ChocolateAddict

I love your analogy about being a daisy and being a rose! Your post was really interesting and I'm looking forward to hearing more from you :) Question: are the Duggar's real Quiverfull? I ask because they seem to pick and chose at times, Jill had some training to be a midwife and their kids have iPhones and SM accounts. But at the same time, they are oh so modest, are focused on populating the earth and go on anti-abortion/gay/Muslim rants.

As someone with epilepsy, I would be mortified to have one of my seizures shown to an audience of millions. And while they may not show the seizure itself, we will at least be seeing Josie being carried to the ambulance and going on oxygen. I've found that the Duggar's broadcast parts of their life without considering how their children will feel later in life. The toilet birth and this seizure are both events that are being shown to the world without much thought as to if the kid might be embarrassed or uncomfortable about it later. The kids can't give their consent now and their parents need to be acting in their best interests and considering how they will feel in the future. They seem to see serious events like seizures and the Jubilee fiasco as ways to create drama and get views.

I hate to be annoying but what happened with Josie and Mechelle and Boob not being there? I missed the Miracle birth and all that.

Confession - I'm the same age as Ben. I'm pretty disappointed, mainly because their "season of life" with kids is going to last long enough as is and I wouldn't have preferred for them to have more than 6 months together as newly-weds without a baby in the mix. Jessa is 22, it isn't like her biological clock is ticking and one year before announcing the pregnancy wouldn't have ruined the "big family" plans. Looking long-term, even if Benessa only have 8 kids and they get married young, there isn't going to be much time between raising their own children and then helping out with grandchildren. Even though they don't seem to want 19, I could easily see them with 6. I just think that there hasn't been that much long-term planning. What does Ben want to be doing in 10 years time? Does he want to complete more education? Where will they live? What happens if the show is cancelled tomorrow? Sure, they could have worked this all out behind the scenes, but the Duggars aren't well-known for their forward planning. Mechelle and Boob with 14 (?) kids in a 3 bedroom/ 2 bathroom home is the perfect example.

Can you imagine what it was like when Mechelle found out about the 65 year old in Germany (with 13 kids already!) having quads? I'm picturing Mechelle going all bug-eyed and hissing "Anything she can do, I can do better".... and then running off to Jim-Boob to get busy.

I had never seen that episode so I went and watched it on YouTube. I don't like Michelle but I think that any miscarriage would be painful. But I didn't realise that when people here said funeral that they actually meant a full hundred-odd people funeral. I was thinking more along the lines of close family (kids, Mary, Amy) and a burial service. I understand that people grieve differently and maybe that was how they were able to console themselves but it seemed strange to me. Jill seemed to be blaming herself a bit too when she was talking about how involved she was in the pregnancy. It was strange, I'm a sympathetic crier when someone dies (I cried at the end of Fast and Furious 7 if that gives you an indication) but I honestly didn't feel anything when Michelle was talking. I don't know, maybe it was just because I don't like her.

Agree with the cooking. I remember when Jessa went to Ben's house to learn how to cook his favourite meal. I can't remember exactly what it was but I was really surprised that she needed a lot of help! She looked so uncomfortable and out of place. Cooking for 19 wouldn't be super difficult (hear me out, hahaha). It would have to be basic but meals like spaghetti bolognaise, soup, chicken drumsticks and salad can all be made on a large scale by tripling a recipe. It would take more time but it wouldn't be impossible for everyone to eat at least 3 vegetables and a source of protein at dinner. And all their friends would be doing exactly that, taking normal recipes and making them work for 15-20 people. If they needed ideas, they could just ask for recipes that aren't too hard but are healthy (or for the Duggars, at least sort-of healthy).

I'm fence sitting on Marjorie. She came across as overly perky and a bit annoying but it was her first time on camera. I would probably come across weirdly if I knew that it was going to be broadcast on international TV! I don't want to jump to conclusions about her being in it for the fame or fake based on 2mins of footage.

Sort of :) You explained it clearly but it just seems to be a rather complicated system! It seems like a lot of hoops to jump through. Looking at what you guys are saying about the system, it adds to my thinking that Jessa and Ben aren't prepared for a family. Two unemployed young adults with no qualifications who are living in their grandmother's home. Even if Jessa is on Boob's insurance, the money for Ben and Blessa Baby will have to come from somewhere and I seriously doubt that he is paying Ben enough to be able to live comfortably with a baby and car with everyone covered insurance wise. Ben is going to need a job beyond Jim-Bob's drudge if Jessa is pregnant.

Excuse all the questions but if Jessa is pregnant, does Jim-Boob's PHI pay for the doctor's visits, the midwife and the hospital if she delivers there? I'm assuming that before she gave birth, Ben would have to take out insurance on the baby in case it needed neonatal care? I've heard that insurance is expensive so I can't see how unemployed Ben would be able to not only support a family but have insurance for the kids they want. Sorry if this is getting off topic but does Derrick's Walmart insurance cover Iz? Sorry for the somewhat off-topic insurance talk! It is just so different to our system.

While we all hope for a Duggar-in-law to help one of the kids break out of the Kool-Aid induced stupor, I can't see it happening. The kids have limited access to the outside world so I can't see them finding a mainstream Christian or even just Fundie-lite who they could court. And for all our speculation about Josiah having a say in who he courts, we don't know that it wasn't Jim-Boob steering him towards Marjorie. So far, all of the spouses/significant others have been Fundie and are mostly aligned with Jim-Boobs opinions. Jim-Boob ultimately holds all the power in that house and if say, Jed wanted to court a normalish girl, he could very easily just stop him from leaving the house, cut off communication and make sure that TLC doesn't show it on TV. While I don't think he would be that mean, I also don't think that he would let any of his kids court someone that he doesn't approve of. And none of the kids would really stand up to him about it. Add to the fact that the Duggar boys inherited Jim-Boob's looks and age badly, they really aren't that appealing to anyone outside the Fundie circles. I'm 19 and I wouldn't see them as a good partner, uneducated, not independent thinkers and stuck in Duggar land. Same with the girls, they are raised to be housewives so the guys interested in them are looking for housewives. Not strong career women. Basically, I can't see the Duggar kids getting hitched to people who don't drink the Fundie Kool-Aid.

My god the American insurance system sounds confusing! In Aus we all pay 1.5% of our income as a Medicare levy (unless you earn over $70,000 as a single or $140,00 as a couple and don't have private health insurance, then you pay 2.5%. If you can pay for PHI, you should). That covers everyone for hospital visits, doctors, cancer treatments, surgery, etc. Would Ben have PHI? Does he get covered by TLC? Does Jim-Boob have to give him health benefits since he "works" for him? Can Jessa have PHI and not Ben? Excuse the ignorance!

My friend, who is studying to be a doctor, recently did 3 weeks work experience in the birth/neonatal section of one of the big hospitals in our city. She said that the women with "extensive" birth plans more often than not, were massive pains to deal with. They were usually those with a medical degree from Dr Google and planed on listening to whale noises while chanting and smelling special oils (I exaggerate but you get the idea). Obviously there are women who have extensive birth plans that have been developed with their medical professional - which is totally different. But I feel that Jilly-Muffin's birth plan probably would have been more "my way or no way". For the record, I think that birth plans are a good idea, a way to communicate with the doctors and plan for how to deal with the pain. But an extensive birth plan can come across as control freakish (excluding those who have medical reasons, etc.).

Congratulations on the progress that Maisie has made! 7lbs is fantastic, she is such a little fighter :) I hope that you will be able to take Maisie home soon, I can't imagine how hard it must be to have to be at the hospital all the time. I'm sure it will be a very special moment for all of you.

I'm not medically qualified to judge her choices nor have I ever been pregnant. So my opinion is completely without experience! That said, her choices do seem a bit strange. Considering -she was nearly 2 weeks overdue -she had an infection -there was fetal distress -the baby was in a transverse, breech position -the baby had an irregular heartbeat -the baby had not yet descended it does seem bizzare that she waited 70 hours before having a c-section. At least there was a good outcome and mum and baby are well.

70 hour labor with no pain meds? I'm cringing just thinking about it. I'm pretty good with pain usually but no amount of Bible verses could get me through that!

I agree with WalrusGirl. Poor Izzy is going to have to live with the fact that millions of people will have seen his birth, a fact that will probably come back to embarrass him. Especially given the media attention on Jill, this kid won't have any privacy for the next few years, or until audiences get bored. It annoys me no end when reality families put their infant children into the media spotlight without any consideration of how it might impact them later (Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Jon & Kate Plus Eight, 19 Kids & Counting). I'm sure that we will no more than enough about Izzy and I certainly hope that we never find out if he is circumcised. That kid is going to have enough issues, no need to know about his genitals. Just writing those last two sentences creeps me out so much!!!!

Hi Radar Online! *waves enthusiastically*

I felt bad for Benessa during their courtship. It was pretty clear that they wanted to hold hands at least and maybe even (gasp!) have full-frontal hugs. Unlike Jill and Derrick who essentially had personal-space-bubbles around them so that they didn't touch, Ben and Jessa looked like they were being held apart. Benessa really showed me that the courtship rules aren't at all made by the couple. If they made their own rules, I don't think that Ben and Jessa would have been banging in the warehouse but they would have been more comfortable about physical contact. And maybe they wouldn't have been so keen to get married (read: wedding night).

I'm curious because those photos on People looked professional. Does that mean that they called up People Magazine at midnight and said "Now is the perfect time for a photoshoot"? And did some poor photographer have to haul ass over to the hospital to get photos of Izzy + DerrickDillard + JillyMuffin?

Not a massive fan of the name, it comes across as rather political and high-and-mighty. Plus if they go for themed names, they are making it tough for themselves, either they go full Biblical or start naming after places, both of which are a bit weird IMO. But Izzy is their baby and that is what they wanted so I'll keep my snarking to a minimum. I'm glad that mum and baby are both well.

Baby Dilly, Consider this an eviction notice. I know, I know, I know, you have been trying to avoid your grandmother's creepy voice and buggy eyes for as long as possible. And your granddad's strange obsession with sex and his weasel laugh. And the fact that you will be the star of "Pass the Parcel" when all 18 of your aunts and uncles come over. And the inevitable cameras being shoved in your face while your mother says that she "totally" loves being a mother. But I'm getting bored of waiting. The royal baby is due soon and frankly, it will at least be in line for inheriting a throne. You might be "inheriting the kingdom of God" but that really isn't the same thing. It's time to man up and pop out, Baby Dilly. Sincerely, The stranger following your birth.

I think that Jessa is a bit "rebellious" because she is aware of everything that she can't do. Unlike Jilly-Muffin who is so obedient and sweet, Jessa has probably wanted to do something different and maybe pull away from her family. Like kalamac, I could believe that her 'bullying' and occasional short-tempered behaviour with the little ones is because she is frustrated. She probably doesn't want to end up a slave like Jana and doesn't want to be perfect like Jill who plans to drink the Kool-Aid and have 19 of her own. Which makes her choice of Ben (who has personality) and a quick marriage (moving the hell out of TTH) look smart.

I'm so sorry to hear that, I can only imagine how horrible the last two weeks have been. I hope that Maisie will quickly regain those coordination skills that you and the nurses worked hard for and I'm sure that she will, once again, be receiving the best possible care. Please take care of yourself too! Maisie needs you healthy and well.

A two-hour special? On Teen Mom they got 5 mins, hahaha. It will be interesting to see how they are going to work this one though. Even with MEchelle recapping all her births and the spiel about the happy couple getting married/announcing the pregnancy and Jill's baby shower, there is still a lot of time left. Maybe it is just me but I don't really want to see an hour of a woman in labour. Sure you can throw in 'Dilly's first day!', 'Announcing the baby name!' and 'Dilly comes home!' but there is going to have to be some solid filling work to stretch it out to 2 hours. I can't decide if I will actually want to give up 2 hours of my life for that when I will already know the outcome, lol.