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'I have 14 children and spend jaw-dropping amount on monthly bills I could have more'

For many raising two children is back-breaking work, but for Will and Shay Barbee, they might not stop at 14 kids - the hard-working couple haven't ruled out adding to their brood

[Shay with her huge brood]

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Getting 14 kids organised can be a logistical nightmare (Image: Jam Press/@thismomof14)

A mum who has given birth to an incredible 14 children revealed the family's eye-watering monthly food bill as she admitted the family might still grow further.

With fewer people having children nowadays and birth rates dropping globally, Shay and her husband, Will Barbee, are certainly bucking the trend.

The 44-year-old mum-of-14 was once described as a birth "machine" by her doctors. She had her first child 25 years ago while the youngest arrived only five years ago.

The couple, based in Chicago, Illinois, USA, pride themselves on not needing support from anyone, be it practical or financial.

They spend an incredible amount on expenses for their huge family. Shay and Will pay a whopping 42,800 for groceries every year, which works out at more than 3,500 every month. That number would be even higher if they didn't have their own chickens providing eggs.

[Shay with her huge brood]

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The family's monthly bills are understandably huge (Image: Jam Press/@thismomof14)

On top of that, they shell out 11,000 for clothing, 400 for each child's birthday and around 5,200 every Christmas. Despite their huge monthly bills, the couple are not opposed to continuing to grow their family.

Shay told creatorzine.com: We didnt prevent or try to have children. We are open to whatever the Lord has for us. I have very easy pregnancies; my doctor called me a machine.

"We dont receive support from anyone; we provide, cook and clean ourselves. Our family raises chickens and ducks.

"We dont eat a lot of bread; I try to bake my own and I usually bake six loaves for the day."

The family go through around 180 eggs a week while they consume up to 36 gallons of milk every month.

[Shay cooks dinner for her children ]

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Cooking for 14 kids can be a huge undertaking (Image: Jam Press/@thismomof14)

The kids making up the huge Barbee family are: Sean, 25, Jacob, 23, Joshua, 21, Jaicee, 20, Jewel, 17, Jeremy, 16, Jordan, 14, Jenevieve, 13, Jonah, 13, Josiah, 12, Job, 10, Jameson and Jerusalem, both seven, and Jiuseppe, five.

Shay is a full-time mother while Will is an entrepreneur and investor. All the children are home schooled while the older siblings head off to college.

The mum admits that the biggest issue can often be the logistical nightmare of getting everyone to family occasions. They have five separate cars but often opt for the mammoth 15-seater vehicle as their eldest child, Sean, doesn't attend every event.

Shay said: "The biggest logistical challenge is transportation. Because my oldest doesnt go everywhere with us, we now all fit in one 15-passenger vehicle, but sometimes we take two vehicles. We make reservations and plan accordingly in advance.

[Shay ]

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Shay is not ruling out expanding the family further (Image: Jam Press/@thismomof14)

She admits that when all the family are out together, she often spots people counting them in public. Despite this, the majority of comments are good natured and pleasant with the abuse reserved for online interactions.

Shay continued: Ive witnessed people counting us, but mostly the reactions are positive and people tell us how beautiful and well-behaved our children are.

"The reaction is usually a resounding Wow, thats amazing, you dont look like you have 14 kids! You must have the patience of a saint!'

"We never receive rude comments in person. The only rude comments come from family and social media.

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