A MOTHER who gave birth to her first child at the age of 17 has now welcomed her 11th baby – two decades later.
Itzel Melendez, 38, went into labour with her first child Jailyn, 20, on August 20 2004.
20 years later, on December 23, 2024, Itzel and her husband, Itai, 37, a real estate agent, welcomed their 11th child, Judah, two decades after their first addition to the family.
With an eleventh baby in the mix, Itzel and Itai have embraced the news with joy and excitement.
The busy mum also acknowledged that whilst she knows her children need time and attention, she seems to always ‘end up pregnant’.
Itzel said she has a great support system and claimed team work is key when raising a large family.
Prior to giving birth to her 11th child, Itzel, a salon owner from Virginia, US, shared: “We’re super excited about the baby.
“We’ve had the little girls back to back, so we were really looking forward to a little boy.
“We’re excited to have him and to welcome him into our family.”
When asked whether Judah might be her last child, Itzel acknowledged: “Usually, when people ask me if I’m going to have any more kids, I would always say no, but to be honest with you, I’d always end up pregnant.
“I love being able to have children, but I do understand they need attention, time, and energy – as well as myself.
“Maybe I’d wait a couple more years if I did, until the baby is a little older and the middle ones and the older ones have also grown.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”My six-month-old & one-year-old babies both have full-time jobs – my youngest is raking in £36k a MONTH with it” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6366647070112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]“But honestly, I don’t know. I can’t say for sure.”
Itzel attributed much of her ability to juggle the demands of a large household to her “great” support network, as she explained: “My family is always engaged, and my husband’s family as well.
“I have siblings nearby who always come and check on me and help me out with getting the kids off my hands for a couple of hours when they take them out to do something fun.”
Alongside Itzel, Itai, and baby Judah, the couple’s bustling household includes Jailyn, 20, an Army reservist; Nashon, 19, who works for Amazon and is preparing to join the Air Force; Arielle, 16, a high school student; and Itai, 15, a content creator.
The family also includes Ithiel, 14, who is living with disabilities and relies on a tracheostomy and G-tube; Itayana, 13; Melchi, 11, who is autistic and also a content creator; and Itzy, eight.
Rounding out the family are Eden, five, and Luna, two.
[quote credit=”Itzel Melendez”]I think my biggest concern with having another kid, besides the economy, is just trying to give my physical body time to really focus on me[/quote]And within the household, teamwork is key, as the now mum-of-11 beamed: “The older ones definitely help balance out.
“We trade off on dinner and stuff like that, and overall, it’s just a big family effort.
“The kids really enjoy being around each other’s company, and we try to create a loving environment where everyone can express themselves and work harmoniously together – at least as much as we can, especially with siblings.”
Itzel’s husband, a former military member, plays an active role in family life, as she claimed: “He’s very involved with them. He loves them and is very hands-on.
“He enjoys cooking, spending family time, taking them on walks and hikes, and doing the adventurous stuff that maybe a mom doesn’t enjoy as much.
“He teaches the boys how to play sports and box, and he spends time with the little girls doing the activities they love, like gymnastics, ballet, and rollerblading.”
Itzel acknowledged the physical toll her pregnancies have taken on her body, as she admitted: “I think my biggest concern with having another kid, besides the economy, is just trying to give my physical body time to really focus on me.
“Already having eleven kids has affected me, but I don’t feel that it’s done as much harm as people might assume.
“Overall, health-wise, I don’t have any medical issues, but with this pregnancy, I did develop gestational diabetes, which has never happened before.
“That kind of raised a concern because it’s different.”
