<p>In counting pregnancies, I would bet money there have been miscarriages that have not been reported. NO ONE has 17 consecutive pregnancies without a loss here or there. She never announces until she is a good three months along. There is a reason for that, since most losses are in the first 12 weeks.</p>
<p>Her Down’s risk is also getting high.</p>
<p>And if so, they’ll keep it and love him or her. Their choice. Not sure why the Duggars engender such hatred. To each her own; there are certainly worse situations for children.</p>
<p>I don’t think people have hatred as much as they are questioning their decisions to continue to have children.</p>
<p>I have seen the show a couple of times, and must admit their house is beautiful, and that most restaurants don’t have a kitchen that large :p</p>
<p>Seriously, they seem like good parents and that the family is well adjusted. Personally for me, I would be wagging my finger at Bullet saying stay away from me. Also as an ex-school teacher, I do question how she can give proper education to 19 children at different age levels. I have no problem with home schooling, that is their choice, but when you get up to the older grades, I do have issues if you are not competent to teach physics, chem, trig, etc. Are the kids being taught by her, or are they being self taught using study guides, the latter is wrong and they are doing harm to their children because of their fears about public school.</p>
<p>My post about Down’s has nothing to do with hatred or contempt?! Just a fact. No judgment made. Period. As a physician in the field there are certain facts that are just facts. The decisions made by other families are their decisions. Posts on a board are often interpreted in opposite ways than the poster intended. Says more about the person inferring than it does about who did the writing and what they wrote.</p>
<p>I agree with Bulletandpima. It is hard enough to parent and properly educate a couple of kids, and I personally am opposed to the older girls finishing their “education” at 16 and being responsible for the education and welfare of their younger “buddies”. I am also concerned about Mrs. Duggar’s health in attempting to carry out yet another pregnancy, given her past sections and her advanced maternal age.</p>
<p>As I mentioned above, if this family does not want anyone commenting on their lifestyle and choices, they could certainly have maintained their privacy and stayed off reality TV. Once they sold themselves to TLC, they became open game to commentary and critique.</p>
<p>We stopped at three because I wanted to be able to afford things for my kids. I wanted to put them through college. I wanted to be able to afford camps and lessons. The Duggars don’t seem to have money concerns though.</p>
<p>But I also stopped because I wanted to be able to attend parent teacher conferences, soccer games and read to them before they went to bed at night. I wanted to spend time with them. Not just quality time. I wanted a quantity of time with my kids. I can’t see how the Duggars do that. A sibling is not a substitute for a parent. </p>
<p>And yes, I do feel entitled to voice that opinion if they feel entitled to broadcast their perfect family to the world.</p>
<p>I agree!!! If you put yourself out there on national TV, critiquing is allowed! I have not felt any hatred toward the Duggars on this thread. Sure, questioning their decisions about the way they educate their children, and the way the treat the females, allowed.</p>
<p>Bullet and I always wanted 4, we stopped at 3, b/c DS2 was a very difficult birth, and I made a promise to G*d that if he gave me 1 more healthy child I would never ask for another gift of life from him. He did, and as much as I always wanted 4, I don’t go back on promises. BAD KHARMA if you do!</p>
<p>I can’t believe that she has not thought about all of the things that can go wrong. </p>
<p>As I said I have only watched one or 2 episodes, so I did not know they stop schooling the girls at 16…OOOOH ICK! </p>
<p>I also agree the minute you signed that the contract for a paycheck, you lost all rights to be offended if people question your beliefs and actions.</p>
<p>Off topic, but what is the gender make up…i.e. 8 girls 10 boys, 9 and 9? I know the youngest is a girl and the eldest is a boy, but what about in between. Bullet would rather kill himself than be in a house with 6 girls that have gone through puberty. Heck, all of us run away from our DD and we only have one D.</p>
<p>They had a run of boys for a while, but the girls are catching up!</p>
<p>No hate for the Duggars, but watching them is fascinating. I don’t know anyone remotely like them. Then again, my husband’s brother’s wife is the youngest of 13. The mom had 3 miscarriages. Now for the fun fact for that family. The only female of that family to have kids is the youngest one, my sister-in-law. Not sure what to think of that and never asked.</p>
<p>I think it can be argued that there are a whole lot of American children passing through public schools with no better an education than the Duggar’s homeschool. I’ve encountered marginally literate high school graduates. I’m sure the girls know more about baking then physics but then the boys know more about carpentry than physics too. Some of the kids are quite articulate, some not so much. </p>
<p>I’ve also never heard the Duggars complain about people criticizing them. Perhaps people in this thread have defended them but that’s not saying others can’t be critical. Just giving a different perception of them. </p>
<p>I have a medical question…considering Michelle has spent so much time pregnant, does she have more eggs than a typical woman her age? She’s missed years of ovulating time the rest of us have gone through. Would she perhaps have more good eggs or do they all start to break down and develop chromosomal defects as time goes on? Would her menopause be delayed?</p>
<p>We knew a couple, that all of their parents came from a family a 7, all of the children(aunts/uncles) went onto have only 1 child. Guess, none of them saw a big family as something they wanted to repeat. The couple we knew went onto have 2 kids, and they said most of their generation stopped at 2 also. Think of the cost for their childs wedding, they have 56 aunts and uncles, and 28 1st cousins, before including the brides side (they had boys)</p>
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Sure it can. Doesn’t make their education something I’d want for my kids. We could also argue that as long as I don’t abuse my children as much as other do, then I’m free to beat them.</p>
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I think I’d put education as a priority above weddings.</p>
<p>If I remember correctly, I think Michelle did miscarry her first pregnancy. She married young (17?) and was on the pill for a couple years. I believe she thought the miscarriage was associated with the pill use, and they decided not to use birth control after that. </p>
<p>Silvermoon–I’ve seen that in large families, especially the older children, if they’ve had a lot of responsibility for the younger ones, feel like they’ve “been there, done that” with parenthood and don’t want to have kids of their own. Since I have a large family, I am aware of that and try to “be the parent”–not dump too many responsibilities on my older kids. I notice at my church most of the mothers have their older girls constantly holding their babies, send them to the “cry room,” etc. Believe me, I was in the cry room for many years and rarely saw another mom in there–only teenagers and pre-teens! I think these moms are making a mistake–their girls will be burnt out on motherhood before their time comes. Personally, I love to take care of babies and wouldn’t want to give that time away.</p>
<p>H & I and several of our in-laws are from big families of 7-12 kids. If you average out the number of grandchildren per family, including those sibs who never had kids, they are all in the 2-3 range. There are still a quite a few large families, but the average is brought down by a lot of sibs (3 of 7 in my family and H’s) who never had kids. There are a lot more single/childless people in this generation.</p>
<p>I hear Michelle say that the miscarriage early on (and I believe she said she was on the pill when it happened - didn’t know she was pregnant – but I can’t swear to that) was what convinced them not to use birth control and to welcome each gift of life.</p>
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<p>Nope, you’re born with all the eggs you’ll ever have and more than you’ll ever, ever need.
(Spouse of OB-GYN here)</p>
<p>Michelle is preganant with #19, in case somebody missed it. She is crazy, but it is her life and she has it good, although she is the one who works the hardest in her family. She looks good too and kids are all adorable, just gorgeous.</p>
<p>^^^^ that issue, about the pregnancy, is what revitalized this thread, Miami.</p>
<p>How do you know this? Do you have some data to support that statement, Barrons? </p>
<p>I have heard this from many that played the game when they are interviewed after retiring. Some still watch but a good number have little interest and enjoy spending their time doing other things. Golf, fishing, etc.</p>
<p>^^^ So the athletes you heard in some interviews are still involved in athletic activities. They perhaps just switched the sport they participate in. In contrast, the Duggars get their primary financial backing from, and have their lives monitored by, a medium that they frown upon. That strikes me as disingenuous.</p>
<p>Why? They have a story they want to tell and TV is the best medium to reach lots of people and share ther POV. Does not mean tthey have to watch it–why does that follow?? Madonna got famous on TV but her kids can’t watch it. Lots of people who appear on TV also don’t allow their kids to watch it. You hear that in interviews all the time.</p>