Balls and Walnuts
more than you ever wanted to know
Duggars on PEOPLE MAGAZINE!
It was bound to happen eventually: Michelle Duggar gave birth to a premie. Not just a premie, but a “micropremie,” scarcely heavier than one pound, born at 25 weeks gestation. When I was in med school and residency (late 80s, early 90s), 25 weeks was considered the lower limit of survivability, and few of these kids made it. I’m not sure what the current lower limit is, but I’ve met children who had been micropremies younger than 25 weeks.
So now we know how many kids you need to have in order to make the cover of People: 19. Not surprisingly, Michelle and Jim Bob say they would be delighted to have more, despite the scathing criticism of . . . what? On-line chat groups? Blogs? Says Michelle: “When I say we would love more children, we open ourselves up for attack.”
I picked up this issue of People because the cover hinted at reportage of the controversy. “THE DUGGARS UNDER FIRE.” “HOW MANY KIDS ARE TOO MANY?” But the story itself pussyfoots, with only a few hints of criticism. A quote from Dr. Jeffrey Richardson, a California obstetrician: “The risks of additional pregnancies start to go up dramatically after four.”
Get that? The risks to the mom. Or, perhaps, to the neonate. How about the children, who are left to raise their younger sibs or be raised by older sibs? Psychologist Michelle Gannon: “What tends to happen in such large families is that the older siblings parent the younger ones and begin to manage the family. The children, the very young ones, get their emotional and physical needs met by their siblings.” She goes on to say (wishy washy alert!!!): “Is it fair? I don’t know. Hopefully, everyone’s needs are being met.”
What do I know? I know that Michelle will have to stop some time soon.
They’re running out of J names.
D.
Maybe they just want to reach 20. At some point, aren’t they also in danger of having a baby with Down syndrome?
And has anyone ever discovered how the Duggars are able to support all these kids?
The oldest have kids of their own, right?
And where do they get the privacy to conceive all these kids?
Wouldn’t it be more interesting for People to interview some of the kids in the middle or the older ones to see if they’ve been psychologically damaged?
I could go all day here, but I know when to stop.
wow. that is one teeeeeny baby. dontcha think that they mighta taken that to say, dudes, G-d thinks you should be DONE. lol.
also, i second all of stamper’s questions.