Jessa Duggar may be in labor and ready to deliver her much-photographed baby bump. The due date for the baby’s arrival is November 1, but the pregnancy is now full-term and childbirth could happen at any moment.
Speculation is heating up since Jessa just cancelled her guest appearance scheduled for this Saturday at the Southern Women’s Show in Jacksonville, Florida. The event’s website noted several hours ago that Jessa cancelled at the last minute and is sending her sister Jinger, 21, and her brother Josiah, 19. The website posted the announcement , “Due to unforseen circumstances, Jessa Duggar Seewald is unable to attend the Southern Women’s Show on Saturday, October 17.”
Jessa and Ben were scheduled to travel to Florida from Arkansas, but many airlines will not allow a woman to fly this late in a pregnancy. It could be that this was the reason Jessa Duggar cancelled, but surely she would have realized this long before today.
The fact that Jessa is sending her teenaged brother to the event is an odd replacement for her husband, who usually sits with her on stageat her appearances at these events. Jessa has been severely criticizedfor having her husband, Ben Seewald, accompany her to these shows. The couple’s attendance at the show in Birmingham, Alabama, last Saturday was without fanfare or media attention. Perhaps Jessa just decided to bow out, but there is more to the speculation that Jessa is now in labor and ready to deliver.
Six hours ago, Ben’s sister, Jessica, posted on Instagram that she is on her way to see Jessa and Ben. She is traveling from the Seewald home in Hot Springs, Arkansas, to Springdale for the visit, a three-and-a-half-hour drive.
Ben’s parents, Michael and Guinn Seewald, also just posted a picture on Instagram of the family traveling. Although they don’t say why or where they are going, all of the comments on the upload are about childbirth and labor.
Also, Anna Duggar appears to be back in Arkansas from an extended visit with her parents in Florida. It wasn’t clear that Anna was actually back until Jessa posted a picture of Ben holding Anna’s baby, Meredith Duggar, on her Instagram account. Though Anna has not been photographed, it is presumed that she is with her nursing infant. Jessa uploaded that photograph just 16 hours ago.
Childbirth is a family event for the Duggars. Jessa has opted for a home birth and is expected to deliver her child in the presence of family members, including her sister Jill Dillard, who has assisted births as a midwife assistant . Jill tried for a home birth when her own baby was born on April 6. After 70 hours in labor, she finally went to a hospital for a Caesarian section and delivered a healthy baby boy, Israel David Dillard.
The birth will be filmed by the TLC network for a special which is scheduled to air before the end of the year. Like so many other home births in the Duggar family, it does seem as though family members are gathering to be present for the birth (and for the filming by the TLC film crew) at Jessa Duggar’s home in Springdale.
Interestingly, this is the same home where Jessa’s sister-in-law, Anna Duggar, gave birth to three of her four children. One of those deliveries occurred while Anna was sitting on the toilet. The Duggars don’t seem to mind giving birth in front of family members and a complete film crew, which is odd in a family that touts female modesty as one of its values.
The small house where Jessa and Ben live is actually owned by Jessa’s grandmother, Mary Duggar, and Josh and Anna lived there for about six years before they moved in right after their marriage on November 1, 2014.
When Jessa spoke at the Southern Women’s Show in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 29, Jessa stated her plans to have “at least 20 children.” She has also stated that she and Ben have already started the process to adopt children and will be eligible in one more year. (Adopting couples in Arkansas must be married for at least two years.) So, the present birth is anticipated to be the first of many, many children for the young couple.
Jessa and Ben have not announced whether they are expecting a boy or a girl. For some reason, they wanted to keep this a secret until the baby is born.
One thing is for certain: If Jessa is not in labor today, she will be very soon. Do you think Jessa Duggar is in labor?
Scroll down to leave your comments and opinions.
[Intro photo: TLC]