It may seem enjoyable to have so many children in the family. Yes, this may be true, though raising so many children may be a nightmare. Additionally, a woman’s energy somehow deteriorates every time she bears a child. A mother who lives in Arkansas City, Kansas, with her husband and 12 children certainly could use the much-needed rest after having a dozen children in 17 years.
33-year-old Britni Church has been pregnant almost every year for 17 years. She could certainly use a vacation from it all. She had her first child when she was 16 in 2004 and had 3 more children when she was 17 to 19. She welcomed 4 more children in her 20s and bore triplets in her 30s. At 32 years old, she had her 12th baby. Britni has been having babies yearly, except in 2013, 2017, and 2022.
“I think I’m done,” Church told TODAY with a laugh. She also mentioned that her husband, 30-year-old Chris, wanted to have more children.
Britni has children from previous relationships. They are, Crizman, 17; Jordan, 16; Caleb, 14; Jace, 13; Cadence, 12; and Jesalyn, 10. She has another 6 children with her current husband, namely, 7-year-old Silas, 5-year-old Christopher Jr., 3-year-old triplets Oliver, Asher, and Abel, and 11-month-old Rowyn. In total, Britni and Chris have 5 girls and 7 boys. Before she met Chris in 2014, Britni was raising her 5 children as a single mother. Now, with their 12 children, they spend $200 per month on milk alone, excluding other grocery items.
“There’s always noise. Someone is always screaming,” Church said. “But it’s just normal for us. I’m able to drown it out somehow.”
Britni has an account on TikTok, where she documents her family life. To date, her account, which she opened in 2019, has 1.8M followers. She says that most of her followers are fascinated by their huge family, and she replies to most of the comments on her videos. Some followers have asked what kind of car they use for the family, and some ask how much they spend on weekly groceries.
“A lot of people assume we’re on welfare — we’re not,” Church said. “I get a lot of questions like, ‘Are you Catholic? Are you religious?’ I’m Pentecostal, but that has nothing to do with why I have so many.”
Britni’s eldest, Crizman, has recently graduated from high school and is closer in age to her mother than Britni’s youngest sibling.
Britni has no plans for another pregnancy for now. Though she believes that she can have another healthy baby if she carries her 13th child. “They were all vaginal except the triplets — with them, I had a C-section,” Church revealed.
The downside of having so many children is being behind on doing the laundry and house-cleaning. Britni has found peace in having a huge family, though. All that matters to her is that all her children feel special and loved.
“I used to care so much about what others thought of me. Don’t let them mean comments get to you,” she says in one of her videos. “Be someone who spreads positivity! We are happiest when we’re all together. We’ve got a big waterslide, and we’ve been having cookouts and sitting around the fire pit. Life is good.”
Britni and Chris do not let cruel criticisms get to them. The couple is happy with their 12 children, and that’s all that matters.
Images credits: Daily Mail UK and Britni Church @thechurchtriplets/Instagram
