DESPITE being the most experienced mum in Britain, Sue Radford was more terrified about the birth of the 22nd child than she was her first – which was over three decades ago.
With the corona pandemic overshadowing something that had become almost second nature to her, Sue, 44, who has spent over 5,700 day of her life pregnant, was suddenly facing her most nerve-racking birth yet.
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Leaving the “safe bubble” of isolation to go to the hospital with doting husband Noel, 49, Sue was subjected to the nerve racking process of being screened for Covid-19 symptoms before entering the maternity ward.
Thankfully, once inside she felt an overwhelming sense of calm, and after being lavished in support and care from midwives the couple welcomed a beautiful 7lb baby girl into the world at 10.01pm on Friday.
But now for supermum Sue the challenge is just beginning, as she takes home her bundle of joy to start weeks on lockdown in their 10-bed house in Morecambe, Lancs.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun after welcoming their tiny baby, who they have not yet named, into the world, Sue said: “The 10-hour labour was hard.
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“But now we have weeks of isolation with a newborn baby. Let the crazy times really begin!
“Only two of the kids have flown the nest, so we are all home now for the foreseeable.”
Britain’s biggest family already hit serious problems the moment supermarkets began clamping down on panic buying, after measures to battle Covid-19 were announced last month.
Sue, whose weekly shopping list includes 100 nappies, 16 loafs of bread, 114 pints of milk, 48 large eggs, 3kg of pasta, 24 chicken breasts and 28 toilet rolls, said: “I am the original panic buyer.
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“All the shopping I ever do looks like I am panic buying and clearing the shelves of toilet roll, I can’t help it.
“When I walk out of a supermarket I am like the people you see on the news, but that is what I do every week. It is a nightmare.
“There are limits now on the amount I can buy of each thing, but it is pointless for me to buy two packets of chicken breast or 12 eggs.
“That wouldn’t even feed everyone for a light lunch.
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“We managed to get one delivery before the baby was born, but it is already running low and I can’t get another slot, so the older kids have to run to the shops to get the essentials.
“They go to the corner shop for one packet of four toilet rolls and it only lasts us one day.”
Sue and Noel support their family by running their own successful Radford’s Pie Company, and only claim standard child benefits. Sue added: “We know suppliers through the bakery who we can get meat from, so I think we will have to start looking into getting our food that way soon.
“Buying nappies will be a problem if I can’t get any.
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“Archie and Bonnie are still in nappies and now I need newborn ones for the baby.”
Still, the power parents remain relatively unfazed by the impact of the global health pandemic, and say they are used to working together as a formidable team.
Noel and Sue got hitched when Sue was 17 and say their marriage has never hit any rocks, despite the constant stream of children.
Noel underwent a vasectomy during the ninth pregnancy but then had it reversed.
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Although the couple have claimed “this is the last” after their last four pregnancies, Sue said: “We are so glad to have the baby here with us now. And I really do think this will be the last.
“I am actually looking forward to having a lot of time at home with all the kids around me and the baby.
“Everyone gets on well. We will have the odd fight, like all families, but it is always best to be together when hard times happen like this.
“One thing we won’t be is bored.”
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The years of experience running a household packed to the rafters with kids has meant the Radford’s are certainly well equipped to stay entertained in the isolation.
They own seven bikes, six scooters, 15 balls, two swings, a slide, four Xboxes, two gaming computers and six tablets, and have a 150 square metre garden to play with their four sets of tennis rackets.
Sue, who has been home tutoring her huge brood since schools closed last month, said: “The timing worked quite well because I had the baby when the school Easter holidays had started, so I don’t feel like they are missing out on class work.
“I basically became a full time teacher for the kids before the baby came.
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“I had 18-kids of my own children in my makeshift classroom. That is bigger in terms of headcount than some primary school classes.
“The older kids do help me out a lot so that makes things easier.
“Apart from that, it is a lot of paint, a lot of paper, a lot of games and lots of tears and tantrums.
“We have lots of laughs as well and distractions from boredom come in thick and fast, believe me.
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“I feel like at the moment we have our own lovely bubble and we can all get to know the baby.
“We have bought extra board games and downloaded some quizzes to do.
“The kids are good and play together so that helps take pressure off.”
But going for walks, along with shopping, is causing a problem for the Radford’s.
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The family are getting “death stares” for taking their daily exercise together.
Sue added: “It is funny really. People who don’t know we are a family think we are breaking the law by having a social gathering.
“We are getting death stares from people.
“They think we are having a kids’ birthday party or something.
We have weeks of isolation with a newborn baby. Let the crazy times really begin!
Sue Radford
“When we take the baby on her first walk in the pram all of the children will want to come.
“So that will mean 20 of us walking down the street and to the fields nearby.
“It looks like a small parade.
“I understand why people might give us looks, but there is nothing we can do.
“I guess you don’t get 20 people that live in the same household in many places.”
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And, of course, at the well prepared Radford residence there is already a contingency plan in place for if a member of the brood does get Covid symptoms.
Sue said: “We made a plan weeks ago as a family.
“We spoke to the children about how important it is to keep away from people and wash their hands.
“But we said if someone does get it then they will isolate themselves in the basement.
“The basement is self contained and has a bathroom and two bedrooms.
“Millie, Jack and Daniel are down there at the moment and they would come up and share with the other boys and Millie could go in with Chloe, who has a room of her own.
“Then we could leave food out, and I have paracetamol ready.
“Non of the kids have health problems so we are really lucky in that sense.”
And for now the symptom-free family are focused on their newest member and arguing over her name. Sue added: “She is the best distraction we could ask for . The debate about the name is also keeping everyone occupied.
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“The kids are completely besotted with her.
“They all waited for a turn to have a cuddle with her when we first got home and they can’t put her down.
“We can’t register the birth because of coronavirus. The registry office is closed so that is going to delay the decision even more.
“We are calling her Baby Girl at the moment but we can’t go on calling her that it is driving me mad.
“The name will end in, ‘ie’. Like all the other girls in the family, apart from me.
“So we have narrowed it down but we still have five or six names to choose from.
“I wish Noel and I had named her on the way home, and then no one could argue with us. That was a big mistake.”
In other parenting news, we told you how a mum has shared a genius way to store baby onesies without having to fold them.
We also revealed how a mum and her toddler accidentally had a hilarious flour fight.
And a brutal mum-to-be has demanded her sister change the name of her adopted child.
