Having a big family can be hugely rewarding for parents who always dreamed of having lots of kids – but one mum is sick of being asked the same questions about her family by people online.
Ariel Tyson, who posts online as @arielctyson, shares videos of her hectic family life with her husband and six sons on Instagram and TikTok, and over the last few months she has also been sharing pregnancy updates – as she is expecting her seventh child.
And the former college professor has said people won’t stop asking her if she is having more children in an attempt to have a baby girl, as people often assume she is “disappointed” with having six boys.
In one message posted to Instagram, Ariel told her impending arrival: “No matter if you’re a girl or a boy, because sadly, that also seems to determine your value to many, you will have a special place in our family for your entire life.”
The mum also shared a video on TikTok in which she answered some of her frequently asked questions – including whether she only has a big family because she wants to have a girl.
She said: “Nope! We always wanted a big family. Though I thought 4 to 5 kids originally.”
As well as being asked if she wants a baby girl, Ariel said she also regularly faces questions about how she and her husband keep up with the costs of raising such a large brood.
In the same video, she added: “We have a budget and save. And we both work!”
While in response to a question about making sure her kids get enough attention, she said: “We have family time and individual time, and they thrive with siblings as best friends too!”
Although Ariel is expecting baby number seven, it’s actually her eighth pregnancy as she sadly lost one child during her first pregnancy.
The mum was told there was a 90 per cent chance she’d never carry a baby to term, but her luck was changed thanks to a “very special doctor”.
She explained: “I was told after we lost our first that there was a 90 per cent chance I’d lose every baby I got pregnant with, but God, using the gift of a very special doctor who performed a surgery invented only a few years before I had it done, made it possible.
“The miracle isn’t lost on me. If you’re going through infertility or loss, I do see you and it’s ok to grieve and to surround yourself with people who care and listen,” The Sun reports.
“I had plenty around me who wouldn’t, but I found a tribe of mamas who’d walked the road before me.”