19th Duggar baby arrives prematurely

Baby factory Michelle Duggar and husband Jim Bob welcomed child number 19 far ahead of schedule this week.

Josie Brooklyn was born at 6:27 pm last night (December 10th), weighing in at a scary 1 lb, 6 oz. TMZ quoted a rep for the Duggars who confirmed the baby’s arrival:

We’re told Michelle is resting comfortably and the baby is “stable” — although she’s in the neonatal intensive-care unit at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

The rep added, “The most important thing right now is for Mom and baby Josie to get as much rest as possible. The family is grateful for all the prayers and well wishes during their recovery.”

The baby’s premature birth follows Michelle Duggar’s admission over the weekend to University of Arkansas for Health Sciences in Little Rock for treatment of gallstones. People magazine reports that pain from the gallstones caused Duggar to go into very early labor, reporting Monday:

“This weekend, Michelle Duggar was admitted to an Arkansas hospital due to gallbladder issues,” says a network rep. “The pain from a gallstone was generating some contractions. Just to be safe, she was airlifted a Little Rock, Ark., hospital, so that in the unlikely event that she had to be delivered early, she would be close to a NICU center. Though there were some fears that the baby was in trouble initially, it soon was discovered to be solely the gallstone causing the discomfort. Michelle is resting comfortably, and the baby is doing fine.”