The Bates crew keeps expanding as son Zach Bates and his wife, Whitney Bates, prepare to welcome their sixth baby.
“Ya know what they say … One’s company, two’s a crowd, three’s a party, four’s a circus [and] five’s a team,” Zach, 36, and Whitney, 32, wrote over a joint Instagram video shared on Thursday, September 25, “And six is a whole squad!!!!”
Zach and Whitney further revealed that their newest arrival is due in spring 2026.
Zach is the eldest child of Bringing Up Bates couple Gil and Kelly Jo Bates, going on to marry Whitney in 2013. They already share children Bradley, 11, Kaci, 8, Khloé, 6, Jadon, 3, and Lily Jo, 2.
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Several of Zach’s siblings immediately congratulated the pair in the Instagram comments section.
“This baby’s joining a powerhouse family,” sister Carlin Bates, who recently welcomed her third baby, gushed. “I’M SCREAMING!!!”
Lawson Bates, whose wife Tiffany Bates is currently pregnant with baby No. 2, added, “SQUAD GOALS 💯. … LETS GOOOOOOOO 🙌.”
Michaela Bates, for her part, also replied, writing, “I’m just so excited for you guys! ❤️😍❤️.”
The Bates family has recently been through a trying time after sister Erin Bates welcomed her seventh baby with husband Chad Paine. Shortly after delivering baby Henry, Erin, 35, went into septic shock following complications from a UTI and kidney infection.
“Last night, Erin suffered a lengthy and severe seizure. Up to this point, Erin’s infection was getting better, but we found ourselves back in a place of heartache, uncertainty, and tears,” Paine, 38, wrote via Instagram days later on September 4.“She is in the ICU, and the doctors are running scans and tests to determine the cause. Erin is extremely weak and spent hours only half-conscious.”
He continued, “As her husband, it is one of the hardest things I’ve ever faced — to sit by her side and watch her struggle while being so helpless to ease her suffering. I love her more deeply than words can express, and I can’t even imagine life without my best friend. The hours have been long and heavy, and I know many hearts are aching to see her this way, along with mine. We hold on to faith that healing is coming, even in the midst of the unknown. Your prayers are felt and we are forever grateful.”
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Within a week, Erin was transferred to a new medical facility as she slowly started recovering from the health scare. Erin was eventually discharged by September 13 and reunited with her children.
“After almost three weeks in the hospital, I have never been so thankful to finally head home to our babies,” a September 13 post on Erin’s Instagram account read. “We don’t have all the answers yet, and I still don’t have function in my right leg, but we are choosing to count every blessing — especially the gift of being together again. Your prayers have carried us through and mean the world to our family.”
As Erin continues to recuperate, she’s been sharing updates on her family via social media.
“The best medicine,” Erin wrote via Instagram on Thursday, sharing a selfie with newborn Henry. “I will never get tired of the baby snuggles. Thankful for [each] new day.”
