Duggar surprise?

[Shmily1]

Why do they need to announce their pregnancy on the Today show anyway? It makes them look more like the side show at the circus or all out for money. Many years ago, it was normal to have a lot of children so I'm not really seeing what would make me want to watch them on tv.

 

[hulagirl87]

If you watch the clip the smile of the son that is sitting beside Michelle when she makes the announcement is very delayed and very anemic. I don't think he's happy about this announcement at all.

I'm not a hater but I couldn't stand to watch more than a few episodes. There is something just so fake about her happy happy attitude (is she on valium or something).

I didn't have an issue with the number of children they were having until she started risking both her life and potentially the quality of life of the baby (ala Josie).

I agree! I think the son is mad because he can't have his own kids to enjoy. His mom keeps competing and having the youngest kids in the family!

I also agree about the health of the babies she brings into the world. I would think that after Josie was born and all the complications that she had that they would have thought long and hard about bring another into the world. Apparently that's not a concern to them.

I've attempted to watch the show a few times and I just can't do it. She is painfully calm. No one can be that calm all the time.

 

[Hannathy]

Michelle's benefits would be determined by her work history and payments to SS. Since she hasn't really worked outside the home, she wouldn't have paid into the system and therefore wouldn't be eligible. In addition to that benefits do have a cap and each child's benefit would be reduced so that the total amount received would be at the cap. They would just be cashing a lot of smaller checks if she was eligible for benefits.

Sorry she has been working outside the home for many years now. What do you think getting paid to be on TV is? She has been getting some pretty big checks from all the appearances and the series.

 

[punkin]

Sorry she has been working outside the home for many years now. What do you think getting paid to be on TV is? She has been getting some pretty big checks from all the appearances and the series.

I'd bet real money that she's not getting a penny in her own name. Everything is probably funneled into Jim Bob's "corporation" or is a charitable contribution to the "church." However, she can get social security benefits from Jim Bob's income, can't she?

 

[Stinasmom]

OK, I've never seen the show or really paid much attention to this family, but read in an article today this:

The Tontitown, Ark., family's reality series premiered in 2008 as "17 Kids and Counting," and revised its title as their brood expanded. Their eldest child, 23-year-old Joshua Duggar, welcomed a second child of his own in June.

Does this mean that actually Michelle has had 17 kids, this one will be 18 and they are counting the oldest son's two to add up to 20?

Just curious.

 

[ChattaAlley]

Up until the last little Dugger they have ALL been healthy as far as I know and even now josie seems to be normal. What will it take to for her to stop having kids? A child born with Autism? A child born with CP or something else? I am all for procreating but she took that passage in the Bible a little to serious. I am pretty sure the Bible didnt mean keep having kids and living off others and display your family so the world will watch. Crazy.

 

[3prettyprincesses]

OK, I've never seen the show or really paid much attention to this family, but read in an article today this:

The Tontitown, Ark., family's reality series premiered in 2008 as "17 Kids and Counting," and revised its title as their brood expanded. Their eldest child, 23-year-old Joshua Duggar, welcomed a second child of his own in June.

Does this mean that actually Michelle has had 17 kids, this one will be 18 and they are counting the oldest son's two to add up to 20?

Just curious.

No, she already has 19 kids (not counting her and her husband) and is currently pregnant with her 20th.

 

[PlutosFriend]

OK, I've never seen the show or really paid much attention to this family, but read in an article today this:

The Tontitown, Ark., family's reality series premiered in 2008 as "17 Kids and Counting," and revised its title as their brood expanded. Their eldest child, 23-year-old Joshua Duggar, welcomed a second child of his own in June.

Does this mean that actually Michelle has had 17 kids, this one will be 18 and they are counting the oldest son's two to add up to 20?

Just curious.

Nope! She is pregnant with her 20th! Add the grandkids and that makes 22. I know it is crazy. I watch, and want to not like them, but they are normal in their own way if that makes sense

 

[ChattaAlley]

OK, I've never seen the show or really paid much attention to this family, but read in an article today this:

The Tontitown, Ark., family's reality series premiered in 2008 as "17 Kids and Counting," and revised its title as their brood expanded. Their eldest child, 23-year-old Joshua Duggar, welcomed a second child of his own in June.

Does this mean that actually Michelle has had 17 kids, this one will be 18 and they are counting the oldest son's two to add up to 20?

Just curious.

No she has or will have had 20 children. I think she has had 17 or 18 deliveries as some were twins.

 

[mnrose]

Michelle's benefits would be determined by her work history and payments to SS. Since she hasn't really worked outside the home, she wouldn't have paid into the system and therefore wouldn't be eligible. In addition to that benefits do have a cap and each child's benefit would be reduced so that the total amount received would be at the cap. They would just be cashing a lot of smaller checks if she was eligible for benefits.

At her age (45) she needs to have worked a minimum of 5 3/4 years to qualify for disability benefits from social security. I do not believe that she has "worked" (even if you consider the TV show "work") for that amount of time at this point...the way they figure it is per quarter. You can earn a maximum of 4 quarterly credits per year (and she would need 23). You get a "credit" for any calendar quarter in which you do qualifying work and earn over about $1100 per quarter. As for survivor benefits, you need up to 10 years (40 credits) of qualifying work for your dependents to get social security.

Also, it isn't clear that she has actually paid into the system. There are many ways of structuring the kind of contract the family has with TLC, and it may be that it isn't even qualifying "work" with the requisite payments being made to SS.

 

[hereyago]

I remember thinking about the baggage show and how Jim Bob acted. I wonder if he didnt get a first kiss until Michelle, or maybe his ego was hurt that he wasn't the one the she first kissed?

 

[mnrose]

I'd bet real money that she's not getting a penny in her own name. Everything is probably funneled into Jim Bob's "corporation" or is a charitable contribution to the "church." However, she can get social security benefits from Jim Bob's income, can't she?

Only if Jim Bob dies (or she divorces Jim Bob...although that seems pretty unlikely).

 

[dansamy]

Sorry she has been working outside the home for many years now. What do you think getting paid to be on TV is? She has been getting some pretty big checks from all the appearances and the series.

She would still need 40 quarters of income. I doubt that she has that, even if TLC is paying Michelle and JimBob separately vs as a corporation. 40 quarters is 10 years.

I'd bet real money that she's not getting a penny in her own name. Everything is probably funneled into Jim Bob's "corporation" or is a charitable contribution to the "church." However, she can get social security benefits from Jim Bob's income, can't she?

If JimBob had paid into SS for 40 quarters or more and he died or retired, Michelle would be eligible for survivors or retirement benefits based on his file. If Michelle dies without her own 40 quarters of insurance payments into SS, then JimBob and the children would not be eligible to receive survivor's benefits because Michelle was not insured under SS.

Disability has different rules and I'm pretty bad at them, but it's still based on work quarters, dates of last insured work, disability level, etc.

 

[CurlyGirl]

What will it take to for her to stop having kids?

Menopause ....

 

[PlutosFriend]

Menopause ....

You are 100% correct!!! I think it is very risky to keep going and having more kids at the age she is. I am 44 and cannot imagine it. I have too many aches and pains On a recent episode, she was doing something to the equivalent of water skiing!!!! I can't think of the exact name. Wake boarding maybe? ANyway, it took her like 7 tries to finally get up and out of the water. But I have to hand it to her! She finally did it and stayed up for a while......in her skirt and all!!!

 

[Disneyland1084]

Up until the last little Dugger they have ALL been healthy as far as I know and even now josie seems to be normal. What will it take to for her to stop having kids? A child born with Autism? A child born with CP or something else?

Ovarian, uterine cancer maybe? I don't mean to be so blunt, but it's the truth.

 

[dis-happy]

I had a baby at 44 (although only my 4th child) and he's healthy and happy and the pg. made me feel great. Also, he was a natural surprise when I didn't think it could happen (the 7 previous years were without bc).

Wish people wouldn't pick on moms just because of their age; it's not the end of the world, really.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

I haven't read the whole thread so excuse me if this has been posted but it was mentioned early on that the children knew ahead of time.
This is not true. They were told it was for a family portrait. They learned when the rest of us did. I think that is tragic for the kids to be surprised on live TV.

 

[robinb]

I do hope she and the baby make it through this pregnancy without major complications, but what will happen to this brood if she dies? Will Jim Bob marry a new, younger woman to keep making babies?

Of course he would. He obviously can't live without the kind of "relations" that result in babies and the only way he can have those "relations" is in the state of holy matrimony. Plus he would need to marry someone "for the children". Might as well marry a younger woman that can continue his legacy .

 

[ccgirl]

I had a baby at 44 (although only my 4th child) and he's healthy and happy and the pg. made me feel great. Also, he was a natural surprise when I didn't think it could happen (the 7 previous years were without bc).

Wish people wouldn't pick on moms just because of their age; it's not the end of the world, really.

Thank you. I feel the same way. Age is only a state of mind. I wasn't aware you gave up having children if the one you received wasn't perfect. I keep reading the posts, what if they have autism, down syndrome, cp??? In my case, we would love them and move on and try to have another baby if we wanted and not care what anyone else thinks.