Jessa Duggar & Ben Seewald Expecting Baby No. 5 After 'Heartbreaking' Miscarriage
By Fiyin Olowokandi on September 12, 2023 at 3:00 PM EDT
Blessings are adding up for reality TV star Jessa Duggar and her husband, Ben Seewald!
The “Counting On” alum and Seewald, who tied the knot in 2014, are set to be parents of five. The couple have four kids– Spurgeon, Henry, Ivy, and Fern — and have suffered two pregnancy losses — one in 2020 and another in 2023.
However, things are turning bright for the pair as they just announced they are expecting another child.
Jessa Duggar And Ben Seewald Have Baby No 5 On The Way
The 30-year-old Duggar excitedly broke the great news of an expected addition to her family through a YouTube video titled “A Baby on the Way & Romantic Getaway.” The 24-minute video opened up with a view of a positive pregnancy test sitting on a bathroom counter.
In the accompanying voiceover, the expectant mom announced her pregnancy while acknowledging her previous loss. Duggar said, “After a heartbreaking loss of our baby last year, just this past week, we found out some wonderful news that our rainbow baby is on the way, and we could not be more excited.”
As she spoke in the video, the captions “God is so kind” and “We're so thankful for the gift of this precious life” appeared on screen. After the announcement, the reality star added a video dated April, explaining that she and Ben were taking a much-needed trip without their kids.
The remainder of the footage showed the couple on their romantic getaway, bonding and enjoying their romance before their little one got here
Earlier in February, the TV star revealed she experienced a miscarriage while pregnant with what could have been their fifth child. She shared the heartbreaking news in a video titled “Heartbreak Over The Holidays” on her YouTube and gave her viewers insight into her pregnancy journey.
The clip began with a heartwarming moment when the TV personality and her husband informed their kids about the pregnancy. The footage transitioned through the unsuspecting moments leading up to the sad news, including an 11-week update.
Jessa disclosed that she experienced unusual symptoms near the end of her first trimester. According to her, she experienced nausea, fatigue, food aversions, and spotting.
However, the mother of four scheduled an ultrasound with her doctor to confirm if the baby was fine. Unfortunately, the physician informed her that the baby did not “look good,” and the revelation left her heartbroken.
Afterward, the doting mom had a dilation and curettage procedure, taking out the baby. While the process took an emotional toll on the TLC star, she found solace in her Christian faith.
Jill Duggar Disclosed That She Hesitated To Spill Her Family’s Dirty Secrets
Jessa’s pregnancy news is undoubtedly a source of joy for the Duggar family amidst the publicity of their dirty secrets in the docuseries “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets.” Jill Duggar, the second daughter of the brood, who starred in the series, previously revealed that she hesitated to show her family’s dirty side.
In the snippet of the four-part series, the media personality got candid about her tough decisions. “I mean, interviewing this isn’t easy, and I didn’t want to do it,” the “19 and Counting” alum said nervously. “There’s a lot there; like, do I want to open that can of worms?”
The Duggars were ardent followers of the conservative Christian organization, Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), founded by the disgraced pastor Bill Gothard. Despite having second thoughts, the TLC alum shared her side of the story concerning her family and the organization, backdating to 2014.
In 2014, Gothard resigned from the IBLP after his former employees accused him of sexual harassment. This scandal matched the tragedy of the eldest Duggar son, Josh, who was incarcerated in 2022 for receiving and possessing child pornography.
Additionally, Josh was previously guilty of inappropriately touching four of his sisters and one babysitter during his teenage years. The Prime Video series promised to explain how the IBLP teachings created a “breeding ground” for predators.
The 32-year-old writer further emphasized how difficult opening up was for her. “It’s just hard to go through,” Jill emotionally confessed. “There are a lot of families that are in a similar situation. But it was very different, in the sense that my family was on television.”
