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. Erin Bates and Husband Chad Paine's Complete Relationship Timeline "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." Erin, Chad Courtesy of Erin and Chad Paine/Instagram 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 o