Noel and Sue Radford have seventeen children and are known as Britain’s largest family. Now Sue has just given birth to a baby the couple say will be their last.
In July, Sue delivered a stillborn baby at 21-weeks. She said, “I think losing a child changes you as a person, I’m not the same person I was before I lost Alfie. I will never be that person again but I’m learning to live life as an angel mummy and put a smile on my face when there’s times I really don’t feel like smiling.”
Despite the stillbirth, the couple feels fortunate to be expecting another baby.
In December when they found out they were expecting, hey told The Sun newspaper, “It is the perfect Christmas gift. The children are all very excited about having a new brother or sister so it will be a happy home over the holidays.”
Sue said, “We are really, really excited. It is the best news I could hope for after a difficult year. It feels like a blessing. We weren’t planning on getting pregnant so quickly. I wasn’t sure it would happen, to be honest. But we are so glad it has and the children are all really happy.”
She concluded, “This will be the last, 18 is enough. I’ve had bad morning sickness but it has stopped now so I am just waiting for the cravings. I am sick whenever I smell Noel’s aftershave so I have banned him from wearing it. I’m used to the pregnancy stuff now. I know I will be stuffing my face with cream cakes within a few weeks.”
The Radfords welcomed their new 7lb 15oz daughter on Wednesday. The couple say their new daughter is ‘beautiful’ and the couple have paid tribute to her older brother who died by giving her the middle name, Alphia.
Writing on their website, Mrs Radford said she had gone to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary on Tuesday last week for what she thought would be a check up, only to be induced and she ended up giving birth the following day.
‘We are so thrilled to announce the safe arrival of our beautiful precious baby girl Hallie Alphia Beau Radford Born on June 3, 2015 weighing 7lb 15oz,’ she said.
‘On Tuesday evening I decided to go the hospital just to get a check up as she hadn’t been moving the same as she usually did at that time of the day.
‘I thought they would just put me on a monitor for half an hour and then be sent home but that was not to be even after a good trace they decided to induce me due to reduced movements. I was so relieved as I’ve been so anxious this last few weeks and particularly that day.
The Radfords, who run a successful bakery business in Morecambe, Lancashire, and do not claim any state benefits, said little Hallie was settling in with her older brothers and sisters
We would just like to thank all the staff at the RLI for the fantastic care we’ve received throughout my pregnancy and her safe arrival.
‘She’s so doted on by all her brothers and sisters and is settling in really well. We are so in love with her.’
Mrs Radford and her husband, 43, are already parents to Chris, Sophie, 21, Chloe, 19, Jack, 17, Daniel, 15, Luke, 14, Millie, 13, Katie, 12, James, 11, Ellie, nine, Aimee, eight, Josh, seven, Max, six, Tillie, four, Oscar, three and two-year-old Caspar. The couple also have two grandchildren
Mr and Mrs Radford were childhood sweethearts and she got pregnant with their first child at the age of just 14.
They proudly say ‘no-one thought it would last’ but they are still happy after all these years.
The family, who have appeared on Channel 4 documentary series 16 Kids And Counting, live in a ten-bedroom converted Lancashire care home – and Mrs Radford said they had not ruled out having more children in the future.
‘I think she’ll be the last, but I never say never. We won’t actively try but I won’t go on the pill,’ she told The Sun’s Rachel Dale.
