Former teaching assistant Michelle, originally from Portsmouth, met Chris, the Irish plumber online in January 2008. They struck up a relationship that led Chris to fly to the UK to visit Michelle every two weeks or so. Three months into their relationship, Michelle discovered she was pregnant. Michelle said: ‘I was scared to tell Chris because we’ve only been dating for a few months. But when I called him and told him the news, he was really angry. I knew he would stand by me and he moved in a few weeks later. When I found out we were having twins, it was a pleasant surprise but it’s not really a bad thing since we both have multiple sets of twins. My grandmother is a set of twins and Chris’ brother is the father of triplets.” In October 2008, Michelle was 25 weeks ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ when she ʀᴜsʜᴇᴅ became ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ sᴜғғᴇʀɪɴɢ from ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛ ɪᴏɴs and gave birth to fraternal twin boys Anthony and Adam. Michelle recalls: “The boys were so that they had to stay in ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ for three months. Chris and I visit them every day. It was a really tough time because we didn’t know what was going to happen. ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ told us that Adam has ʙʀᴀɪɴ and will need extra care as he gets older. The first few weeks passed in a blur. Then, when the boys were 10 weeks old, I realized I was missing my ᴘᴇʀɪᴏᴅ. A test confirmed that I have ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ again.” The couple moved to Ireland to be closer to Chris’ family and their third child, Andrew, arrived in September 2009.
Michelle said: “I would take the boys shopping and people would mistake them for triplets. I’m glad they’ll grow up without such a big age gap but I’m really worried that Andrew will be disappointed as the younger brother of twins. Chris and I talk about having another baby. We decided to let things go, and when Andrew was 5 months old, I found out I had ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ again.” When Michelle went to the antenatal clinic at 12 weeks, the pregnant mother revealed that she was having another set of twins. She said: “Chris was waiting in the car with the boys while I went into ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ for sᴄᴀɴ. When I heard the news, my legs were limp. Chris just had to look at my face and he knew. He asked ‘How many?’ and I just held up two fingers. He started laughing and said, ‘Well, we’re going to need a bigger car’. I was worried how we could deal with five kids all under the age of three but I think we made them so we had to get on with it.

Michelle decided that five children was enough and planned to become sᴛᴇʀɪʟɪsᴇᴅ after they were born. She signed a consent form at her local ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ to prepare – giving ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀpermission ᴄᴀʀʀʏ to have the procedure sᴛᴇʀɪʟɪsᴀᴛɪᴏɴ when the babies were born ʀᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴄᴀᴇsᴀʀᴇᴀɴ. But with five children to take care of, the busy mom doesn’t have time to sign up for ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ and instead has ᴄᴏɪʟ . But Michelle sparked a ᴀʟʟᴇʀɢɪᴄ reaction and removed it three months later. When Lilian and Luke were 14 months old, Michelle was ʜɪᴛ with another ʙᴏᴍʙsʜᴇʟʟ – she was ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ with her third twins. Michelle said: “I was just getting over the feeling of ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ again when I found out it was twins. When s told me she could see two sᴀᴄ ɪɴsɪᴅᴇ, I nearly fell off the bed. I never even thought it would be the third time giving birth to twins – the odds were too high. We were worried about how to deal with all children under the age of four. But we are a strong family and we can get through anything.” In June of this year, Ollie and Olivia were born – raising Michelle’s cubs to seven. She said: “We live in a crazy house but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. It can be quite hectic at times, especially when it comes to changing diapers. We go through 260 every week.
The couple, who both care for the kids full-time, have made them a strict routine to help them cope. “The older kids eat breakfast and dinner together at the kitchen table and go to bed at 7pm,” says Michelle. After that, we would bottle feed the youngest twins every few hours. Sometimes we have to remind all of us that we only have one pair of hands per person, not 20! Chris and I don’t have much time when it’s just the two of us. But our relationship is so strong that nothing has changed. We lose every day in our stride. I am very proud of my extended family. The kids love to have so many brothers and sisters. They all share a special family bond – the older ones even fight over who is going to hold Ollie and Olivia first every morning. It’s great that the kids are of similar ages as it meant that we’ve been able to save money on clothes and baby products. We’ve passed on Adam and Anthony’s clothes to Andrew and in time Lilian’s clothes will go to Olivia. They have each got their own personalities but I love nothing more than taking them all out together in matching clothes. It shows we’re one big happy family.”

It comes as no surprise to the couple when they find their weekly bill has reached a whopping £160. But Michelle has scuppered her chances of adding even more to the brood with a fourth set of twins as she has now been sterilised. She said:” I actually signed the consent form when I was being wheeled up to theatre to have Ollie and Olivia. I was determined this time not to be caught out again.”