Michael (Bates) Keilen Bump Watch

[IReallyAmHopewell]

On 6/20/2016 at 3:25 AM, Arix said:

Right? I actually feel bad for her, because trying and nothing must suck.

Let's see...she has been with her umpteen billion siblings forever. Maybe she's not upset at all! lol... She's got a husband and all that's required is they leave it up to God. Maybe they are doing "their part" but God's perfect timing hasn't blessed them yet. She seems pretty sensible. I don't believe she'd overthink it.

[princessmahina]

I think if I had been told that infertility was a divine punishment and saw my younger sisters get "blessed" with a husband and babies before me, I'd be pretty upset about not getting pregnant. But I don't know Michael, and can't imagine what she's thinking or feeling right now.

[season of life]

I hope Michael isn't taking not being pregnant too hard. I don't know if she's preventing or not, if she feels terrible or content. 

[JMO]

While we'll never know what Michael really feels and does, unless she and Brandon decided to have a very honest discussion with the camera, considering how much she has been portrayed as loving to be around children and her upbringing it's pretty safe to say she wants kids and they aren't using BC.  She may or may not have been able to relax and enjoy the first few months of solitude and couple-ness, but she's been married nearly 11 months and no announcement.  Even if she was secretly hoping for some alone time before pregnancy at this time she would probably be concerned that she isn't pregnant yet.  

[season of life]

At least she may have kids around 27 or 28, not very early, like her sister Alyssa.

[Melissa1977]

On 23/6/2016 at 7:59 AM, infooverload said:From her instagram she seems happy and to be enjoying life.

I'm not sure. In pictures, before and after marrying, her smile don't reach her eyes. Maybe because she's shy, but she never looks really relaxed. Well, it's just a vibe I get, I know it's difficult to judge somebody just based in pictures.

[Mela99]

On 6/28/2016 at 3:22 PM, season of life said:

I hope Michael isn't taking not being pregnant too hard. I don't know if she's preventing or not, if she feels terrible or content. 

Same. 

I assume it's very difficult to be raised with the mindset that you exist to give children to the Lord's Army and kids are such a blessing... but you haven't been blessed.

[JermajestyDuggar]

I can tell you from experience it is devastating to not get pregnant month after month after month while your fertile myrtle relatives are popping up pregnant all over the place. And I'm not religious at all. So I'm going to assume that even if she puts on a brave face (like she always does) it's at least a little bit difficult for her right now.

[elliha]

3 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I can tell you from experience it is devastating to not get pregnant month after month after month while your fertile myrtle relatives are popping up pregnant all over the place. And I'm not religious at all. So I'm going to assume that even if she puts on a brave face (like she always does) it's at least a little bit difficult for her right now.

My SIL talked about this. They finally had twins after about 10 years of first trying on their own a couple of years because they simply just thought it would work eventually and then doing different tests. She turned out to have some minor issue and everyone thought that was what was wrong but in the end it turned out my brother is completely infertile (produces no sperm) and while she didn't say so directly she hinted that it was a bit of a relief since everyone in our family seemed so fertile. Once they knew and had donated sperm it worked their second try and they had their twins. 

[Kaylo]

On June 30, 2016 at 4:56 AM, JermajestyDuggar said:

I can tell you from experience it is devastating to not get pregnant month after month after month while your fertile myrtle relatives are popping up pregnant all over the place. And I'm not religious at all. So I'm going to assume that even if she puts on a brave face (like she always does) it's at least a little bit difficult for her right now.

I agree. It feels like a loss every month. That has nothing to do with religion, and if that is what she is going through...well I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. 

[meee]

Agreed.  And I've also gone through infertility.

[marmalade]

The full-length Instagram pic she posted yesterday shows that no baby is on the way, at least visibly. Unless there's an announcement coming soon on the show (and the show is still ostensibly back in late winter), she's still not pregnant 11 months into her marriage. I suppose we could get an announcement filmed later tacked on to their season finale (whenever that is), but if she is pregnant now, it's very early on. 

To me, she seems to be the nurturing earth mother type. I wonder if she's had the testing that Erin had, or whether there have been no pregnancies at all? Either way, I feel for her. 

[LawsonBatesEgo]

Religious beliefs aside, I can't help but have some sympathy for a newlywed unable to conceive a (presumably) much wanted first baby after a year of marriage. I don't wish that on anyone. 

[QuiverDance]

Having lived through infertility, my heart goes out to her if she is suffering with it.  My values and beliefs aside, it is so very hard to want a baby so much and be disappointed every 28 days.  

[JermajestyDuggar]

In my experience with infertility, they don't do much testing until you've had 3 miscarriages. So I suppose it's possible she has had one or more early miscarriages in the past 11 months since she got married and hasn't had testing yet. 

[Coconut Flan]

ACOG used to recommend waiting for three 3 miscarriages and insurance companies bought into that and wouldn't pay for testing earlier.  However, the recommendation changed and many OBs will test earlier now.

[VelociRapture]

20 minutes ago, Coconut Flan said:

ACOG used to recommend waiting for three 3 miscarriages and insurance companies bought into that and wouldn't pay for testing earlier.  However, the recommendation changed and many OBs will test earlier now.

Not to mention they may be more willing to test her due to her family history. Erin's very serious clotting issues could cause a Doctor to decide to test her (or her sisters) earlier than recommended out of caution.

1 hour ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

In my experience with infertility, they don't do much testing until you've had 3 miscarriages. So I suppose it's possible she has had one or more early miscarriages in the past 11 months since she got married and hasn't had testing yet. 

It's possible. Kelly did mention that they'd be having their daughters tested to see if any of them have Erin's clotting condition. I usually don't believe much of what she says, but I'm inclined to think this one is true.

That said, there could be other issues at play here other than a clotting disorder. Whatever is or is not going on, I hope that they have the chance to deal with it privately and aren't made to share anything with the public they don't want to.

[imokit]

They've said that Erin's clotting issue is genetic, and thus every Bate's girl has a 1 in 4 chance of having it.  In a family with that many girls, odds are that at least one of the other's will have it too.  I'm sure they will be testing every girl pre marriage, when I don't know, but before the wedding certainly.

[Coconut Flan]

Yes, they tested my daughter a little after the first miscarriage because I have a clotting disorder and another disease that causes miscarriages.  They did much more testing after the second one.  Fortunately in her case nothing showed up.  Daughter's OB was of the opinion that if you know the family has a history, there is no point in following rigid rules and possibly causing unnecessary pain and suffering. 

[CorruptionInc.]

3 hours ago, VelociRapture said:

It's possible. Kelly did mention that they'd be having their daughters tested to see if any of them have Erin's clotting condition. I usually don't believe much of what she says, but I'm inclined to think this one is true.

 

 While I believe this too, I worry that they do the test for the wrong reasons.

i.e: You don't have it - 20 babies for you.

Oh, you do have it? Oh well, keep having babies, it's your life and stuff ebil medicine...

[crazysnark]

My sister in law has the disorder and was infertile for 8 years. After going on a no sugar diet she got pregnant with her daughter and remained on the diet but didn't prevent and got pregnant 9 month post partum while breastfeeding. Erin is extremely rare to be so fertile with PAI without a diet change and/or injections. 

[BeccaGrim]

On 6/29/2016 at 10:03 AM, JMO said:

While we'll never know what Michael really feels and does, unless she and Brandon decided to have a very honest discussion with the camera, considering how much she has been portrayed as loving to be around children and her upbringing it's pretty safe to say she wants kids and they aren't using BC.  She may or may not have been able to relax and enjoy the first few months of solitude and couple-ness, but she's been married nearly 11 months and no announcement.  Even if she was secretly hoping for some alone time before pregnancy at this time she would probably be concerned that she isn't pregnant yet.  

Here's what we do know. She wanted her husband very badly. She saw him and prayed and prayed for him. I don't know if it happened as fast as it did with Erin and Chad.  Gil says as much during the wedding.  She must have told her parents she was hopeful and they all waited. Then, she waited and waited a long time to get him to propose during courtship. He was busy.  But at one point she even says that she'd take a proposal without a ring just to be with him. He proposes and they get married. Now, it seems that she's waiting (unless they have very different views than we imagine them to) for a baby. Michael does seem to have to wait a long time for things, in comparison to her siblings.  

[JermajestyDuggar]

26 minutes ago, BeccaGrim said:

Here's what we do know. She wanted her husband very badly. She saw him and prayed and prayed for him. I don't know if it happened as fast as it did with Erin and Chad.  Gil says as much during the wedding.  She must have told her parents she was hopeful and they all waited. Then, she waited and waited a long time to get him to propose during courtship. He was busy.  But at one point she even says that she'd take a proposal without a ring just to be with him. He proposes and they get married. Now, it seems that she's waiting (unless they have very different views than we imagine them to) for a baby. Michael does seem to have to wait a long time for things, in comparison to her siblings.  

At least she seems patient! Just look at her compared to Alyssa. She was married and had a baby by age 20! 

[infooverload]

Off the topic of babies, but a Michael related inquiry not discussed. So I don't know if my memory is playing tricks on me, but I could have sworn during one of the first few times the family was on Primetime Gil mentioned someone approaching them about courting Michael. I remember Gil saying they didn't discuss it with Michael because she was only 16 at the time. I am such a dork, but I am always thinking who was the mystery guy. I watched the video where Allyssa and her are paired up talking about cold showers. I was trying to find the Primetime episode on YouTube with no luck. Appears to be on Hulu, but I didn't want to sign up for something than knowing my luck forgetting to cancel after the trial period. I wonder how they determine who is paired up for those talking heads.

[Melissa1977]

6 hours ago, BeccaGrim said:

Here's what we do know. She wanted her husband very badly. She saw him and prayed and prayed for him. I don't know if it happened as fast as it did with Erin and Chad.  Gil says as much during the wedding.  She must have told her parents she was hopeful and they all waited. Then, she waited and waited a long time to get him to propose during courtship. He was busy.  But at one point she even says that she'd take a proposal without a ring just to be with him. He proposes and they get married. Now, it seems that she's waiting (unless they have very different views than we imagine them to) for a baby. Michael does seem to have to wait a long time for things, in comparison to her siblings.  

I have the feeling that Brandon wasn't very interested in marriage and Kelly did A LOT to push him into courtship and wedding. Of course I can be wrong, but based in their posts and comments, Michael was in love and Kelly did her best to help her. Probably Keilens also helped. I'm not telling he wasn't in love, but I see him as a person who thinks a lot, who goes step by step, who does "the right things" but is not passionate.

Maybe they are infertile (she or he: lots of young men have low sperm quality nowadays), maybe they aren't just luck to get pregnant (6 months is average to get pregnant, but even 1 year is normal), maybe they're avoiding pregnancy (I don't think so, but who really knows). I know they're mega-fundie and having children is mandatory, but if Brandon is so rigid in his plans, maybe he's trying to delay pregnancy since Michael finishes school and they finally move.