Britain's busiest mum is expecting her TWELFTH baby... but still refuses to collect benefits (and it isn't cheap to fill the family runaround when it's a 17-seater minibus!)
A mother who is pregnant with her
twelfth baby just months after giving birth to twins is still refusing
to collect benefits to support her ever-growing brood.
Tania Sullivan, 37, who is four months pregnant, never hires a babysitter or takes a night off and home schools all her children.
Amazingly, she only gave up work as a recruitment consultant after the birth of her sixth child.
Mrs Sullivan and her husband Mike,
39, have had to buy a 17-seater minibus to cope with the demands of
their horde of
children - an expensive transport option considering such vehicles
average at 20-25 miles per gallon compared to between 50 and 60 miles
per gallon for a family hatchback.
The family also regularly get through 20 loaves and 50 pints of milk a week.
But the couple, from Hoo, Kent, live off Mr Sullivan’s salary from his own business - Sullivan Joinery and Crafts - and do not claim state handouts apart from tax credits and child benefit.
But as well as the joys of parenting, Mrs Sullivan has experienced huge heartache after suffering eight miscarriages.
In total, she has conceived an incredible 20 times over 19 years and has had to endure the pain of losing a child, as well as the joy of a new baby, more than most.
The dedicated mother has nine children with her husband - Caitlin, 12; Harry, nine; Eddie, seven; Sid, six; Patrick, five; Oliver, three; Joseph, one; and twins Anne and Libby, who are eight months old. She also has two from a previous relationship - Ben, 19 and Stephanie, 18 - who have since left home.
Mrs Sullivan insists on home educating her youngsters in their five-bedroom house in Kent.
She even drives a 17-seater minibus and has eight children under the age of ten, including the teething twins.
She today revealed how she kept her latest pregnancy secret from her children for the first trimester for fear of having another miscarriage.
She said: 'We obviously wanted to make sure the pregnancy was OK so waited until the first scan confirmed all was well and also how many babies were there.
'Everybody was thrilled to find out another baby was on the way and they immediately began to discuss whether they wanted a boy or girl and what the baby would be named.
'I’m still feeling well - albeit tired - but tiredness is part and parcel of being pregnant especially when you have twins to take care of at the same time.
'We have been very busy though, so time has been passing very quickly and we haven’t really been able to sit and meditate on the new baby’s arrival really.'
Mrs Sullivan is showing no sings of slowing down with her third book about her extended family in the pipeline. She also runs a successful website on her family.
Tania Sullivan, 37, who is four months pregnant, never hires a babysitter or takes a night off and home schools all her children.
Amazingly, she only gave up work as a recruitment consultant after the birth of her sixth child.
Hard work: Tania and Michael Sullivan pose with
their 11 children, including newborn twins, in January. Mrs Sullivan is
now expecting her twelfth child
Matriarch: Mrs Sullivan holds her twins Anna (left) and Libby, then 12 weeks old, in January
AN EVER-GROWING BROOD
Ben, aged 19
Stephanie, aged 18
Caitlin, aged12
Harry, aged nine
Eddie, aged seven
Sid, aged six
Patrick, aged five
Oliver, aged three
Joseph, aged one
Anne and Libby, aged eight months
New baby, expected DecemberThe family also regularly get through 20 loaves and 50 pints of milk a week.
But the couple, from Hoo, Kent, live off Mr Sullivan’s salary from his own business - Sullivan Joinery and Crafts - and do not claim state handouts apart from tax credits and child benefit.
But as well as the joys of parenting, Mrs Sullivan has experienced huge heartache after suffering eight miscarriages.
In total, she has conceived an incredible 20 times over 19 years and has had to endure the pain of losing a child, as well as the joy of a new baby, more than most.
The dedicated mother has nine children with her husband - Caitlin, 12; Harry, nine; Eddie, seven; Sid, six; Patrick, five; Oliver, three; Joseph, one; and twins Anne and Libby, who are eight months old. She also has two from a previous relationship - Ben, 19 and Stephanie, 18 - who have since left home.
From top to bottom: Brothers Eddie (seven), Sid (six) and Paddy (four) share a triple bunk bed
Military operation: Mr and Mrs Sullivan refuse
to live off state handouts and even own a minibus so that their family
can travel together
She even drives a 17-seater minibus and has eight children under the age of ten, including the teething twins.
She today revealed how she kept her latest pregnancy secret from her children for the first trimester for fear of having another miscarriage.
She said: 'We obviously wanted to make sure the pregnancy was OK so waited until the first scan confirmed all was well and also how many babies were there.
'Everybody was thrilled to find out another baby was on the way and they immediately began to discuss whether they wanted a boy or girl and what the baby would be named.
'I’m still feeling well - albeit tired - but tiredness is part and parcel of being pregnant especially when you have twins to take care of at the same time.
'We have been very busy though, so time has been passing very quickly and we haven’t really been able to sit and meditate on the new baby’s arrival really.'
Mrs Sullivan is showing no sings of slowing down with her third book about her extended family in the pipeline. She also runs a successful website on her family.