22 Kids and Counting star Sue Radford once candidly recalled her experience of giving birth for the first time at just 14-years-old.
The TV favourites are parents to their 22 kids, ranging from ages 34 down to four. Their youngest, Heidie Radford, was born at the start of lockdown in 2020. They star on 22 Kids and Counting, which is airing on Channel 5 this weekend as repeat episodes.
But when it came to their firstborn, Chris, things took a dramatic and horrific turn for Sue when giving birth to him – with the mum admitting it was “absolutely horrendous”.
Sue Radford on ‘horrific’ birth to first kid
Aged 14, 22 Kids and Counting star Sue gave birth to the couple’s first child, Christopher, now 34, back in 1989. But during the delivery, the midwife didn’t numb her enough – meaning she had to be cut.
It was absolutely terrible.
Speaking in their recent book, The Radfords: Making Life Count, Sue said: “I needed stitches and could feel the needle going in and the thread coming out.”
Over three decades later, Sue has not forgotten about the ordeal. She explained: “I can still hear the noises associated with it all. It was absolutely terrible.”
Noel Radford dubs experience ‘awful’
Hubby Noel then chimed in to recall how “bad” the situation was at the time. He said: “If anyone has ever cut through bacon rind with an old pair of scissors, it was like that – the noise. It was just awful.”
Following the “horrendous” experience, Sue vowed to not fall pregnant again. However, four years later, Sue and Noel welcomed their second child, daughter Sophie, and went on to have 20 more children.
Sue Radford and kids
The Radford family regularly keeps fans updated on their lives. Over the last couple of years, the Radfords have enjoyed a fair amount of holidays. However, some of their followers are pointing out their concerns.
One wrote: “On holidays again 18 holidays in the last 20 months. You people must be rich or you just make your money off your kids and grandkids on YouTube.”
Another fumed: “Take your kids somewhere cultural where they will learn something instead of [bleep] plastic Disney parks.”
Sue addressed similar criticism in the families memoir. She said: “I have the mindset now – particularly since I lost my dad – that if you can afford to go on holiday, then go.
“Life is definitely too short to say: ‘Oh, maybe I should squirrel my money away in the bank or whatever.’ Life is too short, so just do it. If we can afford to take our kids to Florida, then we’ll take our kids to Florida. I’m not going to bother myself about what other people say.”
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Read more: Sue Radford ‘exhausted’ as she shares fears over keeping her kids safe on holiday: ‘So hard’
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