Labour of love: 'We found out when I was 24 weeks that I was pregnant with my sixth baby'

Raising a large family brings lots of challenges and rewards. Nicole Glennon talks to two mums about their hectic but happy home life

Corrina and Colin Stone who are expecting a baby in October with their children, twins Aoife, and Orla 15, Seamus, 14, Cillian ,10, Cuan 2 Lorcan ,7, and Oisin 4. Photograph Moya Nolan

With falling birth rates globally, the rising costs of raising children, and climate change concerns, it may seem like big families are a thing of the past, but Ireland is bucking the trend.

A 2020 report from Eurofound, a European Commission research agency, found we have the highest rate of large families in the EU. In 2017, 7% of Irish households had three or more children — more than twice the average across the other 28 member states.

Dublin-based mommy blogger Kellie Kearney always wanted a big family.

“I knew I wanted more than one or two,” she says. “But I thought I’d stop at four,” she says, laughing.

There are four girls and two boys in the Kearney clan, Kayla (12), Frankie (8), Kadie (6), Kenzie (5), Kasey (3) and Danny (6 months), who is cooing in the background as we speak.

Danny was a surprise baby, to say the least. Kellie’s partner Joe had undergone a vasectomy several months before his conception.

“We found out when I was 24 weeks pregnant with him that I was pregnant again,” she says.

“Subconsciously, I knew I was pregnant but as quick as I’d think that I’d say, ‘Don’t be crazy’. Then, what do you know; we were pregnant again,” she laughs.

Since sharing their story of a failed vasectomy (although Kellie naturally says she wouldn’t change things for the world now Danny is here), she has heard of other couples who had a similar situation unfold.

Kellie’s partner Joe comes from a family of six, and the blogger, who grew up with just one sibling, says she was always drawn to his larger family.

“His house was always wild, so I was used to that chaos.”

Kellie and Joe Kearney with their children Danny 8 months, Frankie, 8, Kasey, 3, Kenzie, 5, and Kadie, 6.  Photo: Moya Nolan

Kellie happily embraces the organised chaos of family life. “Saturdays are [hectic], if you thought taxiing one kid around was hard work, try doing it for six. One car is going left, one is going right. One of them does horse-riding, another does dancing, another plays camogie, one does football.”

And what about babysitters? Are there any issues getting someone to look after six aged under 13? “No,” she says. “My mam lives five minutes down the road.”

But, while family and friends have always been on hand to help out, she admits lockdown was tough at times as they relied far less on their support networks. “A lot of people in the family work for the HSE or in healthcare and we didn’t want them to take the risk for us.”

Not much has changed since restrictions have been lifted. Other than the odd dinner date, Kellie says she and her husband don’t have many late nights.

“We aren’t drinkers and I always like to put the kids to bed,” she says.

“I know a lot of people would be running out the door to get a chance to be away from the kids for a while but I am a bit strange — I like to come home early.”

Perhaps it’s not so strange, given that one of Kellie’s greatest worries is not spending enough one-on-one time with each of her children.

“I work from home [as a social media manager and blogger] and there are days where their dad comes home and I’ll sit down with the laptop and realise I never asked one of the kids how their day was.

“It will play on my mind until the next day and when they wake up I am asking them, ‘How was school yesterday?’”

There are four girls and two boys in the Kearney clan. Photo: Moya Nolan

‘I’ve had six miscarriages, but in a few months, I’ll give birth to my eighth child’

Travel writer Corrina Stone, 42, didn’t always want a big family. During her younger years, she had no plans to have children.

But that changed when she married her husband Colin in 2003.

At age 23, she decided she was ready to start a family — but experienced some difficulties.

“We were trying for three years and then we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility,” says Corrina who is from Athy, Co Kildare,

The next option was IUI or IVF, but Corrina felt she needed a break.

“Trying for children is a strain on a relationship,” she says. “So we took a break and went on holiday — and I came home pregnant with twins.

“The joy was unbelievable,” she says. “Eight months later, I was pregnant again.”

Fast forward to 2022, and Corrina’s family is still growing. She is now a proud mum of seven – identical twins Aoife and Orla (15), Seamus (14), Cillian (10), Lorcan (7), Oisín (4) and Cuán (2).

“A lot of people think having a big family is easy or plain sailing,” Corrina says. “It looks easy from the outside when people have a lot of children. But I’ve had six miscarriages. Most recently, last October. It’s not always been easy getting pregnant or staying pregnant.”

Corrina and Colin Stone who are expecting a baby in October with their children, twins Orla and Aoife,15, Oisin, 4, Cuan, 2, Lorcan ,7, Cillian ,10, and Seamus 14 Photograph Moya Nolan

Corrina is pregnant again — expecting her eighth child who is due in October.

“The biggest thing with having a larger family is organisation,” she says, “And money, of course.”

“I am so lucky that I can be a stay-at-home mom and that my husband chose a career that earns enough money to support nine of us on one income.”

Though life is busy at home, travel is a priority. Corrina’s Instagram page @itscherrystone features posts on her travels with seven children on board. “Pre-Covid, we travelled probably once every four to six weeks,” she says, with family holidays including a road trip across the US, Christmas markets in Düsseldorf, and visiting Santa in Lapland.

“I love travelling with the kids — and that’s why I do it so often. I want to broaden their horizons, show them the world, and immerse them in different cultures, different foods, and different tastes. It also helps them with their geography, history, and maths.

Travelling helps the family to get away from “the humdrum of everyday life”, she says, allowing them to spend time together.

“Because I’m not busy running a household [when travelling], making dinner, running here and there collecting someone from somewhere, dropping someone else off — I can spend more time with them.”

‘There is only so far you can stretch yourself’

Child psychotherapist and author Joanna Fortune, who is one of five children herself, says making sure each child gets adequate one-on-one time is one of the main issues parents of bigger families face.

“There’s only so far you can stretch yourself,” she says. “There’s a lot of pressure in trying to make sure everyone’s needs are met.”

Having a larger family is also more expensive and parents can have less disposable income, she says, and less time to themselves.

But despite these challenges, there is evidence to suggest that having your own Brady Bunch could make you happier.

A 2015 study by Perth’s Edith Cowan University, for example, found that families with four or more children enjoy the greatest life satisfaction.

“That study actually found that parents with four or more children showed a higher level of life satisfaction, greater evidence of emotional resilience, and higher self-esteem,” says Joanna.

Also, for children growing up in large families, there can be many positives.

“You’re never alone,” Joanna says. “That can be a con, but it can also be a positive. You always have somebody to play with, talk to, and engage with.

“Kids from big families also tend to have great social skills and good resilience. Negotiating sibling squabbles and relationship hiccups will also stand to a child.”

• Follow Kellie Kearney and her family on Instagram page, @mylittlebabog.
• Follow Corrina Stone and her family on Instagram page, @itscherrystone. Corrina and her sister Sue also have a Facebook group called Mums on the Run, which offers travel advice for parents travelling with or without the kids.