hard days, messy days, days full of questions. But there’s also a deep, soul-filling purpose in it — the kind that makes every moment, every tear, every smile and every prayer worth it. Being a mom is one of the greatest gifts God has given me, and getting to do it alongside my very best friend, that’s more than I could have ever dreamed.”

Erin’s Pregnancy With Baby Henry Was Different

Ahead of Henry’s birth in August 2025, Erin revealed in a June 2025 vlog that “all of her babies” were born between “four to six weeks” before their due dates. This time around, Erin and Chad were preparing in case Henry arrived sooner than expected.

“At my last few appointments, the doctor said the baby is measuring ‘very big.’ He is in the 95th percentile, which is not normal for any of my babies. They’re usually in the 20th percentile,” she said. “They’re considering changing my due date … We’re thinking it’s going to be around the end of August, depending on if the due date stays the same, or the beginning of September.”

She added, “We’re counting down! It feels like such a long time away but thankfully, with all the other kids, it keeps me busy so time goes a little bit faster.”

Chad Felt Nervous Over Henry’s Arrival

In Erin’s final vlog before giving birth to Henry, she walked viewers through preparing her hospital bag and brought them along to a doctor’s appointment. The couple were told by their doctor that they were in the “home stretch.”

“We would like baby Henry to stay in there as long as he can, at this point,” she admitted. “We’re just counting down now and we can’t wait.”

Chad confessed that he was feeling “a mixture of a lot different emotions” given the complications that Erin faced in the past.

“I just keep thinking. ‘God’s got this. He’s going to take care of this and he loves baby Henry more than we do,’” Erin said. “We cannot wait to hold him in our arms. We’re so excited.”

Erin Faced Major Health Problems Following Henry’s Birth

Chad shared in September 2025 that baby Henry was “doing wonderful” following his birth, though he asked for prayers on his wife’s behalf. According to Chad, Erin was fighting for her life after going into septic shock and experiencing a “lengthy and severe seizure” days after her labor.

“As her husband, it is one of the hardest things I’ve ever faced — to sit by her side and watch her struggle while being so helpless to ease her suffering,” Chad wrote. “I love her more deeply than words can express, and I can’t even imagine life without my best friend. The hours have been long and heavy, and I know many hearts are aching to see her this way, along with mine. We hold on to faith that healing is coming, even in the midst of the unknown. Your prayers are felt and we are forever grateful.”

If you or someone you know were impacted by this post, contact the March of Dimes or Postpartum Support International for support.