Britni Church never expected to get internet famous. But then again, she never expected her life to take such interesting twists and turns. The 33-year-old mom, who's amassed a following of more than 1.8 million on TikTok, regularly shares little snippets of her life back in Kansas, where she lives with her husband and their 12 kids. That's right: T-W-E-L-V-E kids. The busy mom recently opened up to Today Parents about what it's like to raise such a large family — especially in the public eye, where she frequently faces public scrutiny and fascination.
According to Church, she's gotten used to all the assumptions people make about her
“A lot of people assume we’re on welfare," she told Today. (Spoiler alert: She's not.)
She also gets a lot of questions about religion, with many people assuming that she's Catholic and doesn't believe in birth control.
(For the record, Church is Pentecostal, a subset of Christianity, but she insists that has nothing to do with why she has so many kids.)
She's also had to field some pretty "interesting" questions and comments
For one thing, people openly comment on her fertility. (According to a recent Instagram post, she's been called a "fertile Myrtle" more times than she can count). She's also been asked some pretty nosey questions from people she barely knows — like how exactly she delivered her babies and what the current status is "down there." (Yes, really.)
But for the most part, Church has learned to roll with it. She's also not shy about sharing her story with well-intentioned strangers, though she stops short of discussing the state of her nether regions, for obvious reasons.
"They were all vaginal except the triplets — with them I had a C-section,” Church told Today.
The thing is, Church knows she has a fascinating story
Especially when you consider the timeline of things.
The 33-year-old first became a mother at 16, when she gave birth to her oldest child Crizman, who is now 17. But she didn't stop there — nearly every year since then, Church has welcomed another child.
Crizman was followed by Jordan, 16, Caleb, 14, Jace, 13, Cadence, 12, and Jesalyn, 10.
According to Today, Church's oldest children were all from previous relationships, but she shares her other six kids with her now-husband Chris, 30. Together, they share Silas, 7, Christopher Jr. 5, 3-year-old triplets Oliver, Asher, and Abel, and finally, their littlest one, Rowyn, who just turned 11 months.
With 14 people under one roof, it's definitely a full house
But if you're wondering how Church manages to stay on top of everything, she'll be the first to let you in on a little secret: She doesn't.
The laundry is always piled high, the house is never fully clean at one time, and the noise is … well, pretty constant.
“There’s always noise," Church told Today. "Someone is always screaming. But it’s just normal for us. I’m able to drown it out somehow."
These days, honesty, love, and a sense of humor get her through the chaos
In fact, that's why so many people love following her on TikTok, where she answers questions and shares little insights about the everyday struggles (and triumphs) she experiences while raising such a large family.
Sometimes, that means marveling at the sheer amount of butts she's wiped over the years.
Seriously — in one recent video, she estimated that she's probably changed 30,000 diapers between all 12 of her kids …
In general, reflecting on all of the momming that Church has done is honestly kind of mind-blowing. According to Today, the 33-year-old has been pregnant for nearly 98 months of her life — or the better part of 17 years. In fact, she's only taken three years "off" since she was 16: 2013, 2017, and 2022 (so far!)
Naturally, caring for such a large brood comes at a high cost
In order to fit the entire family in one car, Church and her husband had to buy a Ford Transit Van, which seats up to 15 people. (We don't even want to THINK about that gas bill … )
@ourlargefamilylife Reply to @tiitiig what we drive with 12 kids #cheaperbythedozen #fordtransit #hondapilot #12kids ♬ original sound – Britni Church
And when it comes to feeding all 12 of her kids, that's a pricey venture, too. Church told Today that she spends roughly $200 every month just on milk, but that she and her husband do it all without any government assistance.
@ourlargefamilylife Now I need those cute bins to organize everything #newfridge #somuchroomforactivities ♬ original sound – Britni Church
But despite how expensive — and chaotic — it is to raise so many kids under one roof, Church wouldn't trade her life for anything.
“We are happiest when we’re all together,” she told Today. “We’ve got a big waterslide, and we’ve been having cookouts and sitting around the fire pit. Life is good."
And as for whether she'd ever add one more kid to the mix, the Kansas mama has this to say: “I think I'm done!”
@ourlargefamilylife #greenscreen Reply to @emmaheyd #cheaperbythedozen #bigfamily ♬ Cold Water – Ki-Jung
