Joe and Kendra Duggar seem to be giving it their best shot to reach the level of offspring Joe’s parents, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar, have achieved!
The Counting On stars announced on Wednesday that they are already expecting their third child, just nine months after welcoming their daughter, Addison. (Viewers just watched the ‘Counting On’ episode featuring Addison’s birth earlier this month.)
Kendra and Joe– who are already parents to two-year-old son Garrett and Addison, 9 months— say they are thrilled to be adding yet another blessing to their family.
“We are so excited to see Garrett and Addison’s reaction when they meet the new baby,” the couple told People magazine. “Garrett has already been such a loving big brother to Addison and we look forward to Addison’s reaction to a life size baby doll.”
Even though Kendra and Joe, like most of the Duggar clan, don’t believe in birth control (and instead welcome “however many children God gives them”), they said they were surprised that Kendra is pregnant again.
“Life is full of surprises and we’re thrilled that it is a sweet baby that surprises us this time!” they told the magazine.
In a video made for TLCMe, Kendra expressed her surprise.
“When I found out that we were expecting, I was definitely super-shocked,” Kendra explains. “I didn’t really expect another pregnancy this soon but I was having symptoms that made me think I should take a test.”
Joe admitted that having three kids under three years old is “going to be a challenge,” since the number of youngins will now outnumber them.
“We’ll be more busy, but we’ve already been pretty busy,” Joe added.
While Kendra and Joe received plenty of positive comments from fans and family members on their Instagram announcement, some fans expressed concern that Kendra got pregnant so quickly after Addison’s birth. Others pointed out the couple’s extreme fertility.
“Wow give your body a chance to heal between births,” one person wrote in the comment section of the post.
“She needs to give herself a break for her body to recover from the last pregnancy,” another person wrote.
In reference to the couple’s “surprise” about getting pregnant again, one person commented, “Condoms would be more surprising.”
If you’re keeping track of the amount of Dugs who are currently “with blessing,” that number is three (so far.) Currently, Joy Duggar Forsyth and her husband Austin are expecting a baby girl (their second child) any day now, and Jinger Duggar Vuolo and her husband Jeremy are expecting their second child as well.
The baby will be Jim Bob and Michelle’s 20th grandchild. He or she is due in February 2021.
RELATED STORY: ‘Counting On’ Stars Jessa & Ben Seewald Say They Want a “House Full” of Kids; Are Considering Adopting Their Fourth Child
(Photos: TLC; Instagram)
25 Responses
My bro Joe is a road worker, he is just “filling holes”.
stay lit
Congratz to them! Beautiful family!
And the sick thing is tht my comment is going to be down voted. We live in such a healthy society….
And how is society going to be any better if parents who don’t encourage their daughters to choose any aspect of their lives keep procreating? Their kids are going to grow up in a world of lies and suppression. Your comment and these two uneducated numbskulls is what is keeping society sick.
Actually, this is baby #3 for Austin and Joy. They lost their second child at like 24 weeks.
#3 for Jinger too since she miscarried right after announcing.
I had three within two-and-a-half years (11½ months between One and Two, 18 months between Two and Three) and it was hard on my body. She really does need to pace herself if she’s wanting to beat Michelle’s record. Natural Family Planning or something.
My bro Joe is a coxmen.
stay lit
How are they still surprised?! This saying will be getting old. Imagine when she will be carrying #10 and still say she is surprised she got pregnant, lol. Look, you’re very young, your husband comes from a fertile family, obviously you can’t keep your hands away from each other…there’s no surprise here. I would be more surprised if you end up 2 years without a baby. I assume by 2022 they will overtake Jessa on the number of children (except if she gets pregnant before which could happen actually). So maybe overtake her a bit later. But they will eventually have the most children, I’m sure of it!
She got pregnant at 9 months post partum??? Is that correct?
Early, if she’s due in february. Maybe 6 months post partum.
They F like rabbits in my back yard. Disgusting fraud family
And how can they claim to be surprised that she’s pregnant, if they’re not using birth control?! Come on now. The Duggar Homeschool curriculum must not include sex-Ed.
Lol no it doesn’t. It doesn’t even include basic math, evidenced by the latest Duggar Dash.
She’ll have 3 under 3, I do not envy this girl at all. I say ‘she’ because she’ll be doing all the feedings, dirty diapers, etc.. And she likely gets no help from the father, because he’s got that Duggar blood. Poor girl. None of these women must breastfeed, if they do, it’s not for long. Breastfeeding usually does a pretty good job at keeping you from getting pregnant. Granted, it’s not failsafe obviously. I pumped around the clock for a year, and it took 14 months after the birth of my son for my period to come back.
Its basically rape every night for the girls, they are not allowed to be tired or say no to sex even if it still hurts from the birth. What an awful life for a young girl. You expect this from some tribe in Africa not in the USA.
I’m pretty sure I remember Michelle would breastfeed for six months before weaning. If Kendra is due in Feb, she probably got pregnant in May/June, which would be 6-7 months after the last baby. It might be exactly what happened for her! (Granted, I have a cousin, an uncle, and a niece who are each products of “mom thought she couldn’t get pregnant while breastfeeding!” They ended up being 12 months, 14 months, and 20 months younger than their older siblings. So, it’s possible.)
I was breastfeeding One when I got pregnant with Two (when One was like two and a half months old) and breastfeeding Two (a hog) when I got pregnant with Three (when Two was nine months old). It doesn’t work for everybody. ?♀️
Breastfeeding is as effective as taking birth control pills IF you are exclusively breastfeeding and ONLY for the first 6 months. After that, you can get pregnant if you are not using additional protection.
Girl, I envy you bc mine came back at 6 WEEKS with BOTH my babies ? and I exclusively breastfed around the clock. First didn’t wean until 2 years and my second is still nursing all day and night…Yet returned each time like clockwork. Just unlucky I guess. Ugh
As I sit here breastfeeding my 10 month old before bed (always reading the Ashley in the dark, as you do), my mind often wanders to the day I will have my body be solely my own again. I can’t wait to wear regular clothes and not things with snaps for easy boob access. Nice things I won’t worry about leaking through. Can’t wait to not worry about anything in my system affecting the milk. Worrying which side was last and ensuring I don’t get a clogged duct or an infection. Taking things like muscle relaxants again. Sharing the responsibility a little more evenly.
I would feel extremely upset if I found out I was pregnant right now. My body needs time to heal and balance out before thinking of creating another life – such an extreme and weighty privilege!
I cannot imagine the life of the Duggar girls, it actually makes me feel like having a panic attack thinking of being perpetually pregnant for 20 years. How can one afford that? How can you nurture all these children in complete chaos? How can you be “joyfully available” when your body has been through SO MUCH? Ahhhhhhh.
I don’t have children, but my sister has 5 and I can see and feel your frustration Regina, and your questions of “how can you nurture” and be “joyfully available” hit my sister (and me) in the same way. The eloquent way you expressed everything you’re thinking and feeling is beautiful and empathetic and I’m sure it’s very much appreciated among the many women who are in the same situation as you are. You got this, you CAN do it, and I don’t know you, but I can just FEEL from you that you’re one incredibly smart, savvy, and loving mother. Stay awesome!
Jojo,
Thank you so much for your lovely comment ❤️ It was such a nice way to start the day today!
The Ashley’s hilarious articles and the comments got me through the tough first months of being sleepless with a newborn and continue to make me laugh.
The Duggar recaps are always so funny but thinking about their actual reality is often sad and infuriating. Imagine being raised that way, I shudder to think.