Michigan Couple Gives Birth to 12th Son

The bride's family still foots the bill for the wedding, right?
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Aug 9, 2013 11:50 AM CDT
Michigan Couple Gives Birth to 12th Son
In this Aug. 6, 2013 photo, Kateri Schwandt kisses her 12th newborn son, Tucker, before leaving Mercy Health St. Mary's campus in Grand Rapids, Mich.   (AP Photo/MLive.com, The Grand Rapids Press, Chris Clark)

A Michigan family welcomed their 12th child. And, shocker, it's a boy—just like the other 11. Jay and Kateri Schwandt believed the latest baby might break the gender streak, especially after Kateri, known as Teri, was nine days past her due date. That was unusual for the 38-year-old's pregnancies. But as it turned out, it was hardly a game-changer as a nurse at a Grand Rapids hospital announced delivery of another boy, Tucker, who weighed in at 7 pounds, 12 ounces.

Tyler is the oldest son at 21. When the school year starts, three Schwandt boys will be in high school, five will be in lower grades, and three will be home with Teri. The Schwandts are devout Roman Catholics who don't believe in using birth control. Teri comes from a family of 14 kids, and she has a sister in the Detroit area with 10 of her own. Yep, all sons. Says a fertility researcher: "It appears there is some type of genetic determination in some families that have a lot of girls or a lot of boys. It's not well understood. It's more than a statistical oddity." Click for more on how the Schwandts run their boy-filled household. (More babies stories.)

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