Erin Bates' Future Plans: Will She Welcome Baby No. 8?

Erin Bates, star of Bringing Up Bates with her 18 siblings, is open to having more kids after suffering septic shock and a seizure following the birth of her seventh child.

Nearly a year after she was hospitalized with complications following the birth of her and husband Chad Paine's seventh child Henry, Erin shared that she is open to continue growing their family if her health isn’t a concern. "Without a doubt, yes!" Bates wrote on her Instagram Stories July 15 during a Q&A with her followers, per People. "We both just love kids and consider it our highest calling to raise them to know and love Jesus."

As for whether adoption could be her and Paine's route for bringing more kids into the mix, Erin said it is "maybe" an option, adding, "I don’t know! I’m so thankful for the children the Lord gave us."

Erin was hospitalized with complications following the birth of Henry in August. She suffered a severe UTI and kidney infection that sent her into septic shock. Days later, her husband shared that she had 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," he wrote on Instagram in September. "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."

Erin was discharged from the hospital less than two weeks after her seizure and has since regained the ability to walk.

Since then, Erin has reflected on how her health journey has made her more grateful for her family. “This year changed me,” she wrote on Instagram in November alongside a picture of her kids. “Facing how fragile life really is made me hold my family a little tighter. These seven sweet souls and the man I love… they’re my everything.”