Michelle Duggar expecting baby 18

[Vega]

The Duggars aren't particularly well known in Britain, and I only learned who they were when baby number 17 arrived. I thought that would be enough, but 41 year-old Michelle is once again pregnant.

Okay, so the first thing that's coming to the front of my mind is, what are the medical implications of having so many children? Are women's bodies typically capable of delivering 17 healthy children?

I was under the impression that as women get older, the risks of potential disabilities or developmental disorders grows - are these dangers exacerbated by the time you get into double figures?

My main issue here though, is that I don’t understand how these parents can give each one of their children the attention that they all need. If you take your eyes off a toddler for longer than three minutes, they’ll set your curtains on fire and gut your dog – probably out of pure frustration because they want you to notice them.

Also, when I was reading the comments about this story on a couple of blogs last night (yes, that’s how I spent my Friday night – there’s something about this clan and peoples’ reactions that fascinates me! XDD) there was a lot of talk of how socially irresponsible these people are. Most seemed to be concerned with the environmental implications of having so many children – what does everybody think about that?

One thing I will say just now, is that I really don’t appreciate their ‘gift from God’ comments. They are very anti-birth control, and supposedly use themselves as a good example of avoiding contraceptives. First of all, a gift from God would be the clouds parting and Jesus floating through your bedroom window with a Barry White CD, a tray of oysters and a copy of the Kama Sutra. I don’t know if I’d call Jim Bob rolling over to impregnate you a gift from the man upstairs a gift, but what do I know. If it is a gift God (I know you’re reading <3) maybe next year you could just send chocolates?

Secondly, not everybody receives hand outs from their neighbours like the Duggars, so I don’t know why anybody would use them as an example.

Personally, I don’t think that I agree with what they are doing. From what I’ve seen of them (they have a reality television show on the Discovery channel – feel free to YouTube) it seems as though the older children are doing a lot of the parenting. I think it’s a good thing to give children chores and responsibilities, but when parents can’t look after their own children without recruiting their first borns, then, IMHO, it might be a good time to stop having children. That being said, she is pregnant again, and I would not wish any harm on any of the family. Here’s hoping that she has another healthy child.

Oh, and did you know that all the Dugger sprogs’ names start with the letter J? Jennifer, Joshua, John David, Janna, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy-Anna, Jedidiah, Jeremiah, Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, and Johannah are already taken, and I don’t know if I can come up with many more. Wait, does DJ Jazzy Jeff count as a D or a J?!

[Kitsuné]

No Jacks, Jacobs, Jeremys or Jessicas, yet.

I'm sorry if anyone is offended by this metaphor, but if you don't want the gift, don't you normally return it? :3

(My middle name means 'gift from God' xD)

[Daveigus]

never heard of this story, but iam wondering something, are they extremly rich?

[Big Bro Davidia]

Tubes tied, anyone?

17 kids? Yes, you're right, after a certain number of full births a woman's body DOES start to ... become less .. hm..what's the word...... I've got it here somewhere...*searches around*... resilient! There we go.

When settling the "Wild West" of the American Frontier, men used to go through 3 wives in a lifetime just b/c of this reason. The wives would DIE after so many childbirths. (a lot of kids died young, which is why they kept having them...not to mention the need to populate the area)

[Holic]

God, how does she do it? The thought of having one child is a bit scary to me (I do want to have one, but only one). Are all the children healthy?

I agree with Vega, I don't see how they could all get the attention that they need. I wouldn't want to live in that household.

..Eek ._.

[Chencheya]

Vagina, it's not a clown car.

In all seriousness, if the Dugger's were rich and able to pay for all those kids by themselves, more power to them, although after having seventeen children and expecting an eighteenth, I wonder what kind of condition her body is in after churning out so many sprogs like the proverbial play-dough factory (thanks Vega!) I'm guessing they're very religious too, not using birth control and naming all their kids with J names. I'd also wonder if the children were getting enough attention, I mean, one can be hard enough to look after and keep an eye on at all times, but seventeen? You'd need a pitch and a couple of referees around to ensure each and every one had all their needs seen to, and not just material needs, but emotional and attention needs too. Like Vega said, if the older children were running around having to help out their parents see to everyone, then yeah, that's kind of a sign that it might be time to stop baby-making and start baby-caring...

Nyeh, as if overpopulation wasn't enough of a problem in the world. :p

[Big Bro Davidia]

Maybe they've started a plantation o-o I mean, in theory you could raise a lot of kids and have them start working to support later kids. It could happen.

[Kitsuné]

[Adhamh]

Originally Posted by duggarfamily.com

Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar married July 21st, 1984. At that time, they chose to use the birth control pill. They thought, “We don’t want children right now. We can’t afford them. We want children in our timing, when we’re ready.” Four years later they decided to have their first child. Then, Michelle went back on the pill, but she conceived and had a miscarriage. At that point they talked with a Christian medical doctor and read the fine print in the contraceptives package. They found that while taking the pill you can get pregnant and then miscarry. They were grieved! They were Christians! They were pro-life! They realized that their selfish actions had taken the life of their child. They prayed and asked God to forgive them, and to teach them to love children like He loves children. They asked God to bless them with as many children as He saw fit in His timing. Right after that Michelle got pregnant with twins! To date they have been blessed with 17 children, (10 boys and 7 girls) Joshua, Jana & John-David (twins), Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy-Anna, Jedidiah & Jeremiah (twins), Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, Johannah (and #18 due in January 2009!).

God has opened many doors for them to share that children are a blessing from the Lord! To date they have been featured on five Discovery Health & TLC documentaries entitled, “14 Children and Pregnant Again!”, “16 Children and Moving In!”, “Raising 16 Children!”,“On The Road With 16 Children!” & "Duggar's Big Family Album". They have appeared on numerous National and International TV shows including The Early Show, The Today Show, The View, Fox & Friends, Italian Public Television, KBS (Korean Broadcasting System), Discovery Home & Health (UK & Australia), Jimmy Kimmel Live, Fox News Network, CNN, MSNBC and others. They have done countless interviews with radio talk show hosts around the world including KROCK in LA, NPR, AP Radio, CBS Radio, FOX Radio and others. They have appeared in various magazine and newspapers including Parents, New York Times, Dallas Morning News, Chicago Tribune, Ladies Home Journal, People and many others. From the United States, Korea, Japan, China, India, New Zealand, Australia, France and Germany. The Duggar’s desire is to make Christ known and for others to see that the Bible is the owner’s manual for life.

Jeezo, they lost one kid, then after a quck prayer decided it was time to **** like bunnies. God must be more awesome than I thought.

To be honest, the only thing that springs to my mind with this story is "travelling freakshow". They've popped out more kids than a football team and have no issue showing this to the world. For a fee, no doubt. They're pseudo celebrities, and it's quite creepy.

~ Adhamh.

[GentleArtillery]

This makes me think of a Simpsons episode where Marge starts selling pretzels.

Anyway, my mother apparently knows a lady who has given birth to 16 children, and neither she or the children are unhealthy... Still this is weird.

[skate_mate]

9 x 17 = 153 months pregnant. Hardcore. This woman is amazing.

I've no problem with them having seventeen children. The more the merrier, as long as they're raised with love and attention.

[Aeffles]

I remember watching some show on them and how they spend like 12,000 bucks on food a month or something, and like 900 bucks in toilet paper.

[Big Bro Davidia]

She's probably forgotten what it's like NOT to be carrying a child.

[Vega]

Originally Posted by Kitsuné

No Jacks, Jacobs, Jeremys or Jessicas, yet.

I'm sorry if anyone is offended by this metaphor, but if you don't want the gift, don't you normally return it? :3

(My middle name means 'gift from God' xD)

What do you want them to do - slap a Return to Sender sticker on the child and leave it in a Stork's nest?

never heard of this story, but iam wondering something, are they extremly rich?

Well, that's a hard question to answer.
As far as I know, neither of them works, although they're supported by donations from 'well-wishers.'

They don't recieve any kind of welfare.

God, how does she do it? The thought of having one child is a bit scary to me (I do want to have one, but only one). Are all the children healthy?

Yes, thankfully all the children are healthy.
Only Michelle and Jim Bob will know where they get the time to breed like this. Although I don't think that they have a TV or the internet...

A television in the bedroom is the best kind of contraceptive there is.

Ohh, not now Kim Bob, America's Next Top Model!

I mean, one can be hard enough to look after and keep an eye on at all times, but seventeen? You'd need a pitch and a couple of referees around to ensure each and every one had all their needs seen to, and not just material needs, but emotional and attention needs too.

*spits tea everywhere*


That's one of the problems that I have here - how can you effectively parent children when you have so many? These kids must have to make an appointment to even see their Muvva or Favva (sorry, I've been watching Eastenders...) .

I've no problem with them having seventeen children. The more the merrier, as long as they're raised with love and attention.

Do you think it's possible for two parents to give 17 children the time and attention that they deserve?

She's probably forgotten what it's like NOT to be carrying a child.

You know, I think that there could be a lot of truth to that statement.

[MMKB]

Conservative? Christian? What a surprise!

[andi]

I wish I had a family that big. :/ It'd be awesome having that many siblings around to hang out with and enjoy the company of.

<3 big families <3 <3

[Dark Wyrm]

These kids must be attention starved. Seriously, there is a family in my neghiborhood like this, and they have almost 12 kids. They're "conservitive" and "christian." I don't know how they could connect emotionly to all those kids. It would be hard for most people that I know to try and talk to parents like that. All there advice would be along the lines of "God Says" or "Thoughts like that are sins."

I feel sorry for these kids