Pregnant Joy-Anna Duggar Shares Whether She’s ‘Done’ Expanding Her Family
Joy-Anna Duggar is opening up about her decision to grow her family amid her pregnancy with baby No. 4.
“I’m trying to embrace this pregnancy, even though it feels like it’s gone by quickly,” Joy-Anna, 28, shared with her sister Jinger Duggar during the Wednesday, September 9, episode of their “Call Your Sister” podcast. “It’s been challenging, but I’m uncertain how many more times I’ll be doing this.”
Earlier this month, Joy-Anna and her husband, Austin Forsyth, announced the exciting news that they are expecting again. The Counting On alum and Austin, 32, are already parents to sons Gideon, 8, and Gunner, 3, along with their daughter Evelyn, 5. (Joy-Anna experienced a miscarriage in 2019 and named her late daughter Annabell.)
During their podcast discussion, Joy-Anna admitted that she initially felt “pressure” to have a large family akin to her upbringing. (Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are well-known for being parents to 19 children.)
“I felt that during our first pregnancy, and Austin and I have had some important conversations about it because I think it’s crucial,” she reflected. “This time, Austin suggested, ‘You know what? We might stop after this one. What are your thoughts?’”
As a result, Joy-Anna has started contemplating the possibility that baby No. 4 could be her last.
“It’s wild to think we might be finished with this chapter of our lives; it feels bittersweet,” the former TLC star continued. “Right now, I don’t feel done with this pregnancy. Four or five kids have always been in my thoughts.”
Similar to her younger sister, Jinger, 32, Joy-Anna “assumed” she would have “as many kids as possible” before becoming a mother.
“When [Jeremy Vuolo and I] were engaged, we talked about how many children we wanted while watching Bill Gothard’s videos, stopping to discuss,” Jinger recounted, referring to the controversial figure associated with her family’s IBLP faith. “Initially, that was a major consideration for me. I loved being around children, but I wasn’t determined to have a huge family. I thought that was everyone else’s path.”
After discussing the topic with Jeremy, 39, Jinger ultimately changed her perspective.
“Children are truly a blessing from the Lord, but that doesn’t mean you have to have as many as you can; that viewpoint changed my outlook,” she explained. “[It] allowed me to embrace motherhood more joyfully. I thought, ‘Thank you, Lord, for these kids; they are a blessing.’ I don’t want to make decisions based on convenience, but I also aim to be profoundly present and involved in my children’s lives so that each child feels nurtured.”
Jinger and Jeremy are parents to daughters Evangeline, 8, and Felicity, 5, along with their son Finn, 17 months.
