Raising Bates scholars Zach again Whitney Bates added a new family member to their children.
“One of the best I’ve ever had, filled with a million moments to cherish 😭💕🥹,” Whitney, 32, wrote on Instagram on Monday, April 27, alongside a video of Zach, 37, attending the birth of their sixth child.
Whitney continued, “There is nothing in this world that compares to that first moment of holding your new baby, and from my first birth when Dr. Vick helped him with Bradley, this has been one of the most precious, amazing and unforgettable experiences of my birth, ever. Dr. Martin and his staff make every moment so special and we can’t thank them and the Fort Sanders hospital enough for all of the amazing birth work they do!”
Zach and Whitney – married since December 2013 – welcomed Bradley in October 2014, Kaci in June 2016, Khloé in November 2019, Jadon in June 2021 and Lily in August 2023.
The couple announced in September 2025 that they are expecting their sixth child.
“I know what they say … A company of two, a crowd of two, a party of three, a circus of four, a group of five and six is a whole group!!!” they wrote in an Instagram video at the time.
A cute joint showed each of Zach and Whitney’s babies joining them one by one before she revealed the ultrasound pictures.
In the caption, the pair teased Whitney’s set date with us, “COMING SPRING 2026.”
Later that month, Whitney revealed that Zach realized she was pregnant before she did.
The Bates family continues to grow. Gil Bates tied the knot with Kelly Bates in 1987, and the two went on to welcome 19 children: Zachary, Michaela, Erin, Lawson, Nathan, Alyssa, Tori, Trace, Carlin, Josie, Katie, Jackson, Warden, Isaiah, Addallee, Ellie, Callie, Jud and Jeb. Thank you! You have successfully registered. Sign up for newsletters […]
“POV: tell your husband [sic] she is pregnant even though she has days to say it,” she wrote on Instagram revealing this funny moment.
In the clip, Zach told Whitney that he initially suspected she was expecting because she was “tired” and “lightened” recently.
“You don’t need to show me,” she said of her pregnancy test. “Let him hug me.”
Whitney was skeptical of Zach until she saw the results for herself.
“It’s true that he told me the dates but I didn’t believe him… 😂,” he captioned the post. “I honestly bought the test to prove him wrong, but I’m so glad he was right 🥹😍🍼💫.”
In October 2025, Whitney revealed how she and Zach told their five children about their sibling on the way.
“Before we shared the news with everyone, we took Brad and Kaci (the oldest two) out for a little dinner date to tell them about baby No. 6 first. ❤️,” she wrote on Instagram. “They’ve been wanting to go to a special steak house where Zach and I have date nights, so that’s where we went!! They’ve been asking for months if we’re ever going to have another baby, and telling them after dinner together felt special to us! And letting them help us surprise our little three at home is a memory we’ll never forget! 🥲✨.”
The following month, Whitney announced that she was having a baby girl. To find out the sex of the baby, the family played cake roulette, only one of the children got the pink crust in the middle of the fun.
“We’ve done this a few times now, but it still feels special every time 🥹💕 Seeing the kids’ faces, hearing their guesses and feeling the same rush the second time we see color is a magical moment ✨,” Whitney said on Instagram. “We love you so much girl, and I can’t wait to meet you 🫶🏼.”
