From Infertility and Miscarriage to a Family of 11. How Does She do it? – Q &A with Satu.

Satu runs a household of 11 and she’s a mom to 9 adorable children. Her strength and dedication to each and every one of them is beyond admirable. Satu and her husband have been married for 12 years and are currently renovating their dream home where their dream family can live. We were pleased to catch up with this stay-at-home momma who is also a pro-blogger and influencer living in Stockholm, Sweden.

How many children do you have and what are their ages?

I have 9 beautiful children. Nicole 12, Vanessa 10, twin boys Jonathan & Danilo 10 (only 9 months younger than big sister Vanessa) Olivia 7, Kevin 6, Celina 5, Isabelle 2 and little Melanie 3 months old.

Has it always been a dream of yours to have a big family? 

It has always been a dream of mine to have a BIG family.

Most people don’t know that we actually had a hard time getting pregnant. I had one miscarriage and then a lof of complications followed. We went to an infertility clinic to get help and I was devastated that I wouldn’t be what I always thought my purpose in this life was – to be a mom.

We got help with the two first kids, and then they kept on coming.

How long was your trying period? 

From when we started trying, it took 2.5 years to get pregnant.

Did you plan all your pregnancies or did they just happen? 

They were all planned.

What’s a typical day like for you? 

Wow, this would be a book. Haha!

I get up at 6:30, change baby’s diapers, make breakfast, get 5 kids ready for school, do their hair. When they leave, I make the 4 little ones ready, clean the kitchen, do laundry and dishes, vacuum the house, and just clean up stuff. The kids play, I make lunch, more laundry, clean up after lunch, put the two little ones down for a nap. Kids come home from school, give them something to eat, help with homework, go outside to play, grocery shopping, fold more laundry, prepare for dinner, (the kids are playing) my husband comes home from work, after dinner the kids takes a bath (every evening) we watch tv or play games together. Brush their teeth and the kids go to bed. Lights out for the little ones while the bigger kids read or do something else before lights off. When they are sleeping, at 8 pm I take a bath and have some “me-time” before I meet up with my husband for movies or something. I go to bed at 00:00- 01:00 and baby Melanie wakes up a few times for food and dry diapers a couple of times before I have to get up for a new day again.

Also, when it’s starting to get dark towards the evening and its time to calm down I light a lot of candles everywhere. It’s really relaxing.

I do about 4 machines of laundry a day. I am a perfectionist and I have to have our home clean and nice.

What are your top tips for running a household with 9 kids?

A lot of LOVE, Routines, rules, and respect.

Most expensive items you use for your children?

Hmm… most expensive is probably the stroller.

What activities do you most love doing with your children?

There are so many! I do everything by myself with the kids since my husband works a lot, we love going to the playground, take a walk in the woods, shopping, swimming and cozy evenings on the couch with the whole family. Just experiencing the world together.

If you could have one chore done for you each day, what would it be?

Cooking lunch and dinner!

Name the most thrilling moment of pregnancy, either prior or current, thus far.

Feeling the baby’s movements. Nothing beats that feeling in a pregnancy.

Would you be having more kids? 

Yes, I would love to go for one more.

How do you handle difficult days?

Some days feel crazy, no matter how prepared I thought I was. Most of the time I handle it by putting on some music or just go outside with the kids.

Do you get any time for yourself? What do you do for self-care?

You never see me without the kids, my “me time” is when I have put all the kids to bed and take a looong hot bath. I think this “alone time” is overrated.

If you could advise a mom who wants a big family like yours, what would you tell her?

I mean… follow your heart. A big family is not for everyone, but do what you really want to, and create the time and everything else necessary- go for it.

Fill in the blank: Today I feel _________ !

Blessed. (And a bit tired 🙂 )

You can visit her blog at www.mybabydolls.se/ and follow her on Instagram @mybabydolls.

Update: Satu is expecting baby #10 due February 2021.

Editorial Team
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