Whitney and Zach Bates welcomed fifth baby years after Bringing Up Bates romance Fri 18 August 2023 04:59 Updated Fri 18 August 2023 07:20 Celine Byford
Sebastian Wright
Published Apr 06, 2026
Whitney Bates and Zach Bates’ Instagram is filled with family love after welcoming their fifth baby. Zach and Whitney’s baby is officially here years after their Bringing Up Bates romance. Their four kids, Bradley, Kaci, Khloé, and Jadon, are all super protective of their baby sister already.
Zach Bates met Whitney Perkins at a local Sonic in 2011. In July 2013, they entered an official courtship. In September 2013, they were engaged, and now, they’re a family of seven with five children.
Whitney and Zach Bates’ baby
Whitney and Zach welcomed a fifth baby, Lily Jo Bates, their third daughter. She is a sister to four other siblings and was born on August 15, 2023, weighing 6lb, 12 ounces, at 19.25 inches.
Zach and Whitney Bates’ Instagram announced the delivery news two days after she was born, revealing they are “so in love.” The Bates family page wrote: “Could she be any more beautiful? 😍😍😍 This is a picture of a precious gift from God and our hearts are just overflowing with joy and thanksgiving!
Lily-Jo was named after Grandma Bates, with Zach describing his new daughter as “perfect.” The two also said: “How is this even real life?! These kids have been waiting for this day for so long and it was even sweeter being in that moment than I could have imagined😍.”
Bringing Up Bates journey
Whitney met Zach Bates, who was a regular customer at the Sonic where she was working as a carhop in 2011. The two spent several months becoming friends and married after 16 months of dating.
On December 14, 2013, the couple got married at First Baptist Church in Lake City, Tennessee. Ten years on and they have five children, regularly sharing their family life on social media.
Although Whitney conformed to many of Zach’s family’s standards during the courtship, just before marriage in July 2013, including wearing only skirts, the couple set their own physical boundaries.
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Their kids ‘don’t want to share’
Since Whitney and Zach’s daughter Lily Jo was born, they have been sharing insights into their new family dynamic. Their children “don’t want to share” her during a video of them meeting their baby sister.
Bradley jokily indicates for his siblings to back away when cuddling his sister at the hospital. Each child has a go giving Lily Jo a cuddle, which also involved kisses on the forehead and smiles.
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