Make some time this afternoon for Tuesday’s must-read links:
Best of luck to the Duggars!
- mary on
I am ABSOLUTELY thrilled to hear tey ar expecting another baby!
Congratulations to the whole Duggar clan!
- Lissette on
I think the Duggars are playing with fire after the health complications of their last child. Having a 1 lb., 6 oz. baby is a wakeup call to stop, in my opinion.
- Maggie on
I’m all for respecting people’s religious beliefs, but this is getting to be a bit much. After what baby #19 went through, being very premature, torn bowel, seizures, etc. you would think that they would be grateful she survived and just stop. That poor baby is still struggling with developmental delays and being very fragile and sick. Michelle’s said that her uterus has prolapsed three times and she’s getting older. Your body can only handle so much and it seems like her body was telling her to stop.
They keep saying that having more children is in God’s hands as if their actions have nothing to do with it. I hate to be this harsh about someone’s beliefs, but that is borderline delusional. Her chances for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby are decreasing exponentially. It is not fair to knowingly endanger your future children like this. They saw what Josie suffered and they are willing to risk doing that to another child. They seem to really love their children but they are also acting very selfishly.
- Sarah K. on
That could have happened to any of her pregnancies, it could have even happened to her first one. She has had such a success rate and they wouldn’t let one bad experience stop them from expanding their family.
- Lissette on
I’m sorry but if everyone was as selfish as these two then the world would already have 14 billion people at least! I think it’s disgusting!
- lena on
Why are they selfish? They want these many kids. They can afford to take care of them and raise them and they don’t have any debt. They rent out properties that they own to pay the bills.
I think it is admirable of them. How about you go complain to the Octomom, now THAT woman is selfish.
- Lissette on
Lissette, you say “one bad experience” as if the baby simply had jaundice or something. She almost died several times and is still not 100%. How do you watch your child suffer like that and then try to have another one when you already have a large family?
They have 19 children, so they do not need to expand their family. They’re doing this for themselves, not their family. I’m sorry, but most parents would count their blessings and realize that their luck almost ran out. How are 19 (somewhat) healthy children not enough for them? That’s more than any parent could ask for.
- Sarah K. on
Also, why is it admirable to have 19 biological children? They’re not doing the world a favor.
- Sarah K. on
I wish Michelle the best of luck in regards to this pregnancy and hope they deliver a healthy child. That said, I didn’t think she would risk another one going through the complications her last has had. Since giving birth to Josie, Michelle has also talked about the damage that’s been done to her body with 19 (and now 20) subsequent pregnancies so I’m actually surprised she’d blatantly compromise her health.
- Reese on
Can’t say I’m ABSOLUTELY THRILLED to hear she is pregnant again like a person above. Michelle and the baby almost died to to numerous complications. I just don’t get it. They talk about how damaged her body is from all the pregnancies now and still continue to put her at more risk. How someone could cheer that on is beyond me.
- J on
What selfish people! It’s their business to have as many as they can handle or afford as it’s their family but think of the unborn child. She’s no spring chicken and they’ve already had a premmie baby, and at her age who would want to risk that again. Crazy IMO.
- Sam & Freya’s Mum on
They don’t believe in birth control and leave the number of children they have up to God.
That is their belief. Now you can disagree and pitch a fit about it all you want but it is what they believe in and how they want to live their lives.
I am sure everyone here does something differently in their beliefs and it is right to you. But others would think you were crazy right?
- Lissette on
They’re absolutely entitled to their beliefs but it’s foolish to turn a blind eye to science. Studies have shown that numerous pregnancies so close together can cause a variety of problems including two of which Michelle has previously experienced: preeclampsia and gallbladder disease/issues.
In addition, she can also experience postpartum hemorrhaging, heart attacks, strokes, uterine prolapse, blood clots, etc. Obviously, this isn’t a guarantee and I hope for the family’s sake she has a healthy pregnancy and child but there’s an absolute valid reason why people question their desire to risk it all especially if it may one day leave all of those children motherless.
- Reese on
But when you look at the time line for this pregnancy she has not been pregnant for over two years. Obviously she’s given her body time to heal from the traumatic birth.
Read this article. It offers some insight: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20543686,00.html
- Lissette on
I am so excited for Jim Bob and Michelle! Such wonderful news on this Tuesday morning!
- Tee on
Congratulations to the family! I wish them a healthy new baby and Michelle a healthy pregnancy and delivery. Now they will have 20 children, an even number and hopefully they do stop there for the sake of having so many young ones. I can’t imagine they all get the individual attention they need from their parents.
- Ashley on
No matter how loving and financially stable the parents are, they will never have enough time to spend with all of their children. I feel bad that they will grow up raised by their siblings and not their parents. I wish them all the luck with this pregnancy but they really need to stop for health reasons. Also I never understood why they just don’t adopt. There are so many children in foster care who need a family. What does it prove if a person have 20 biological children? Will a person be happier with 20 children rather than 5, or 20 children that have your DNA sequence over so one who may not? I just don’t understand their logic especially with the health of the mother and child may be at risk as well as their other children sacrificing the time they may want with their parents because it’s so many of them.
- mrscabrera on
I actually live 1 town over from this family and see them frequently in and around town. They are a very loving, religious, friendly family and care very devote about their beliefs and having more children. However with that said I too believe that this many pregnancies on a woman’s body is just too much. I have had 2 healthy pregnancies and am 13 days away from having another child (my last). This pregnancy has taken a toll on my body having it so close to my last pregnancy (my son will be 2 in Feb) and cannot imagine what 17 additional pregnancies would do. She has had subsequent pregnancies all within at least 2 yrs of each other or less and this child will be her 3rd c-section. In the state of Arkansas (and per Dr guidelines) you are only recommended to have 3-4 c-sections given the risk of hemorrhaging, speed of recovery, amount of scar tissue that will have to be cut through and will be built back up after surgery, among other complications that can arise during and/or after the c-section. I give them kudos for having this many children and thanking God for them all being healthy intelligent children and young adults, but I really wish she would think about what she is doing to her body and the health of the unborn child inside of her.
- Sthrnmomma on
Honestly, I think that BOTH Jim Bob and Michelle are dangerously foolish. To continue to DELIBERATELY endanger this woman’s life and the life of her future children for sport, and then claim that it’s ‘up to God’ is willful, violent ignorance and downright blasphemous. If both she and her child were to die in childbirth, what would they say? That it was ‘God’s will’? Jim Bob would just go ahead and release himself from any guilt and personal responsibility for his wife’s death, right?
Give me a break. This is suicide by pregnancy and this woman would probably consider herself some sort of martyr for dying this way. God said go forth and multiply but He NEVER said go forth and be downright foolish and then credit me for your self-inflicted folly. If Jim Bob loves his wife at all, or at least more than he loves the notoriety of being the patriarch of a MUCH too big family, he would stop torturing this poor woman and using God as his excuse. How shameful pretend God has anything to do with this nonsense.
- Iris on
They don’t believe in birth control. Just what would you self-righteous cows have them do?
I love the people who go on and on and on about how it’s impossible for the Duggar parents to spend time with their children… as they’re dropping their own kids off at day care for half the day. Hysterical!
Disagree all you want, but these people have convictions and they live by them. And never once have I heard them bad-mouth or insult people who live differently than they do.
- Janna on
Janna, dropping children off at day care because a parent/parents work is not a comparable situation to this particular story. Nice try, though.
- Reese on
I agree with Janna. All of the Duggar children have been raised to be responsible, loving people. They give back to thier community in many different ways, and set a very good example of how a family can stay together. They decided at the beginning of thier marriage that whatever happens happens, and they have stuck to it. I know putting my body through that many pregnancies is not my cup of tea (I’ve done 3 with my last one 12 years after twins were born), but then again, I’m not Michelle Duggar.
- Lynne on
Sthrnmomma, this child will be her fifth c-section. Her first set of twins, Jana and John David, were her first. Jackson, Jordyn-Grace and Josie were also born via c-section. Both Jackson and Jordyn were transverse, which is the reason behind their sections.
- Tee on
They aren’t going to stop having babies until Michelle dies from complications, clearly.
- Stella Bella on
Janna, I love how you call the posters “cows” and then accuse them of being insulting. That’s laughable.
Lynne, the decision not to use birth control actually happened after they already had their first child, not the beginning of their marriage. Michelle used to be on the pill and originally planned to have 2-3 children at most. But then she suffered a miscarriage. Jim Bob and Michelle believe that it was because she was on the pill and only then decided that they would shun any and all forms of birth control. They chose not to use birth control because of what it might do to their future children and now they’re refusing to use birth control despite what it could do to their future children. It’s actually very sad.
- Sarah K. on
There is nothing sad about choosing to follow God’s will.
- Tee on
I am not even going to read the other comments because I’m sure there are opinions different than mine but I almost cried when I read Michelle and Jim Bob are expecting again.
I adore this family, their values and the way they raise their children. Sure it is different than most but I see a family full of love. I am just overjoyed considering the trials they faced with Josie and Michelle thinking she couldn’t have another baby.
Just wonderful, congratulations to the Duggar Family!
- Shelby on
I am all for following God’s will, but God gave humans FREE WILL! I totally agree with Sarah K. Michelle is no longer young and her last pregnancy should maybe have been a wake-up call. God can only do so much if someone doesn’t listen to his message! We only seem to like to listen to messages and follow ‘signs’ that we like!
- Steph on
Stella Bella, unfortunately you may be right. I understand following God’s will but I don’t think his will is to run your body ragged and possibly leave your children and husband behind because you died during childbirth.
I really wish this family the best, but she is treading on dangerous water continuing to give birth to children after having so many and at her age. I know she is trusting in God but seriously, they need to stop. I really worry for her family. The children need their mother much more than they need a new brother or sister.
- mrscabrera on
I don’t dislike the Duggars. I think the children they have raised seem like decent kids… they all seem happy and healthy and their family seems filled with a lot of love.
All that said, I work in a job where day in and day out I experience seeing children who don’t have love. Children who aren’t cared for, who lack the very basic of needs and who would give anything in the world for someone to love them. To me, it is just so incredibly irresponsible to bring TWENTY children into a world where there are already so many children in need of someone to love them.
Don’t get me wrong, I 100% understand the desire to have a biological child… I have that desire myself… but I could never continue to give birth, taxing my body and putting myself and my unborn children in danger (risking the children I already have losing their mother) knowing that I could give so many other children a loving home.
I just think of all of the children in this world the Duggars could offer so much love to… and yet, they don’t.
As for those who say, “Well, they don’t believe in birth control so they just take what God gives them.” I call crap on this. I know plenty of married couples who do not take birth control or practice any extra measures and do not end up pregnant every other year. There’s such a thing as abstaining from sex during your most fertile period. They might try it.
- Rachel on
“I am just overjoyed considering the trials they faced with Josie and Michelle thinking she couldn’t have another baby.”
This is exactly the problem. It was Josie who “faced those trials,” not her parents. SHE was in pain, suffered through seizures, surgeries, respirators, repeated hospitalization. Of course they worried about her and felt bad for her, but do they understand the magnitude of what that baby went through? I honestly believe they love their children, but as a parent, how do you risk putting another child through that? Their chances for having healthy children are only decreasing.
It’s not like Josie was their first and they want her to have siblings. They have a family and kids and grandchildren. Why is that not enough? If it’s all God’s will, what does it mean that Josie almost died? Isn’t that a sign to stop? Steph was absolutely correct when she said that we see the signs we want to see.
- Sarah K. on
I’m sorry but all I see are 2 brainwashed people…
- Julia on
she is 45 so hopefully this one will be her last
- amerie on
Lisette, she didnt wait this long to let her body heal, it took her this long to get pregnant. She said, when it took this long she thought Josie was her last and it made her sad. So, she wasn’t waiting.
- Jillian on
Pre eclampsia is serious business. I had it with my dd along with HELLP and had to have a blood transfusion and was in the ICU for 5 days. My doctor said do NOT get pregnant again because there is a good chance I could develop the same problems. I am taking his advice and stopping at 2 kids. I dont want my kids to grow up without a mommy if I risk another pregnancy and I do not want another preemie baby (and mine wasnt nearly as early as hers!) I do think the Duggars are good parents and the kids seem so happy but I would never risk another pregnancy if I were her.
- Holiday on
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