Friday, December 18, 2009

19 Kids Too Many???

Ever since Josie Duggar was born, the family has been on my mind. Little Josie, who is #19 for the Duggars, was delivered 3 months prematurely at 1 pound 6 ounces. She is in stable condition, but with an infant that small, things can change in the blink of an eye. I feel horrible for Josie, but I am also mystified at Jim Bob and Michelle's reasoning in having 19 children. They say that they want the Lord to decide and that they will accept as many blessings as He sees fit to give them. The thing is, though, that they've missed part of the big picture. The Lord also blessed us with the skills to reason and the ability to choose. As in, if you have many children and you are now considered AMA (advanced maternal age), maybe you should not have any more. Do they even consider the risks or do they just blindly follow the delusion that God wants them to risk Michelle's health and the health of future children in order to bless them? I don't really see the logic in this course of action or thinking. God gave us reasoning skills and we should not just ignore the. My reasoning and logic say this:

1. A woman's body is designed to have babies (though some of us continue to struggle with even having one or two), but a woman's body is not designed to have 19!

2. After having 13 babies by the age of 35 (which is the starting age of AMA), you should probably quit having babies because of the rise in health risks for you and your babies.

3. Since Josie was delivered due to pre-eclampsia, the risk of Michelle having pre-eclampsia again is very high. Plus, add into the equation that she is 43, her risk is even higher.

4. The risk of prematurety, down syndrome and other birth defects gets higher the older a woman gets.

5. Pre-eclampsia ranks #1 in reasons for maternal deaths.

These are only a few of the reasons that I believe it isn't good for a woman to have 19 babies. The list above doesn't take into consideration that, essentially, the older kids are raising the younger kids because Jim Bob and Michelle won't quit. There isn't enough of the two of them to give each child the attention they need from their parents. Some of the children could grow to resent them because of their choice in havin so many children. Plus, if all of the children have just 5 children of their own, they will have 95 grandchildren. This also means that these 95 grandchildren aren't going to be getting the one on one attention they need from that set of grandparents. I think what they are choosing to do is just sad.

Although, I must give them kuddos for their children being well behaved and for the fact that they can support their brood.

Also, I don't think that a woman who was never able to have a child or who isn't done building their family should just stop trying because they reach AMA. I just think it's selfish of the Duggars since they already had 13 children by that time.

One more thing: If their reasoning to not use birth control is religious, I respect that, but their are other ways to prevent pregnancy then the common methods (i.e. the pill, IUDs, etc.).

5 comments:

Janet said...

Oh my! Don't get me started on this one! I totally agree with you 500%. What makes me angry right now is how the media is glamourizing the whole NICU experience. Their daughter is in the NICU for a reason. My girls and I lived in the NICU for the first 3 months of their lives. It's not fun! It's not a glamourous place! I pray that their 19th baby makes it home safely and doesn't have to face any issues in the future but having a preemie is not something to be bragging about, which is what I feel like they are doing. I support their decision to let God guide them in their lives. But maybe God is telling them enough is enough??

elephantscanremember said...

I agree 100%.

She's also a grandmother now. It's time for her children to be having children. She doesn't need to any longer. God is still blessing them, even without their having more children of their own!

Ang said...

Very well stated!

Courtney said...

I'm gonna stir the pot...a little.
I just think those kids are growing up with a really clear picture of what family and God are supposed to mean. But mostly, I think it's the historian in me (I teach high school history - all levels) that believes that we were kind of meant for lots of children (well, the fertile ones, maybe not me, but you get it). Women had tons of children before the 1960s.

But here is where I agree with you: women also died a lot younger previous to the 1960s. Babies died more often. So I definately see both sides. But I don't want to evaluate their choices, because their kids seem so well behaved and most of all, happy. And my pastor at church has three boys, and they can be very disobedient, out of control boys. So the duggars are doing something right.
I think it's different strokes for different folks. But it does make for interesting tv, right?
(I hope I wasn't disrespectful, just thought I'd throw out my $.02).

nancy said...

What a great post. I usually don't read anything having to do with the duggars or with religion but wow, I think you really nailed a lot right on the head. Again, great post. I applaud you.