Duggar surprise?

[Hannathy]

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.

And still the supporters claim they don't exploit the children for TV.
Yeah right......

 

[marie1203]

For those that said that she is always calm and happy. It is because she doesn't have to do anything other than getting "busy" with Jimbob. She has multiple housekeepers/babysitters/nannies/cooks/maintenance, etc. If you see the episodes she is rarely doing anything other than giving orders, I think I seen her once wipe the counters but other than that it is always the kids doing the work. Who takes care of the little ones? The teenagers, they also clean the house and cook. The boys take care of the car/house maintenance.

 

[TeresaBelle]

That's the problem - her uterus is very weak. Josie was born very prematurely. Another pregnancy is dangerous for both mom and baby.

I agree. After the complications with her last pregnancy/birth, I'd hoped they'd stop, count their blessings, and embrace the role of grandparenting.

 

[SaraJayne]

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.

According to Michelle, they were told at home, before coming to New York.

So yes, the kids knew before they came to The Today Show.

 

[monkeybug]

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.

I don't understand this line of thought at all. I think there are LOTS of reasons why the Duggars shouldn't have more children, but Autism and CP aren't among them. Are you suggesting that those are reasons to stop having children? I have a few friends who have gone on to have more children after having a child with Autism, CP, and downs syndrome, and I don't understand what's wrong with that.

 

[SaraJayne]

Also different: how to tell 19 siblings that one more is on the way. Jim Bob gathered all the kids together for a family picture, but instead of telling them to say "cheese," told them to say, "Mom's going to have another baby!"

"The kids were all asking, 'Are you joking or are you serious?' " says Michelle. "It was a big surprise. The little ones started jumping up and down when they realized he was serious."

After hugs and high fives all around, the siblings are now debating the baby's gender and name. The Duggars, who heard the baby's heartbeat in a recent ultrasound, expect to find out whether they are having a boy or girl around Christmas.

From a People article...

 

[3prettyprincesses]

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.

I don't think age is the main issue here. Her health from the last pregnancy and her current child's health are. She had severe preeclampsia, so much so that they determined the only way to save Michelle was to deliver poor little Josie so very early. The fact that she is 45 is irrelevant to me. And this isn't just her 4th child, it's her 20th. That's a lot of stress on a woman's body 20 times over.

 

[mhsjax]

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.

But the older a mom is, the more of a chance of something being wrong with the baby.

 

[dansamy]

I've had 3 premature infants due to severe pre-e/HELLP syndrome. (I actually do develop into full blown HELLP before my BP is terribly high. My BP will be in the borderline area, 140s/90s, but my liver enzymes and platelet counts are terrible.) Pre-eclampsia is very hard on the body. I was terribly sick with all of my pregnancies. I was miserable before the line even showed up. I knew I was pg by how horrible I felt.

Honestly, if I were in her shoes, I would have had a hyst or a tubal after #19.

 

[hereyago]

. Age is only a state of mind. .

Um not medically speaking when it comes to child bearing in older women. after a certain age, ob gyn's give you the list of what could happen, so in that regard, it's not a state of mind.

 

[dansamy]

Um not medically speaking when it comes to child bearing in older women. after a certain age, ob gyn's give you the list of what could happen, so in that regard, it's not a state of mind.

Advanced maternal age is a risk factor for a lot of potential troubles in pregnancy and delivery. Women are kidding themselves if they think putting off their childbearing into their late 30s or early 40s won't potentially come with a consequence. Getting pregnant may take longer or need more intervention. Staying pregnant might require more interventions. There is an increased risk of chromosomal defects. There are no guarantees that any of it will happen, but the increase in risk is definitely there.

 

[MrsKreamer]

I love the Duggars...I DVR the show and watch with my kids. I have been a big defender of theirs on here...with that said, I really wished they would have stopped. I knew this was coming because on last week's episode they visited the Bates(who are pregnant with their 19th) and seemed almost jealous. When asked by the Bates about #20, they said they were really hoping it would've have happened by now and were still hoping it wasn't too late.

I hope that she stays safe and healthy through this pregnancy!

 

[Aisling]

Stop? Since when is there a stop when they believe that God will grant them as many babies as He wishes? That makes no sense. Why would you stop if you believe that it's God's will?

You know why I don't believe for a second that it's their religious beliefs that make them keep having more children? Because, a few years ago he was asked how many children would be enough, JimBobsaid "it's up to Michelle". He could have meant it's up to Michelle's body and they'll keep having children until her body can't do it anymore, but in context of the interview, I'm convinced he was saying it's Michelle's decision. When Michelle says no more, I guess they'll do some rhythming. But she's NEVER going to say no more because she has a mental disorder where she NEEDS to be pregnant. It's the PREGNANCIES that she's obsessed with, not the children.

I understand and respect the Quiverful belief, heck I'm Catholic and we're supposed to be fruitful and multiply, BUT I do not believe this baby/pregnancy thing is religiously-based for her. She's hiding behind it.

 

[Aisling]

I knew this was coming because on last week's episode they visited the Bates(who are pregnant with their 19th) and seemed almost jealous.

BINGO! God forbid any other woman being pregnant without Michelle being pregnant, too!

 

[Pigeon]

I've had 3 premature infants due to severe pre-e/HELLP syndrome. (I actually do develop into full blown HELLP before my BP is terribly high. My BP will be in the borderline area, 140s/90s, but my liver enzymes and platelet counts are terrible.) Pre-eclampsia is very hard on the body. I was terribly sick with all of my pregnancies. I was miserable before the line even showed up. I knew I was pg by how horrible I felt.

Honestly, if I were in her shoes, I would have had a hyst or a tubal after #19.

I don't think women like her wear shoes.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I love the Duggars...I DVR the show and watch with my kids. I have been a big defender of theirs on here...with that said, I really wished they would have stopped. I knew this was coming because on last week's episode they visited the Bates(who are pregnant with their 19th) and seemed almost jealous. When asked by the Bates about #20, they said they were really hoping it would've have happened by now and were still hoping it wasn't too late.

I hope that she stays safe and healthy through this pregnancy!

I always had the feeling with Michelle and JimBob that it's very much about pride in the quantity.

 

[Aisling]

Michelle is a bumpaholic:

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/pregnancy-perks?page=2


"
Boston psychiatrist and Fox News consultant Keith Ablow, M. D., says some women seem to view having more children as an alternative to addressing their own personal problems. "Bearing another child can sometimes provide a substitute for deciding on a career path, making a marriage work, or even wrestling with questions of self-worth," Ablow says.

"

Keep in mind, Michelle wasn't born into JimBob's fundamental Christian denomination; she "came to it". That tells me she was searching for something in her life. She has a void to fill, and she is doing it with pregnancies.

 

[Schmeck]

First off - I hope and pray this child is born healthy.

I'm really wondering what they will do if the child is born with health/learning/physical disabilities. Will they look into therapy, or will it all be about praying to God to get issues resolved?

 

[Schmeck]

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.

But what if you had a child with severe disabilities, and you were told the odds for it to happen again would increase as you got older? Would you still have another child? How many severely disabled children would you have before you realized that there was an issue? Of course you would love them, but could you handle all of their issues just with love?

 

[iheartdisney]

But what if you had a child with severe disabilities, and you were told the odds for it to happen again would increase as you got older? Would you still have another child? How many severely disabled children would you have before you realized that there was an issue? Of course you would love them, but could you handle all of their issues just with love?

So you are on the slippery slope that special needs children shouldn't be born? Where should we draw the line? At what level is autism severe enough that it is an "issue" that needs to be "handled"? It may sound severe and inflammatory, but for me life needs to be seen as sacred. There just isn't a gray area.
Remember, no one had a problem when they were just coming for the gypsies...