Couple Have Their 18th Child

Alexandru Ionce, 51, and his wife Livia, 44, did not set out to be the center of attention but 18 kids later, lots of media attention was focused on the family. Baby Abigail weighed 7lb 12oz at birth. She is the 10th girl born into the family. See the video here.

"We never planned how many children to have. We just let God guide our lives, you know, because we strongly believe life comes from God and that's the reason we did not stop the life," said Mr Ionce, who works in construction.

The Ionce's immigrated from Romania to Abbotsford, B.C., in 1990 with five children. Their 17 other children range in age from 20 months to 23-year-old Ioana. None are twins and all were born naturally, except four-year-old Filip, who was born by Caesarean section. They live in a 7 bedroom house with only 2 bathrooms to share. "It's tough sometimes," says Ioana. "Sometimes there's lineups but we're used to it."

"We're a lot of people but my parents taught us organization and discipline," she says. "I like it, it's good."

"I've been to my friend's house - an only child," says 15-year-old Alex. "It's different. Quiet around his house all the time. Not fun. It's not quiet here."

Alexandru works in construction, and admits it's not cheap to have a family so large. "Yeah, it is expensive," he says. But while money's in short supply, love is not. And even though she's 44-years-old, Livia's not sure she's done. "I don't know what's happen in the future," she says. "There might be more."

Even with 18 kids the Ionce's are not in the Guinness Book of Records:

• A Russian woman, known only as "the wife of Feodor Vassilyev", who gave birth to 69 children in the 18th century from 27 pregnancies.


• The book also cites Leontina Albina, from Chile, as the most prolific living mother. She reportedly gave birth to her 55th child in 1981.