Ugh.

[Firecracker]

I'm just not sure what to think.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20097968/

Couple welcomes 17th child — and wants more

Girl is 7th daughter for former Ark. state representative; oldest child is 19

Woman gives birth to 17th child

An Arkansas couple welcomes its 17th child to the world — and the pair says they're not done yet.

LITTLE ROCK - An Arkansas couple had a baby daughter Thursday — their 17th child and seventh girl — and the pair say they're still not ready to give it a rest.

Jennifer Danielle was born at 10:01 a.m. at a hospital in Rogers, Arkansas, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar said in an interview.

"We'd love to have more," Michelle said, referring to baby girls. "We love the ruffles and lace."

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Jennifer joins the fast-growing Duggar brood, who live in a 7,000-square-foot (650-square-meter) home in Tontitown. All the children — whose names start with the letter J — are taught at home.

The oldest is 19 and the youngest, before Jennifer, is almost 2 years old.

"We are just so grateful to God for another gift from him," said Jim Bob Duggar, a former state representative. "We are just so thankful to him that everything went just very well."

Jennifer joins siblings: Joshua, 19; John David, 17; Janna, 17; Jill, 16; Jessa, 14; Jinger, 13; Joseph, 12; Josiah, 11; Joy-Anna, 9; Jedidiah, 8; Jeremiah, 8; Jason 7; James 6; Justin, 4; Jackson, 3; Johannah, almost 2.

Michelle Duggar said she started feeling contractions Wednesday night and went to the hospital at about 5 a.m. Thursday.

"It actually went fast," she said. "I guess once I started progressing, it went within 30 minutes."

The Duggars have been featured on several programs on cable television's Discovery Health Network. The next special, the Duggar Family Album, is scheduled to air next month, Jim Bob Duggar said.

Among the "fun facts" listed on Discovery Health's Web page devoted to the Duggars: A baby has been born in every month except June; the Duggars have gone through an estimated 90,000 diapers, and Michelle has been pregnant for 126 months — or 10.5 years — of her life.

[jat250wr]

Hmm ... what does a person say to that, lol.

[See-Are-Ef-Too-Thir-T-Ef]

I think it's a little corny that all their names start with J...

[shinermiller]

Jezzzz. No wonder America is so dam crowded. Overkill much

[DRZCatastrophe]

Well, having lived in KY, and having seen her LONG hair, I'm assuming they are Holiness, a Pentecostal sect. Big fams are one of their things. I could be wrong tho, and they could be one of the more out there Baptists. If I remember correctly the dad is a minister.

Well, as long as they are all well cared for and healthy and happy, good for them! Big fams used to be the thing back in the day when you need farm labor (ha ha).

It IS completely incomprehensible to me though!!!

[Firecracker]

Well, having lived in KY, and having seen her LONG hair, I'm assuming they are Holiness, a Pentecostal sect. Big fams are one of their things. I could be wrong tho, and they could be one of the more out there Baptists. If I remember correctly the dad is a minister.

Well, as long as they are all well cared for and healthy and happy, good for them! Big fams used to be the thing back in the day when you need farm labor (ha ha).

It IS completely incomprehensible to me though!!!

I figured it was some type of religion.

Back in the day when big families were needed to keep the farm running, that was totally understandable. but now? It looks like they can at least afford to support them all, which some of those holy rollers can't. "God will provide," they say, but forget the part about "God helps those who help themselves." or whatever.

Still ... 10 years of pregnancy ... and the older she gets, the more risk of Down's syndrome or other birth defects. It seems a little ... unwise.

[blndebmbr]

No thank you.....I could not imagine being pregnant that much. I hated the 18 months I was pregnant with my two....

Yuck.

[WyomingKim]

That woman is a professional...LOL....I sure hope the father has a gooood paying job.

Woooow!

[Firecracker]

Yeah, and it's not the food and clothes that will cost them a bundle, but what about the "traditional" stuff that parents help their kids out with? Like getting married, college, buying a car? I know that not all do, but most parents help their kids out with some of that stuff.

[DRZCatastrophe]

Yeah, and it's not the food and clothes that will cost them a bundle, but what about the "traditional" stuff that parents help their kids out with? Like getting married, college, buying a car? I know that not all do, but most parents help their kids out with some of that stuff.

Well, getting married: they won't have to pay for the church or pay the minister, har har!!

[657pinkKTM]

thats gross. can you imagine how many doctors she porbably went to to make that happen?

i have a friend from who who everybody in her family's name starts with J.

[C333]

The sad thing is that the mom and dad probably only had sex exactly 17 times. mmmmm Maud this shotgun tastes goooood mmmmmmm. sorry(bad day)

[learning2fly]

No thank you.....I could not imagine being pregnant that much. I hated the 18 months I was pregnant with my two....

Yuck.

Did you read the stats on that family?? She's been preggo for 10 YEARS of her LIFE!

Good heavens, I don't think I could manage 9 months!

At least those kids are WANTED, though, and LOVED. Thats all that matters, in the end. ?

[CRF RedRider]

They did a story on them on TV, some family channel. It was interesting but something that is not "normal" in this day and age. They talked about themselves and what people thought of them and how they felt about that. By having another kid, they don't think much of what others think. Anyway, they were building a house for themselves by themselves. It was huge, don't remember how many bedroom or bathrooms but the kitchen was like the size of a restaurant kitchen.

Now when and where I grew up - big families where the norm. By big families I'm talking maybe 7 kids and in the Midwest on farms. I guess the thought was helping on the farm without having to hire extra help. Boy do I remember those summers - most of which I would like to forget. Not really, there were a lot of good times too.

To each his own I guess.

[ThreeJane]

thats gross. can you imagine how many doctors she porbably went to to make that happen?

i have a friend from who who everybody in her family's name starts with J.

She hasn't done any fertility treatments.

I figure if they can clothe, feed and house all the kids, they're doing okay. Who are we to judge how many is too many? I'm always getting comments about having my hands full with only three. I know people up here who have ten or more. Most have three or four. In SoCal, we'd be considered irresponsible breeders; up here, three or four is normal.

They have a website: www.duggarfamily.com

Their house has dormitory-style rooms for the kids. They also built it themselves.

[Mrs Chickenhauler]

I figure if they can clothe, feed and house all the kids, they're doing okay. Their house has dormitory-style rooms for the kids. They also built it themselves.

I want to know what they do for a living. I'm assuming one of them must stay home with the kids otherwise their daycare bill would be astronomical. I'm just curious how they can support 19 people. Very impressive. People could learn from them.

Now if I could only talk Mr CH into 10 more... hahaha.

[DRZCatastrophe]

Uh, he's a preacher/minister.

[Firecracker]

I'm not totally saying you shouldn't have a bunch of kids, but what's the POINT of having 17? What if they ALL want to go to college?

Plus, if you've got that much of an excessive dose of maternal instinct, why not volunteer for troubled kids or adopt or be a foster parent? There's already too many abusing children who need a loving home.

[Toast]

Everybody needs a hobby.

If they're doing well by the kids then why not if that's what they want to do. Some people ride dirt bikes to get no where.

Anyone can go to college if they're motivated to do so.

[arrow400]

They were featured in a magazine over here, forget which one but was reading it whilst I was at the hairdressers a week or so ago. They have something like 6 washing machines that run all day and go through a phenomenal amount of bread and milk and groceries. I whinge just doing the washing, cleaning and shopping and there is only 2 of us! Also, there is no way could I go through labour 17 times, Im still petrified of going through it once after hearing the stories from my sister and friends who have had babie!