OT The Duggers are expecting baby #20!

[XJessicaX]

How does she afford these children? Or is she reliant on benefits? unsure which country she is from.

 

[aliss]

How does she afford these children? Or is she reliant on benefits? unsure which country she is from.

They are from the US... Arkansas I believe. No, her husband pays all the bills, they do not use government assistance. He was a politician and now has some lucrative commercial real estate properties.

I don't think the US & Canadian welfare systems are the same as your in the UK. People who don't work here, in general, live below the poverty line. More kids are no meal ticket for sure.

 

[SophiasMummy]

Everyone saying that it isnt fair on the older children having to look after the little ones; maybe they enjoy it?

I know a family with 7 kids (eldest 22 and youngest 8). NONE of the kids/teenagers like being in the house when its empty, they like having their brothers and sister around, and also, they all do stuff with the younger ones; take them swimming, make cakes etc. They dont HAVE to and nobody asks. They just like too I must add, that out of the 7 kids, there is only 1 girl, so it isnt a "girlie, mothering thing" either

Honestly she was told years ago not to have anymore children as it is dangerous for her and the babies, due to repeated c section scarring and pre eclampsia. I think she is stupid to get pregnant again josie was born at 25 weeks due to severe pre eclampsia, and she was told at the time it was very likely to happen again, she is stupidly risking her life to bring even more children into the world when she already has 19 children and 2 grandchildren to think about, how is it fair on her other kids that she is willing to put her life in danger repeatedly, I hope she reaches menopause before she manages to kill herself by having even more. I dont want to sound horrible but it the truth

Exactly WSS.... I think putting her life in danger and potentially leaving her other children without a mummy is really selfish.

Does that rule apply to everything ? Getting in a car = risking life. Going on holiday on a plane = risking life. Eating runny eggs and catching salmonella (or whatever you can get off eggs) = risking life

The difference is all her previous pregnancy drs now refuse to have anything to do with her pregnancys or deliver her children as it is so dangerous for her to carry on, thats more serious than day to day stuff like driving a car, she is purposely putting her self in serious danger of uterine rupture which is far more likely to happen than a car accident

 

[tabitha561]

Everyone saying that it isnt fair on the older children having to look after the little ones; maybe they enjoy it?

I know a family with 7 kids (eldest 22 and youngest 8). NONE of the kids/teenagers like being in the house when its empty, they like having their brothers and sister around, and also, they all do stuff with the younger ones; take them swimming, make cakes etc. They dont HAVE to and nobody asks. They just like too I must add, that out of the 7 kids, there is only 1 girl, so it isnt a "girlie, mothering thing" either

Honestly she was told years ago not to have anymore children as it is dangerous for her and the babies, due to repeated c section scarring and pre eclampsia. I think she is stupid to get pregnant again josie was born at 25 weeks due to severe pre eclampsia, and she was told at the time it was very likely to happen again, she is stupidly risking her life to bring even more children into the world when she already has 19 children and 2 grandchildren to think about, how is it fair on her other kids that she is willing to put her life in danger repeatedly, I hope she reaches menopause before she manages to kill herself by having even more. I dont want to sound horrible but it the truth

Exactly WSS.... I think putting her life in danger and potentially leaving her other children without a mummy is really selfish.

Does that rule apply to everything ? Getting in a car = risking life. Going on holiday on a plane = risking life. Eating runny eggs and catching salmonella (or whatever you can get off eggs) = risking life

The difference is all her previous pregnancy drs now refuse to have anything to do with her pregnancys or deliver her children as it is so dangerous for her to carry on, thats more serious than day to day stuff like driving a car, she is purposely putting her self in serious danger of uterine rupture which is far more likely to happen than a car accident

Not saying it will happen.... but how can someone live with themselves knowing they are putting an innocent child at risk of that??? and God forbid she loses that child ( not saying it will happen) It's like me I have a heart condition that have to get fixed before I have any more kids.. That would be like me getting pregnant because I wanted fame.... Putting my life and the baby life at risk Them following me... through the pregnancy
You think they are polite stuff... That is just on tv.. You never know how they are in real life. Most stuff that is so fake anyway because all the editing. I still dont agree with the older children raising younger children. Children need the nourishing of there parents not older children.Let me ask you this question how would you feel having 20 siblings and the older ones raising you, your parents having no time for you at all... pretty much ignoring you your whole life?

 

[Kagerou]

You don't know for sure that she is spending less time with certain children or that her older children are looking after their younger siblings. Her kids look genuinely happy, clothed, fed and given plenty of things they need. Not only this but they actually pay for their children every step of the way! None of her children are in the juvenile system either, obviously the parents are doing something right.

If she wants 20 children and can pay for them all why not? It's her body, her life, and from the looks of it she's doing pretty damn well so far.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

I'm on the fence about this. On the one hand, they are caring for all of their children without government help, on the other hand, when is enough, enough? I can't imagine having 20 children. It seems a bit excessive to me. Good on them though.

 

[aliss]

Everyone saying that it isnt fair on the older children having to look after the little ones; maybe they enjoy it?

I know a family with 7 kids (eldest 22 and youngest 8). NONE of the kids/teenagers like being in the house when its empty, they like having their brothers and sister around, and also, they all do stuff with the younger ones; take them swimming, make cakes etc. They dont HAVE to and nobody asks. They just like too I must add, that out of the 7 kids, there is only 1 girl, so it isnt a "girlie, mothering thing" either

Honestly she was told years ago not to have anymore children as it is dangerous for her and the babies, due to repeated c section scarring and pre eclampsia. I think she is stupid to get pregnant again josie was born at 25 weeks due to severe pre eclampsia, and she was told at the time it was very likely to happen again, she is stupidly risking her life to bring even more children into the world when she already has 19 children and 2 grandchildren to think about, how is it fair on her other kids that she is willing to put her life in danger repeatedly, I hope she reaches menopause before she manages to kill herself by having even more. I dont want to sound horrible but it the truth

Exactly WSS.... I think putting her life in danger and potentially leaving her other children without a mummy is really selfish.

Does that rule apply to everything ? Getting in a car = risking life. Going on holiday on a plane = risking life. Eating runny eggs and catching salmonella (or whatever you can get off eggs) = risking life

The difference is all her previous pregnancy drs now refuse to have anything to do with her pregnancys or deliver her children as it is so dangerous for her to carry on, thats more serious than day to day stuff like driving a car, she is purposely putting her self in serious danger of uterine rupture which is far more likely to happen than a car accident

Let me ask you this question how would you feel having 20 siblings and the older ones raising you, your parents having no time for you at all... pretty much ignoring you your whole life?

That is quite an assumption to say that she has no time for her children and have ignored them their whole lives. You do realize even to this day, that having 10, even 20, children was normal for women. Having :just" 1-2 children, even 3 or 4 was not typical. I know plenty of people who have 10-15+ siblings (including my own mother) and they felt their parents raised them. My mom is the 2nd youngest out of 13 and that was very typical of Hungarian farm families - her life growing up was fine and she was not ignored.

Hard to imagine, but yes, some women are perfectly capable of raising that many babies. Yes, they have help - like we all should, but don't get because we're supposed to be "supermom".

 

[AP]

Honestly she was told years ago not to have anymore children as it is dangerous for her and the babies, due to repeated c section scarring and pre eclampsia. I think she is stupid to get pregnant again josie was born at 25 weeks due to severe pre eclampsia, and she was told at the time it was very likely to happen again, she is stupidly risking her life to bring even more children into the world when she already has 19 children and 2 grandchildren to think about, how is it fair on her other kids that she is willing to put her life in danger repeatedly, I hope she reaches menopause before she manages to kill herself by having even more. I dont want to sound horrible but it the truth

I have to agree. On one hand I know many mothers who have had pre-eclampsia and micro preemies who are swaying about whether they should TTC again to add to their (small in comparison) family, and they do question whether this is a selfish decision or not. But we're talking about a woman with 19 children already. Isn't this enough? How long is she gonna go on like this for? What if they are all prem after this? Because she leaves it in gods hands, I cant see her stopping, and thats when it becomes selfish imo.

Theres got to be a point where you draw the line.

 

[vaniilla]

its her body, her life but its not just her life though, its the lives of 20 children involved in it, she has the right to do it and I have the right to be against it.

 

[aliss]

I think it's perfectly reasonable that people would be against it due to the health risks, I guess what offends me is people writing her off as a terrible mother because she has 20 children and can't possibly be a good mother because of it. There's been some really uncalled for comments here about that.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Honestly she was told years ago not to have anymore children as it is dangerous for her and the babies, due to repeated c section scarring and pre eclampsia. I think she is stupid to get pregnant again josie was born at 25 weeks due to severe pre eclampsia, and she was told at the time it was very likely to happen again, she is stupidly risking her life to bring even more children into the world when she already has 19 children and 2 grandchildren to think about, how is it fair on her other kids that she is willing to put her life in danger repeatedly, I hope she reaches menopause before she manages to kill herself by having even more. I dont want to sound horrible but it the truth

I have to agree. On one hand I know many mothers who have had pre-eclampsia and micro preemies who are swaying about whether they should TTC again to add to their (small in comparison) family, and they do question whether this is a selfish decision or not. But we're talking about a woman with 19 children already. Isn't this enough? How long is she gonna go on like this for? What if they are all prem after this? Because she leaves it in gods hands, I cant see her stopping, and thats when it becomes selfish imo.

Theres got to be a point where you draw the line.

In this case, I have to say she is being irresponsible. Her health and that of her child is at risk. She needs to stop.

 

[MizzDeeDee]

If I went by the logic of some of you I would have NEVER had my daughter because I have alot of health problems... ALOT. It was pretty much assumed that I would never have kids. I am sure if I went to my Doctor about getting pregnant they wouldn't have been waving the welcome wagon about the idea either. I found out that I have a gene mutation that can cause miscarriages. By the logic of some of you I should have never even have tried.

MY BFF ended up having a premie. We have talked about her having another baby as well. I guess because she had a premie baby she shouldn't have another?

As for all these intricate details about her reproductive health.. not really sure how you obtained all this information.. but even if it's true... a. still none of your business,and b. there is always a Doctor that will take care of a patient. There are simply TOO MANY Doctors in the US who would be more then happy to see her and quite frankly get the exposure.

I sure as hell wouldn't have 20 kids but the Duggers pay their own way so why does it matter what she does? And may I add that pregnancy ALWAYS has a risk to the mother? People used to die in child birth all the time before modern medicine and women do still die in child birth. It's a risk we take.

 

[summer rain]

I think large families are great but the movement the Duggars are part of believes women should continue to have as many kids as physically possible; even if their life is in danger. This movement puts a lot of pressure on women and those who do space or prevent kids for medical reasons risk ostracism from others within the movement. I don't think this is right xx

 

[lisaf]

The older children who are helping to raise their siblings OF COURSE don't mind. Many children living in abusive homes don't even realize that it can be any different. When they grow up and see what kind of childhood they COULD have had, they may feel quite different than they do now. (I'm not saying that being forced to raise your younger siblings is abusive, just saying that kids often don't realize that there was an alternative for them)

I think its different than a few generations ago because women DO have reliable birth control options. If she felt that BC caused an earlier miscarriage, she could use a diaphram etc.

I watched a documentary about the 'quiverful' movement. Where basically women feel it is their duty to their family and god to have as many children as possible. I remember one woman who stopped because of the risks to her health and they had her talking to one of her older children. That daughter was saying that she would NEVER want to do that when she had kids because she basically didn't want her kids to be raised like she was, she wanted them to have more of her attention and have more of a childhood.

When you have 19 children to think of, risking your life IS selfish.

 

[lisaf]

I don't think any of us here judging the Duggars would judge a woman for taking risks to have her first child, or even her 2nd or 3rd. But when you have 19 already, you have a lot of responsibility to those 19 kids and taking unneccessary risks IS selfish. (driving a car is an unavoidable reality, so is eating food that could potentially be contaminated etc)

 

[MizzDeeDee]

I think large families are great but the movement the Duggars are part of believes women should continue to have as many kids as physically possible; even if their life is in danger. This movement puts a lot of pressure on women and those who do space or prevent kids for medical reasons risk ostracism from others within the movement. I don't think this is right xx

I think I read somewhere you saying that they want as many kids as possible to outnumber Muslims? Really?

You guys are talking about her being selfish because of her health and other kids.. if she is having other kids just to outnumber another religion.. that may I add has the same God... I think THAT is selfish. I had a child because I wanted a child.. not to fight some imaginary religious war.

 

[Lysal]

I think it's perfectly reasonable that people would be against it due to the health risks, I guess what offends me is people writing her off as a terrible mother because she has 20 children and can't possibly be a good mother because of it. There's been some really uncalled for comments here about that.

I have to say if people choose to live their lives in the public eye the way they do they need to expect everyone to have an opinion on what they do. Someone said earlier that teachers manage 30 children at once but those children are all the same age and have similar needs making it easier. Even then children in a classroom rarely get 1 to 1 time and sometimes things are missed. Unfortunately the loudest or most needy get the majority of attention and the quieter, apparently more self reliant, children can get missed. I personally could manage 30 children and could teach them but I couldn't parent them.

From watching the tv show I can't recall a single time either of the Duggar parents have sat down and talked to just 1 of their children, maybe it just doesn't make the show as it's not great children, but basic maths suggest there's just not enough time in the day for all of their children to get the attention children require from their parents.

If God forbid something goes wrong during this pregnancy she could be leaving 19 children, many of them still tiny themselves, without a mother.

 

[Croc-O-Dile]

I've actually spent a lot of time researching the Duggers because quite frankly, I find it interesting. They children, believe it or not, aren't neglected. Shit, they've all had a 10x better childhood than I ever had! They always have family dinner together, they are constantly doing things together like going on holiday, sometimes more than once a year, and all of the children say they love having such a large family because they're never alone. While I think it's wrong for her to get pregnant again, I also understand why they don't use birth control (it's against their religion and they are SUPER involved with church) Even though it's irresponsible given the health risks, Mrs. Dugger is one hell of a mother.

 

[Croc-O-Dile]

I think large families are great but the movement the Duggars are part of believes women should continue to have as many kids as physically possible; even if their life is in danger. This movement puts a lot of pressure on women and those who do space or prevent kids for medical reasons risk ostracism from others within the movement. I don't think this is right xx

I think I read somewhere you saying that they want as many kids as possible to outnumber Muslims? Really?

You guys are talking about her being selfish because of her health and other kids.. if she is having other kids just to outnumber another religion.. that may I add has the same God... I think THAT is selfish. I had a child because I wanted a child.. not to fight some imaginary religious war.

Not true. They don't want any certain number of kids, they don't use birth control because they believe every child is the work of God and if he wants them to have 20 children than he'll give them 20 children, they aren't going to interfere with God's work, kwim?

 

[summer rain]

I think large families are great but the movement the Duggars are part of believes women should continue to have as many kids as physically possible; even if their life is in danger. This movement puts a lot of pressure on women and those who do space or prevent kids for medical reasons risk ostracism from others within the movement. I don't think this is right xx

I think I read somewhere you saying that they want as many kids as possible to outnumber Muslims? Really?

You guys are talking about her being selfish because of her health and other kids.. if she is having other kids just to outnumber another religion.. that may I add has the same God... I think THAT is selfish. I had a child because I wanted a child.. not to fight some imaginary religious war.

I said this because this was actually said by followers of this movement in Australia, that they wanted to outnumber Muslims by sheer birth rates, so while this may not be the Duggars personal aim it is that of the founders and followers of the movement (I believe the original founders of the movement are Aussies or NZers who moved to the US) xx

ETA: here is just one of the articles quoting Nancy Campbell one of the founders of the movement saying one of the main aims is to outnumber Muslims

https://www.skyejethani.com/quiverfull-movement/292/