FEMAIL lays bare the Duggars’ many devastating pregnancies tragedies

The Duggar family found fame on the small screen thanks to their enormous brood of children – with parents Jim Bob and Michelle documenting their ever-growing family in a series of reality TV hits.

Together, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have welcomed and raised 19 children – many of whom have gone on to welcome kids of their own. 

But while the family’s popular TLC shows – which included hits like 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On – focused entirely on their ever-expanding dynasty, the Duggar siblings have since brought to light the devastating tragedies and upsets that they have dealt with while trying to build their families. 

Most recently, Jessa, 30, revealed she suffered an incomplete miscarriage over the holidays while pregnant with her fifth child and had to undergo a life-saving abortion. 

After Jessa detailed the pain when left with no other choice but to have a life-saving abortion, FEMAIL reveals the all the pregnancy tragedies that have riddled the Duggar women.

‘Nothing could’ve prepared me’: Jessa had a life-saving abortion to treat her miscarriage

The reality TV star, 30, shared her loss in a YouTube video titled Heartbreak Over the Holidays, which documented her pregnancy as well as the aftermath of her miscarriage

The 19 Kids and Counting alum recalled the moment she found out about the miscarriage, when her ultrasound technician told her, ‘The sac looks good. The baby does not’

A few days ago, Jessa – who’s been married to Ben Seewald, 27, since 2014 and who welcomed her fourth child in July 2021 – recalled the moment she found out about the miscarriage. 

The 19 Kids and Counting alum detailed her loss in a nearly 19-minute long video titled Heartbreak Over the Holidays, which documented her pregnancy journey and the aftermath of the news that she had lost the baby. 

She revealed that she was having minimal spotting during her first trimester, which prompted her to make an appointment with her doctor.  

Jessa recalled the moment she found out about the miscarriage, when her ultrasound technician told her, ‘The sac looks good. The baby does not.’

‘Nothing could’ve prepared me for the weight of those words at that moment,’ she shared, adding, ‘At that moment I was just in complete shock. I didn’t have words. I just immediately started crying.’

Jessa – who shares sons Spurgeon, 7, and Henry, 6, and daughters Ivy, 3, and Fern, 19 months, with Ben – detailed how the ultrasound technician then left the room as she and her husband began ‘trying to process the loss [while] sitting there and holding hands and crying.’

‘Nothing could’ve prepared me for the weight of those words at that moment,’ she shared, adding, ‘I didn’t have words. I just immediately started crying’

Jessa – who’s been married to Ben Seewald, 27, since 2014 – remembered how the technician left the room as she and her husband began ‘trying to process the loss [while] sitting there and holding hands and crying’

She started out the video with touching footage of her and Ben telling their four kids that she was pregnant

To treat the miscarriage, Jessa was left with no other choice but to undergo a dilation and curettage procedure, which is known as an early abortion, and is legal in Arkansas, because it saves the life of the mother. 

A dilation and curettage procedure, or a D&C,  is a procedure performed to remove pregnancy tissue from the womb, following a miscarriage, according to Reproductivefacts.org.

She recalled the heartbreaking moments leading up to it: ‘Right as they were wheeling me back [to the operating room], I just wanted to ask, like, “Just, can I please have one more ultrasound? Please, somebody check, make sure,”‘ she said.

‘I was having all these fears that maybe they got something wrong… You know It’s irrational, but you just feel scared.’

The star was emotional as she discussed how she felt after the procedure, recalling the ‘hollow feeling inside’ because ‘the life that was in you is no longer there and you never did get to see your baby and say those goodbyes.’

The couple share sons Spurgeon, 7, and Henry, 6, and daughters Ivy, 3, and Fern, 19 months

Jessa and Ben announced that they were expecting their fourth child in February 2021, and welcomed Fern in July of that year

The reality TV star started out the video with touching footage of her and Ben telling their kids that she was pregnant.

Just a few minutes later she gave a pregnancy update at 11 weeks along, and shared that things have been going really well overall, but she has been feeling ‘really sick’ and had ‘some spotting.’

‘It does seem a bit concerning,’ she stated, adding that she scheduled an ultrasound for the next day to ‘see how everything is going.’

Later she spoke about the appointment, revealing that the technician sounded concerned as soon as she took a look at the baby, before informing her what had happened.

Jessa is best known for being part of the cast of TLC’s reality shows 19 Kids and Counting, and Counting On, both of which have since been cancelled 

‘I feel like in some ways miscarriages can be so jarring because you don’t have clear signs of something going wrong,’ she said. ‘I had minimal spotting for 24 hours, and that was it.’

Because of complication risks, Jessa checked in to a hospital and had a dilation and curettage procedure.

However, Jessa found solace in her Christian faith, sharing: ‘I was able to thank God in that moment for giving us this life, even if we wouldn’t be able to hold this baby in our arms.’

‘When you lose someone so dear to you, it does makes heaven that much sweeter. We talked about that with the kids. We can’t wait to meet this little one in heaven one day,’ she added.

This recent abortion marks Jessa’s second pregnancy tragedy. 

In 2020, Jessa revealed she and Ben had a suffered a quiet miscarriage, and didn’t share any further details.

‘Our baby doesn’t get to live here with us on Earth’: Jill suffered a devastating miscarriage just days after learning she was expecting her third child in 2021

Jill Duggar and her husband Derick Dillard revealed they suffered a miscarriage in 2021, days after learning they were pregnant

The couple paid tribute to their lost baby, who they named River Bliss, in a video montage posted online, in which they are seen celebrating their pregnancy news

Process: In the video, Jill can be seen shopping for pregnancy tests at a local pharmacy with Derick

In 2021, Jill, revealed that she suffered a devastating miscarriage, just days after she learned she was expecting her third child. 

The 31-year-old and her husband Derick Dillard, 33, shared the devastating news in a video posted to their website, YouTube and social media accounts. 

They detailed how their ‘happiness’ over their third pregnancy quick ‘turned to heartbreak’ when they discovered they had lost their unborn child. 

In the clip, the couple – who tied the knot in 2014 and share sons Israel David, seven, and Samuel Scott, five, together – showed the heartwarming moment they told their children they would be older brothers to their baby sibling.  

‘We recently found out that we were expecting our third baby,’ Jill and Derick wrote on their website, while sharing footage of the happy family celebrating the news with a pizza party in their Arkansas home.

Heartbreak: The video cuts to an image of Jill mourning the loss of her baby – who would have been younger sibling to the couple’s two sons, Samuel, four, and Israel, six 

‘We were all thrilled! It was fun to see so much joy in the boys’ faces as we shared the news with them. They were full of questions and so excited as we talked about the pregnancy and how they would get to be involved along the way and after baby was born.

‘However, a few days later we started miscarrying.’

Jill and Derick revealed that they were not far enough along in their pregnancy to have learned the gender of their unborn child – suggesting that the mother-of-two suffered a first-trimester miscarriage – however they chose to give their baby a name that they feel ‘encompasses [their] significance’: River Bliss Dillard.

The name holds special meaning for the Arkansas-based couple – who explained that it has several different inspirations behind it.

‘One meaning for River is “tranquil”…and here in Arkansas, rivers are often a serene, beautiful escape in nature,’ they explained.

In the clip, the couple also captured the moment they told their sons their happy news

On their website, Jill and Derick said that their boys were ‘full of questions and so excited’ about the pregnancy 

‘We also like how the River talked about in the Bible (Rev. 22:1-5) represents God’s life-giving presence. The river of life (Holy Spirit), “flows from the throne of God,” and with the tree of life is “for the healing of the nations.”

‘Our baby doesn’t get to live here with us on earth, but is forever with the source of the river of life, in the presence of the Lord!’

They added that the middle name Bliss is intended to represent the fact that their baby is now living in ‘perfect bliss with the Lord’, while also paying tribute to the ‘immense joy and happiness’ their unborn child brought them.

‘We chose Bliss for a middle name because our baby is living in perfect bliss with the Lord and was such a gift that brought immense joy and happiness to us even though only with us here on earth for a short time,’ the post concluded.

Although the couple were not far enough along in the pregnancy to have learned the gender of their child, they chose the name River Bliss to ‘express their baby’s significance’

Jill and Derick – who tied the knot in 2014 – have two sons together, Samuel, five, and Israel, seven

In recent years, Jill has rebelled against her parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s strict upbringing and distanced herself from her uber-religious family

Jill and Derick’s video tribute to their unborn child was quickly flooded with words of sympathy from their fans and supporters, with one person writing: ‘Jill and Derick, I am so sorry for your loss. I know how much you wanted this baby.

‘Know there are so many of us that are thinking of you and lifting you up with positive thoughts and prayers.’

The parents have not revealed whether or not they are trying to have another child following the devastation. 

However, in an interview with Us Weekly, the couple did reveal that they were open to adopting another child and explained that they were ‘open to wherever God leads us’.

‘Tears filled my eyes, sadness cloaked my soul’: Jinger opened up about the ‘overwhelming feelings of sadness and loss’ after experience a miscarriage in 2020

Jinger opened up about the ‘overwhelming feelings of sadness and loss’ she experienced when she suffered a miscarriage (pictured after her grandmother’s death)

She and husband Jeremy revealed the miscarriage in 2020, while announcing that Jinger is pregnant with their second child, another girl

‘Within moments I knew that I’d lost the baby. Tears filled my eyes, sadness cloaked my soul,’ she said (pictured after the death of her grandmother in June 2019) 

In 2020, Jinger opened up about the sadness that overcame her when she suffered a miscarriage. 

The 29-year-old reflected on the loss just days after she announced her and her husband Jeremy Vuolo, 35, were excitedly anticipating the arrival of their second child. 

In a lengthy Instagram post, the mom said, ‘tears filled [her] eyes’ and ‘sadness cloaked [her] soul’ when she realized she’d lost the baby — just one day after sharing her pregnancy news with her family

She recalled the devastating incident just one day after she revealed she was 165 weeks pregnant with another little girl. 

‘I’m excited! Yet, the overwhelming feelings of joy and anticipation that I’m feeling today are a sharp reminder of the overwhelming feelings of sadness and loss I felt last November,’ she wrote.

‘On a Monday evening, Jer and I were rejoicing with our families as we announced that I was pregnant. Yet, in God’s perfect timing, it was the next morning that I awoke knowing something wasn’t right.

‘Within moments I knew that I’d lost the baby. Tears filled my eyes, sadness cloaked my soul. Having just lost my grandmother months before, the news of new life was like spring lilies blossoming after a dark, cold winter. And in a moment, that life was gone.’

Jinger said: ‘In those times when your faith is tried, you just run to God all the more’

Jinger said it was especially sad because her Grandma Mary Duggar had passed months earlier

‘I know many of you can relate,’ she went on. ‘The minutes feel like hours, the hours like days, don’t they? I was helpless — nothing I could do would restore the lost life. Yet, I was never hopeless.

‘In those moments, I did the only thing I could. I rehearsed the timeless truths upon which I’ve anchored my soul — the truth that God is sovereign and he is good,’ she said.

‘The truth that Job recited, thousands of years ago, in his agony: “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

‘The pain doesn’t leave quickly. It’s not meant to. But in the midst of pain, the hope we hold is in God who works “all things together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28). Dear friends, the reality is, at times we are helpless. But never, and I mean never, do we have to be hopeless.’

The pair (pictured in 2020) had kept quite about the miscarriage at the time, but revealed it as they announced their baby news 

Jeremy, too, shared his thoughts on the loss.

‘Today’s joy is not without sorrow,’ he wrote. ‘I’ll never forget that moment when we realized we’d lost the baby.’

He went on to say how he, too, looked to his faith for comfort, concluding: ‘As we pray for her safe development in the womb, we can’t help but rejoice, even if there’s sorrow mixed in.’

The pair had kept quite about the miscarriage at the time, but revealed it as they announced their baby news.

‘That was very difficult and definitely a trial for us,’ Jeremy said.

‘In those times when your faith is tried, you just run to God all the more,’ Jinger added. ‘We were just praying together, talking with family, had friends at our church here that just surrounded us.

Jinger opened about her ‘cult-like’ childhood that saw her living in ‘fear’ and detailing how she escaped the ‘harmful’ environment

The 19 Kids and Counting star explained that the strict religious beliefs she grew up under ‘threatened’ her to ‘leave Jesus’

Jinger spoke about her book Becoming Free Indeed and how she ‘detangled’ the web of ‘truth and error’ to ultimately ‘find freedom’

‘It was such a hard time, but Jer just really supported me, and it was just such a tremendous blessing to have many people who loved on us in that difficulty.’

But most of their announcement was focused on their baby joy, Jinger wrote on Instagram: ‘We’ll definitely have our hands full! But there’s nothing else we’d rather carry.’

Now, the couple shares daughters Felicity Nicole, four, and Evangeline Jo, two, and have yet to share any news about expanding their family. 

However, most recently, Jinger has opened up about the ‘cult-like’ environment she grow up in. 

She slammed her ultra-religious parents’ ‘harmful’ beliefs and said that they were so severe were so severe that she was tempted at one point to abandon her faith altogether and ‘leave Jesus’.

Lauren recalls her miscarriage as the ‘worst day’ of her life after wished  she would ‘wake up and it would all be fine’ after losing her baby in 2019

Lauren Duggar wiped away tears as she spoke about miscarrying her first baby with new husband Josiah

‘It was the worst day of my life,’ sobbed 19-year-old Lauren said

I was hoping it was a mad nightmare. I was wishing I would wake up and it would all be fine,’ she said

In 2019, Lauren wiped away tears as she recalled the moment she miscarried her first baby with her husband Josiah. 

Lauren sobbed as she explained: ‘It was the worst day of my life.’ 

She continued: ‘I was hoping it was a mad nightmare. I was wishing I would wake up and it would all be fine.’

Lauren and her Josiah had just surprised their family with the news of the pregnancy with her having donned a ‘Mama in the Making’ T-shirt.

The first signs of trouble for Lauren’s pregnancy came when she began feeling extreme nauseous and suffering from severe cramping.  

She recalled: ‘It was later at night and I went to use the restroom and right there was the baby. Gone.

‘I couldn’t believe it and I was hoping it wasn’t true. I was hoping it was a mad nightmare. I was wishing I would wake up and it would all be fine.’

Sobbing, she said: ‘No one can ever heal from losing their only child. It’s always gonna be a reminder … it’s always going to sting, especially when you see other babies.

Josiah and Lauren, stars of TLC’s reality show Counting On, were ridiculed as ‘greedy,’ ‘tacky,’ and ‘trashy’ after soliciting gifts from fans on social media 

 They referred to the baby as their ‘second child’ after suffering a miscarriage

 She tried to smile as she said: ‘My comfort is that my baby is with Jesus and that I one day get to see my baby’

‘They say time will heal but – it’s different.’

She tried to smile as she said: ‘My comfort is that my baby is with Jesus and that I one day get to see my baby.

‘I may never got to have memories, like get to take pictures or hold or kiss my baby, but will get to one day get to hold my baby.’

She insisted she had no regrets telling family members so early in the pregnancy, saying: ‘I am so glad that we told our whole family that we were expecting, that they could help Josiah and I through this time. We couldn’t have done it without their support and prayers.’

And she called her husband ‘amazing,’ adding: ‘He took care of me, supported me, cried with me.

‘We were able to write letters to our baby. Make a little box with special memories – the pregnancy test,’ she said, crying as she recalled only taking one photo of her pregnant, which was shown onscreen.

The couple announced that they were expecting this spring after a miscarriage last year, and are calling this ‘baby #2’ 

They have repeatedly referred to the pregnancy as their second baby. The couple now shares two daughters, Bella and Daisy

Josiah said: ‘Maybe the Lord will bless us with another baby, a sibling for this one that has gone. That’s our hope. We take it one day at a time.’ 

Now, Lauren and Josiah remain extremely private and have removed all photos form their shared social media account. 

However, it has been reported that the couple now shares two daughters, Bella and Daisy. 

Later in 2019, the couple announced they were expecting their first child and sparked criticism after sharing their baby registry to social media. 

They referred to the baby as their ‘baby number two’ after suffering a miscarriage. 

‘We have cried countless tears’: Joy-Anna revealed she suffered a miscarriage while five months pregnant with her second child

Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth and her husband Austin, shared an intimate moment in a hospital bed, as they shared the news of her miscarriage in 2019

Joy-Anna and Austin shared photos of themselves cradling the baby girl they miscarried at 20 weeks in an emotional Instagram post

The couple were joined in their hospital room by Joy-Anna’s older sister Jill (far left) and her mother Michelle (left), who also posed with the baby girl

In 2019, Joy-Anna revealed she experienced a devastating miscarriage when she was five months pregnant. 

She bared her soul about the loss of her child in an Instagram post. 

Joy-Anna and her husband Austin shared an intimate photo of themselves in the hospital as they shared the sad news. 

The somber photo was accompanied by a lengthy post on their joint social account, detailing their personal tragedy and how they are moving forward.

‘Today marks one week since we heard these words… “So this is your baby’s heart (pointing to the ultrasound screen). I don’t hear a heartbeat or see any movement,”‘ it began. 

The fifth daughter of 19 children learned of the miscarriage at their 20-week ultrasound appointment, when they were simply expecting to learn the gender of their baby.

Joy-Anna had her hair and makeup done for the shoot, and took the time to pay tribute to her best friend, fellow reality TV star Carlin Bates, for taking the time to help her with it 

In their Instagram post, Joy-Anna and Austin shared a photo of their daughter’s footprints (left), which her best friend Carlin also posted on her own account

‘It was a baby girl,’ the post continued. ‘We named her Annabell Elise. Annabell means “God has favored me”, and Elise means “God satisfies.”‘

In the photo Austin sat on the edge of the bed resting his head against his wife’s.

The caption continued: ‘Although we don’t understand why, God has given us unexplainable peace and comfort during this very difficult time.’

‘Yes, it still hurts and we have cried countless tears, but we know that we can trust the Lord.’

The couple, who wed in 2017 and welcomed son Gideon in 2018, said they were relying on their faith during the difficult time.

As well as writing about her love for her daughter, who she named Annabell Elise, Joy-Anna praised Carlin for being there for her during such a difficult time 

Bringing Up Bates star Carlin also shared several photos on her own Instagram account, while writing of her upset over the couple’s devastating news 

‘We don’t grieve as those who have no hope because we trust that we will see this little one again,’ they wrote.

‘Please pray for continued healing, not only physically but for our hearts as well.’

She and Austin have paid tribute to the baby she miscarried at 20 weeks by posing for an emotional photo shoot in which they are seen cradling their little girl.

The couple posted the photos to their Instagram, along with an emotional caption in which they celebrated their daughter – while thanking Joy-Anna’s best friend for ‘doing her hair and makeup’ for the shoot.

They had previously celebrated the news of their pregnancy on social media as well, posting ultrasound updates.

On their 10-week ultrasound their shared grabs of the growing baby.

‘Looking forward to meeting this baby in 6 & 1/2 months!’ they said.

Now, the lovebirds share two children together, son Gideon, five, and daughter Evelyn, two.

Mama bear faces tragedy! Michelle has suffered multiple miscarriages

Michelle, 56, (pictured at an abortion protest in 2013)  has previously detailed the pain she felt when she lost her baby multiple times

The mom-of-19 also tragically lost her baby after she publicly announced she was expecting her 20th child

The mom of the bunch has tragically suffered two miscarriages throughout her life. 

Michelle, 56, has previously detailed the pain she felt when she lost her baby multiple times. 

Her first miscarriage was after her son Josh was born. 

Michelle and her husband Jim Bob, 57, believed they lost their baby because of the mom’s previous use of birth control, so she abstained from birth control going forward. 

The mom-of-19 also tragically lost her baby after she publicly announced she was expecting her 20th child. 

She revealed she was going to name their 20th child Jubilee. 

Michelle spoke candidly about her miscarriage to Lauren on Counting On. 

After discovering Jubilee had no heartbeat, Jim Bob said: ‘It was a very traumatic time for us and then we had to come home and tell all the children what had happened.’ 

Michelle has also previously discussed how she miscarried when on oral birth control

‘I think just the joy of looking forward to new young life in our family and then going to the ultra sound and finding out our baby had no heartbeat was devastating,’ Michelle said during an interview with Today.

‘I think many others have experienced very similar situations because we’ve heard from many others and I think probably the hardest part is when a loss occurs like this people really don’t know what to say.

‘We realize our sweet little Jubilee is with the lord and we will see her again.’

Michelle has also previously discussed how she miscarried when on oral birth control. 

‘We gave that area of our life to the Lord, and right after that, he gave us twins.’