Erin Bates Teases Possible Expansion of Family Following Sepsis Fight
Bringing Up Bates alum Erin Bates aims to grow her family with husband Chad Paine, even after facing hospitalization following the birth of their seventh child.
During an Instagram Q&A on Wednesday, July 15, Bates, 35, was asked if she plans to have more children “if [her] health wasn’t a concern.”
“Without question, yes!” Bates responded through her Instagram Stories. “We both have a deep love for kids and see it as our highest calling to help them know and love Jesus.”
Bates also wondered if “adoption is part of [their] future.”
“I don’t know, but I’m incredibly thankful for the children the Lord has blessed us with,” she added.
Bates and Paine, 39, have been married since 2013 and are proud parents to seven children. Their youngest son, Henry, was born in September 2025. Shortly after childbirth, Bates had to be hospitalized due to septic shock.
“We want to express our gratitude for the prayers and support you’ve extended on our behalf. It’s been a week since our miracle, Henry, entered the world,” Paine stated on Instagram then. “He is doing well in the NICU and brings us so much joy. We had asked for prayers for Erin’s recovery due to complications. Her labor was longer and more intense than her previous births. She has been resilient and an inspiring testimony to nurses, staff, and doctors. We are all touched by her grace and thankfulness amidst the challenges.”
According to Paine, Bates suffered from a “severe UTI and kidney infection” that led to sepsis.
“She is currently still in the ICU as doctors continue to provide treatment, diagnosis, and seek answers,” he stated. “We humbly ask for your prayers for this wonderful woman who lights up a dark world. We hold onto God’s promises.”
After weeks in the hospital, Bates was released.
“I don’t even have the words. For weeks, my leg has not worked (since my seizure in the hospital),” she wrote in an honest Instagram post in October 2025. “I’ve been carried, wheeled, and supported through tears and prayers… and today — it moved. Today I took steps. They may be unsteady, but they are steps I wasn’t sure I would take again.”
She continued, “I’ve cried until I laughed, and laughed until I cried. My heart is overflowing with gratitude. Jesus, You are faithful. You are the Healer. All glory belongs to You. To everyone who has prayed and motivated us, thank you. You have been part of this miracle. To the doctors, nurses, and therapists who have invested so much into my recovery — we are eternally grateful.”
Erin is one of Gil and Kelly Jo Bates’ 19 children. Their family’s UPtv reality series aired from 2015 to 2021.
