The Bates have updated their blog!

[Bookworm89]

If you watch their show on Primetime Nightline it shows her getting and ultrasound and she says "Twins would've been nice".

Oh dang...there goes my twisted hope she would tie/beat Michelle. Not that I really wish any child(ren) to be born into either family.

[Jessica]

LOL, someone left this comment on their post: "Haha… the Duggars beat ya’ll in the number of kids… again!" Bet she loved that!

[Daenerys]

LOL, someone left this comment on their post: "Haha… the Duggars beat ya’ll in the number of kids… again!" Bet she loved that!

I still think Kelly will win in the end though...

[Black Aliss]

Out of curiosity, how old is Kelly? I think Michelle is 45, so if Kelly is even just 5 years younger her ovaries might keep going long enough after Michelle's shut down, that she could win the baby contest and there'd be nothing Michelle could do about it.

[stabbycat]

I imagine part of the reason why the Duggars waited so long to announce the pregnancy was to wait for the Downs testing to be done. I don't remember when the blood tests are done, but the 12 week ultrasound can help determine if the fetus has signs of trisonomy. They might be anti-abortion, but honestly it wouldn't surprise me if they were to ever terminate a pregnancy and claim it was a miscarriage.

[Jessica]

I think they're the same age.

[emmiedahl]

I don't think Michelle would terminate a child with Down's--it's her chance to be a martyr and show that God loves kids with disabilities (etc). Can you imagine the praise she would get? I would not be surprised if her fervent wish is for Down syndrome.

I think she waited because of the risk of miscarriage. Those emergency c-sections are hard on the uterus. She probably also wanted to see what her blood pressure and such were doing. No use telling the world if she gets a repeat of HELLP syndrome before she is even showing.

[Kitten]

We are challenged by their contagious optimistic faith competitiveness - we really thought we were pulling ahead! May God likewise give each of us the strength, wisdom, and humility to serve Him whole heartedly in various areas of our lives to pop out at least two more and win this damn contest!

[devilsadvocate]

I don't think Michelle would terminate a child with Down's--it's her chance to be a martyr and show that God loves kids with disabilities (etc). Can you imagine the praise she would get? I would not be surprised if her fervent wish is for Down syndrome.

I think she waited because of the risk of miscarriage. Those emergency c-sections are hard on the uterus. She probably also wanted to see what her blood pressure and such were doing. No use telling the world if she gets a repeat of HELLP syndrome before she is even showing.

Yeah. At her age, the risk of miscarriage is so much higher, that I would expect that's what they were waiting for. In fact, I would not be at all surprised if the reason it took this long for the announcement was because there was a miscarriage or two. I really don't think they would abort a child under any circumstances.

Honestly, I am half-expecting that this kid will have Downs Syndrome. With the number of "advanced maternal age" pregnancies she has had, it's really almost inevitable.

[xDreamerx]

Yeah. At her age, the risk of miscarriage is so much higher, that I would expect that's what they were waiting for. In fact, I would not be at all surprised if the reason it took this long for the announcement was because there was a miscarriage or two. I really don't think they would abort a child under any circumstances.

Honestly, I am half-expecting that this kid will have Downs Syndrome. With the number of "advanced maternal age" pregnancies she has had, it's really almost inevitable.

It makes me sad that children with serious disabilities end up with people like the Duggars and Sarah Palin. Sad and then angry. Smad?

Watching the interview with Jessa was....disturbing. I mean, the more I hear them talk about children and births the more they seem like fertility cult. We all knew this, but hearing her talk about seeing births and hearing Jana talk about how excited they always are really underlines the idea that these women are only valued and considered spiritual persons if they birth large broods.

[djibouti]

Yeah. At her age, the risk of miscarriage is so much higher, that I would expect that's what they were waiting for. In fact, I would not be at all surprised if the reason it took this long for the announcement was because there was a miscarriage or two. I really don't think they would abort a child under any circumstances.

Honestly, I am half-expecting that this kid will have Downs Syndrome. With the number of "advanced maternal age" pregnancies she has had, it's really almost inevitable.

hmm that's interesting, I wonder if maybe in between Josie and #20 there was a miscarriage. Josie will be what, 2.5 when this baby is born? That's a long time for michelle. Suspiciously long

[marmalade]

I imagine part of the reason why the Duggars waited so long to announce the pregnancy was to wait for the Downs testing to be done. I don't remember when the blood tests are done, but the 12 week ultrasound can help determine if the fetus has signs of trisonomy. They might be anti-abortion, but honestly it wouldn't surprise me if they were to ever terminate a pregnancy and claim it was a miscarriage.

If, God forbid, she does have a baby with Down's or other disabilities, imagine all the mother of the year awards she'll get for being the brave trooper that chose not to abort.

That'll piss off Sarah Palin, who appeared to try to get rid of Trig anyway possible short of aborting him. Michelle will have to give birth at the South Pole to beat out Palin's antics during her labor.

[Jessica]

That'll piss off Sarah Palin, who appeared to try to get rid of Trig anyway possible short of aborting him. Michelle will have to give birth at the South Pole to beat out Palin's antics during her labor.

Whaaaa?

[demgirl]

Whaaaa?

Oh, man. It's like -- the craziest politician story ever. This is the best, most informed and well cited version of it that I have seen anywhere: http://www.scribd.com/doc/65195978/Sara ... irth-Story

[Kitten]

I wonder if maybe in between Josie and #20 there was a miscarriage.

I don't think so - I think it was more the case that Michelle spent all those months in Little Rock, so even if she and JB went at it during their visits, there were a lot of "fertile" days missed. And I've always suspected that once they were all back together in Springdale, Michelle "used" Josie the same way some women use headaches. Or maybe it was JB who needed the excuse. :D

[0 kids n not countin]

There will always be critics around. The best thing to do is ask what we can learn from the criticism. If the criticism is totally without just cause, realize that the offenders could have made false assumptions based on lack of information or wrong information. We can’t spend all of our time trying to defend ourselves and trying to end criticism. Our best bet is to spend our time wisely by focusing on Christ’s reputation rather than our own…

But to answer your question about the Duggars motives for having children… I would think it would be obvious to a thinker to realize that the expense of children is far greater than any monetary gain. If someone really wanted to have children for financial gain or popularity, I can assure you they picked the wrong means to achieve their goal… The decision to have children began many years ago before reality shows even existed and it has never been a very popular decision. If self-gain was the motive, the family relations would reflect that, as there would be much bitterness and little harmony. I think it is quite apparent that the motive is an unselfish Christ like love for children. Love, Kelly

I guess all of us at Free Jinger=non thinkers? :think:

[Letgo]

In addition to being pregnant with her 19th child, she has had 3 miscarriages.

Where did you get this information? Has this been mentioned on the show? I have only heard of one miscarriage for Michelle, right after Josh while she was taking birth control pills. Since JB and Michelle believe that the pill caused the death of their baby, would they even admit to another miscarriage NOT "caused" by the pill? I have always wondered if she has had a few, especially when she went 22 months between births a couple of times-and now with about 28 months between Josie and the due date of #20.

[annalena]

It's always a very convenient strategy to title anyone whose thinking does not have the desired outcome as "non-thinkers".

Happens in politics a whole lot, too, btw.

Have heard that one a lot of times before. "You're pro-capitalism? You're not left-wing? You can not have thought this through".

Thing is, you can have thought things through and might have found out you're ok with it. But I'm wandering off here.

Kelly's kidding about the selfless love, isn't she?!

[Daenerys]

Maybe she needed time to take some of those womb-strengthening tablets Kelly Bates had?

[PBrooke]

Where did you get this information? Has this been mentioned on the show? I have only heard of one miscarriage for Michelle, right after Josh while she was taking birth control pills. Since JB and Michelle believe that the pill caused the death of their baby, would they even admit to another miscarriage NOT "caused" by the pill? I have always wondered if she has had a few, especially when she went 22 months between births a couple of times-and now with about 28 months between Josie and the due date of #20.

The sentence right before that is "Kelly is the more fertile of the two.". The poster was referring to Kelly and her 3 miscarriages (that have been mentioned on the show and on the Bates family website.

[Jessica]

Kellie has had 3 miscarriages, 2 between Ellie and Callie and one after Judson.