I recently wrote about a rumor going around online that Michelle Duggar, of the "Duggar Family" fame, is pregnant. For those of you who aren't up to date on the happenings on TLC, the Duggars are a family that lives in Arkansas and has 16 children.Michelle and her husband Jim Bob have said in the past that they viewed children as a blessing and, as long as Michelle was willing, they would have more.
I sent an email to Jim Bob Duggar, who graciously replied. Michelle is, in fact, pregnant!
"It is true, Michelle is expecting #17 July 27th, 2007," said Jim Bob in an email to Blogging Baby. What wonderful news for this family.
While not everyone may agree with their birth control practices, it is nice to see a family that really welcomes all additions. If you'd like to see more about The Duggar family, you can see some previous Blogging Baby posts here.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Uncle Roger 2-06-2007 @ 11:07AM
Um, what birth control practices? 8^)
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Stephanie 2-06-2007 @ 11:33AM
I've seen their show on TLC too. Is the new house finished yet? They were so crowded in the old one!!! 17 children, wow. Just think of the college bills, the weddings to pay for, the food bill, the loads of laundry... I'm tired just thinking about it. :)
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Jessica 2-06-2007 @ 11:37AM
I would say college tuition, weddings, and any other luxury parents give to their children today are a moot point.
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Tamyu 2-06-2007 @ 12:02PM
Personally, I say if they have the means to provide for their children (I don`t just mean money - time and emotion wise too!) then they are welcome to have as many as they like. I don`t know why anyone should place any sort of judgment upon them.
I offer my honest congratulations to their newest arrival-on-the-way! And for a safe and healthy pregnancy.
(I have to admit I`m jealous of them in a distant way - I always wanted a lot of children. Maybe not THAT many, but several. Lucky me, turns out my uterus is defective and the one I do manage to have almost dies...)
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LB 2-06-2007 @ 12:13PM
I wonder how long she nurses? and to what extent lactational amenorrhea spaces her pregnancies?
Congrats to the Duggars!! I love how Jim Bob hooked up with TLC. It helped withe the house and the trip to Disneyland. I'm pretty sure I saw him listed as a producer on the specials. They are very hard workers.
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Kellie 2-06-2007 @ 12:50PM
They are financially dependent on themselves and have zero debt. They have made sound financial investments to support their family. They seem very, very close and Michelle Duggar has the patience of a saint it seems.
For some reason I didn't want to like them when I first saw one of their shows. I had to ask myself why and I couldn't come up with an answer. I think they are awesome.
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jen 2-06-2007 @ 2:25PM
Turkey. Baster.
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Lil Liberal 2-06-2007 @ 7:22PM
They scare me. :) But they do seem to have it together. *shrug* can't complain about that!
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SM 2-07-2007 @ 7:34AM
Congratulations Duggars! I am absolutely captivated by this family. From what I've seen on TV they are a loving, well-adjusted group. I wish them all the happiness in the world.
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Tracie 2-08-2007 @ 9:58AM
I love the Duggars! I am so glad to see this positive thread! I hope they have more TV specials. I love to see them! Congrats on the upcoming addition, Duggar family!
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ann 2-08-2007 @ 12:51PM
This is like some kind of freak show. Dogs generally have smaller litters than that!
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Sarah 2-08-2007 @ 6:45PM
Congratulations to the Duggar Family on Baby #17.
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Debra Baker 2-08-2007 @ 9:23PM
I have reservations about this family on a number of levels.
They don't actually *parent* their childrn, apparently, Michelle weans early in order to conceive and as soon as a new baby is born, the old baby is assigned to an older sibling to be raised. It reminds me more of the parenting practices of a social insect rather than something seen in healthy human families.
Jimbob has effectively marketed his children and has bragged on about not being in debt. He has achieved this feat by essentially turning his family into a freak show to be seen by others. Is this *healthy*? Is it something to be imitated?
They also practice somewhat draconian parenting methods such as blanket training in order to get their children to be quiet and obedient. I'd rather have fewer normal curious children rather than 17 zombies sitting on a blanket.
The girls are given no 21st century options for their future, they more resemble women under the Taliban.
I'm sorry, it isn't exactly the largness of the family but a lot of secondary issues that give me pause.
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P.E.W 2-08-2007 @ 9:58PM
I personally admire the Duggar Family. I remember when their 15th child was born. God bless their family..and anyone who has a large one...such as they do.
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Hannah F. 2-08-2007 @ 11:07PM
What I don't like, other than the names (Joy-Anna and Johannah are just a little too close for me.. and Jinger?!), is that the GIRLS raise the younger children. ONE GIRL does 10 loads of laundry a day. A few of the other girls cook.
What do the boys do? Play with power tools and whatever they want. And from what I've seen, it looks as though this is another family discouraging the girls from pursuing higher education.
Christ on a stick.
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angeleea 2-09-2007 @ 1:39PM
I believe they must adhere to the "quiverfull" train of thought. Crazy, cause this world is full enough. We dont live in a day and age where women MUST care for children, not have an education, and basically wait on their husbands hand and foot. Thats what it seems this family is doing. Raising an 'army' of saints to do what? Make women into slaves and men into robots! Sorry, but it just aint right. Michelle has made herself into the QUEEN bee. She is nothing more than a baby factory. If the other "girls" take care of the babies, what is it that she really has to do? Basically, have MORE babies and pass the buck along to the others in the family. Other than family members, what kind of OTHER social enviroment, other than church, does those children have? Not much!
As I recall, this last baby was posing some problems for Michelle And the baby. If so...what is HER and HIS mind set in having more? What happens if with the birth of this NEXT baby, mom dies? Sorry, they are not thinking.
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ugh 2-09-2007 @ 8:36PM
They don't even get to socialize in church, they have "church" in their home (just them and 1-2 other "quiverfull" families) for which JimBob gets a large tax break (although he is not a certified minister). Michelle also homeschools all of them (although she is not a certified teacher - not that one *must* be in order to homeschool, but she married at 17 and has no education beyond high school).
And I agree, it's not the size of the family that bugs me, it's the fact that the gender roles are archaic, the girls must wear clothes straight out of Little House on the Prairie and are not permitted to cut their hair, the older kids are raising the younger ones so Michelle can keep poppin' them out, and Jim Bob (and TLC, apparently) thinks it's so very Christian of him to trot his kids out for TV specials and his own political campaigns, for money and free material goods. Doesn't that make him a PIMP???
They're famous for being super fertile, period. And exploiting their kids. Personally, I find him disgusting and feel sorry for his kids.
Oh, as for the person who wondered about college money - I wouldn't worry about it. The girls will never attend college, and so far the oldest boy is supposedly taking "online" college classes. Jim Bob expressed in the "moving in" special that he hopes they will all marry and build homes on the property. Cult, anyone??
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SKL 2-09-2007 @ 9:23PM
I don't know much about this family, but I wanted to respond to some of the comments about the older girls raising the younger kids.
I am the oldest daughter in a family of six, and when my much younger brother and sister were born, I was given certain responsibilities for their care. I embraced this wholeheartedly and was always eager to take on more of the responsibilities. To this day, I feel that was one of the best things that ever happened to me. (My brothers had some responsibilities too, but let's face it, they did not have the maternal instinct with which a female is born.) And by the way, my childcare responsibilities didn't stop me from being one of the most educated and well-employed people I know.
As for the mother handing off her key responsibilities to her daughters, I don't believe that. Even if the older sisters spend hours per day caring for the younger children, somehow the children always look to the mother as the real power and inspiration. The mother must communicate to all her kids, through actions and age-appropriate words, the values she wishes them to embrace throughout life.
I would never criticize a family for the number of kids they have. (That happened enough to my family, though it was less than half as large.) More siblings means exponentially more complex relationships to help the children develop socially and emotionally. This is healthy for all involved.
As long as the family members are no less healthy and happy than mainstream Americans, people who happen to have no experience with large families should mind their own business.
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Laura H 2-09-2007 @ 10:33PM
SKL, this is exactly what this mother is doing..."handing off key responsibilities"; she admits it on the program. Very different from what many of us in larger families experienced. Those were chores for me, in this family, the older children have full time jobs consisting of caring for the younger ones. On the face of it, I have no problems with large families at all...if there is emotional investment made by the parents, and not at the expense of the older children. These girls have a rough life and (in my opinion) are removed enough from society (through homeschooling, church at home and only socializing with other families exactly like them) that they have no idea what their lives could be like. It is really very sad.
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Bets 2-09-2007 @ 11:19PM
Michelle Duggar has literally read the scriptures about an apocolypse.
The line-reading is so fine.
In 2037, the US will be a minority majority, this is her fix to keep the US a white majority.
God save the Christians, let the serfs rot in hell.
The Duggar family has so many similarities as the FLDS ( Fundalmental Latter DAy Saints(, the Warren Jeffs cult.
I'll bet that the Duggar family receives some kind of government hand-out.
While I am single, I pay for this nonsense.
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