while i find the family a bit odd, I applaud their parenting style, their obvious love for the lord and family, and that they refuse any government assistance and they all seem to enjoy life.

I did want them to bust out though and call this one something other than a J name, just to mix it up.

Congratulations to them. Regardless of if I agree with them, each of their babies is their blessing and I wish them the best.

Don't they already have a boy Jordan?

No.

I guess they're raising good people, but I'm not sure it's fair to the individual kids. They're version of a family is more like a small community. But then, I suppose it could be argued that they are in fact better parents, as far as spending time with each child, than a person with only one child might be. I just know that I, personally, couldn't handle it.

here's a list of the kids' names for anyone interested:

heir other kids are-
Joshua James
Jana Marie and John-David (twins)
Jill Michelle
Jessa Lauren
Jinger Nicole
Joseph Garrett
Josiah Matthew
Joy-Anna
Jedidiah Robert and Jeremiah Robert (twins)
Jason Michael
James Andrew
Justin Samuel
Jackson Levi
Johannah Faith
Jennifer Danielle

oh my. congrats.

Has she had C-Sections with them all? I guess I just assumed they were all being born vaginally as I thought some doctors frowned on the more than a handful of C-Sections. While they may love their kids I always just feel bad for the older ones. They are like mini parents themselves. I wonder if any of them will feel like they missed their childhood?

The father has been quoted as saying that both he and his wife can't wait to have MORE.

Seriously, isn't there a 12 step program for these folks? b/c it's starting to look like an addiction.

congrats to them! i like the name.

You know they get help from people. It's so obvious. Remember that whole thing about a woman giving birth to 6 kids, and she had free food, diapers, you name it. They definitely have help. 18 is a lot of kids. Kids are a blessing, but excuse me for saying that she never got off her back! 18 kids is a lot...but at some point you have to think about why you do it. Do you do it because you love children and think you can handle 18, or do you do it to see how far you can push it? People can do whatever they want, but sometimes I question intentions.

She's had three c-sections, I believe. With VBACs between.

However, I know a woman who's had 11 c-sections without having any thinning of the uterus or problems during pregnant.

WOW Greggie! I know the kind of changes my body has had after just two. I can't imagine having 11 or 18. Actually if I had that many I might think more seriously about that mommy make over thing.

re: Chrstne's comment - i disagree. i don't think the duggars get help/aid, etc. just look at their clothes! those poor kids have to go to the second hand store and fix shoes with duct tape. definitely not getting handouts! and, their food is bought is mass quantity - mostly canned. and tater tot casserole? who would eat that willingly? i think the family is most intereting ... definitely not mainstream yet they all seem happy. good for them.

The duggars DO NOT get help from the outside. I fix my shoes with duct tape, nothing wrong with it in this disposable society.

if you watch the show, which i do, they live very frugally. they make their own laundry soap, buy almost everything second-hand. they pay cash for everything and basically do what most americans don't do...they live within or below their means.

i can't get my head around the number of children they have, but they are obviously loved and well-cared for. i could in no way handle popping out a baby every year, but she obviously has it under control. and wearing second-hand clothes and playing with used toys does not make for deprivation, by any means.

and RallyRE, that cracks me up. i totally agree about the tater tot casserole. although, i'm admittedly curious about what it tastes like. i've thought about trying it out.

at least we don't live in china and all have control over how many children we have. what is right for you may not be right for someone else, and vice versa.

congratulations to them.

I love tater tot casserole.

i wish this couple would consider adoption. They obviously have the desire to have many children, and they have been so blessed to have so many healthy children biologically, why not open their home to children who have nothing? Maybe that is their plan after they are no longer able to have biological children, I don't know. Of course, it's their choice to add to their family whichever way they choose-but there are so many children out there to be adopted that would otherwise not have the chance to be part of such a big loving family.

>i wish this couple would consider adoption.

Agreed, instead of contributing the the problem of overpopulation. If every one of their children just has two children, they'll be responsible for fifty-four new, resource-consuming people. Nevermind the next generation.

But if I were in charge there would be no more new babies until we find homes for all the kids we already made.

"But if I were in charge there would be no more new babies until we find homes for all the kids we already made."

Who is this we? I didn't make any of those babies.

Making sure every child in the world has a home first is a wonderful thought, but it just woudlnt work. If we could get them before theyve been passed through abusive and neglectful foster home after foster home, not to mention whatever they went through before ending up in the system, maybe it would work. The fact is that not every kid in the system right now wants or is emotionally able to be placed with a permanent home. Some are so far gone from abuse and trauma, that they literally cannot handle the adjustment to a home that wants them to be a happy comfy lovey dovey participant. It takes years of work and therapy, and honestly some never bounce back. If youve had anything to do with children or adults from these situations, youll know what i mean.

No reason the right to have and love children should be taken away from people becuase someone couldnt get off crack long enough to be a responsible adult.

I'm glad True Song's not in charge then.

ugh, this family bugs the *&% out of me. i actually thought that this post would elicit a lot more debate, everyone has been so nice...you should have seen the comment section in the SF Chronicle about this, people were up in arms.

actually i think i am kinda up in arms about this, it makes me say yuck!

your not the only one meandtheo.
Someone up there said something about addiction...I wouldn't be surprised.

Adoption doesn't fit into their way of thinking, they are not having children because they want a big family they are having children because God gives them to them. That is what they believe anyway. So even if they would adopt they would also have an equal amount of biological children, which means their family would grow twice as fast!

God gave them 18 children and their own tv show!

i'm a teacher of a student who comes from a family like this... they are on child number 10 and she's had c-sections with all of them! i didn't think one's body could handle that.

the mom sounds like she's had enough when i speak with her but she replies "god wouldn't give them to me if I couldn't handle it"

the kids are great, have very little and all share a room (they live in a trailer). to each their own- it's just hard hearing about these parents when all i want is just to be able to have one!

There are things called condoms! I rather have 1 child and raise him/her in a nice home than have millions and raise them in a trailer. Horrible.

i agree meandtheo...this story infuriates me. 18 kids!?! are you kidding??? in a world severely overpopulated, resources dwindling, food shortages etc i find it completely irresponsible to have 18 children....regardless of if you use hand me downs or not.

I'm fairly repulsed by this family. I find it obscene they buddy the elder children up to essentially parent and be responsible for the younger children on a full time basis. These children are robbed of their childhood. I am all for children learning responsibilities (chores, contributing to the family) on an age appropriate level.

Furthermore, I could not imagine endangering my body the way Michelle chooses to. She is an excellent candidate for pelvic organ prolapse, especially after 18 mixed births. Before too long her uterus will be dangling in between her legs. Undoubtedly, she has severely weakened pelvic floor muscles. After so many multiple births those ligaments and fascia in the pelvic region take a beating and just aren't able to snap back (no matter how many Kegels you attempt to do daily).

It seems odd that most people who think these people are contributing to overpopulation by having 18 kids would have no problem with them having one or two. People think having just two isn't a problem because of some misguided idea about replacing yourself, but unless you die when they reach adulthood, it's much more likely that each of them will have two, and by the time you pass on, you've likely gone from a couple to a family of eight (two kids, four grandkids).

There's a big difference between 2 kids and 18. Surely, you see that.

Yes, I can do math. But if you think overpopulation is a problem, then what does it matter if it's one couple having eighteen kids or nine couples each having two?

I don't think over-population is so big an issue that I would forgo having my own children. If you are so upset by it, I'm sure you've already adopted several children. So, please, let's hear about them, because you wouldn't be so adamant as to propose that other people not have children and meanwhile do nothing to help the issue yourself, right? Or is abstaining your contribution?

Um, I love how you're trying to make it sound like me not having kids is somehow not helping the problem of overpopulation.

It isn't helping. It's exactly the same as it would be if you didn't exist at all. I'm just saying if you believe in this enough to ask other people to not have children and adopt instead, then surely you care enough to help children yourself and give them a loving home. I don't think it's fair to ask other people to do something you wouldn't do yourself.

It is helping. My vigilance with birth control is preventing new people from being born who will consume resources.

I don't want to be a parent, so I do not get pregnant and have kids. If I ever decided I did want to be a parent, I would definitely adopt.

So there's a huge difference between me and people who want to be parents, like the Duggars. I'm not asking people to just go out and adopt kids, I'm asking them to, if they want to be parents, to parent the children already existing in the world before creating new ones.

If her uterus was so weak, they wouldn't have waited until 38 weeks to do her c-section. The risks of uterine rupture would be too great.

Of course it's helping--she's abstaining from putting more people in the world, people whom she could have added to the population otherwise.

This family bugs the hell out of me. I just really don't understand the compulsion to have THAT many kids.

So you don't care enough to do something yourself but those of us who want to be parents should do what you think is right when really you have no hand in the issue at all, is that what you're saying?

I just think if you have no intention of being a parent, you have no right to tell people who do want to be parents in what way they should have their children. That would be my point.

Yes. That's it exactly.

No, of course not. You're twisting my words. I care enough to 1. not give birth to any new people and 2. if I ever decide I want to be a mom, to adopt rather than reproduce.

Those who criticize the Duggars for contributing to overpopulation while reproducing themselves are being hypocritical. That's all I'm saying.

and it's not helping, it's just not adding to the issue.

All I can say is that this has reinforced my beliefs in why I won't use artificial birth control and why I want to have a fourth child, so I thank you for that.

>I just think if you have no intention of being a parent, you have no right to tell people who do want to be parents in what way they should have their children. That would be my point.

Why? I have no intention of having children, I still think it's wrong to beat a child. I have no intention of driving race cars, I still think it's a bad idea to crash into a wall. I have no intention of running a zoo, I still think it's a good idea to feed the animals.

The idea that just because you don't have direct experience with something, your opinion is somehow invalidated is bonkers.

So are they going to change the name of the show to just "18 Kids"?

We're not talking about any kind of violence though, relating a non-violent issue to a violent one, is unequal. You're entitled to your opinion and to do whatever you think is right, but telling people not to have their own children because you believe they should adopt doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Okay. I don't have a rabbit, but I still think it's okay for me to tell other people it's a good idea to feed one if they do have it. I don't ride a bike, but I still think it's okay for me tell other people it's a good idea to wear a helmet if they do. I don't drink Coke, but I still think it's okay for me to tell other people it's a good idea to recycle the can if they do.

All nice and non-violent.

And I'm not saying there should be some law against having kids, just that if you're so concerned with the Duggars and overpopulating, then you shouldn't further contribute to the problem.

People used to dump clothes by their car and give them money donations through church or something but I guess with the show they don't need to do that anymore (i watched one of their specials). I just feel bad for the them because the kids don't have much of a social life outside of the family and they have to babysit the younger kids all the time but whatev if its works for them.

It's just unfair that people claim that Angelina is addicted to adopting kids but she only has 3 and has millions of dollars to provide for them anything they need. But it's ok when this woman has 18 kids because she's religious and her kids are gifts from God.

lol, my opinion aside, I wouldnt say people think its anymore okay for them by the 45+ comments talking about overpopulation and the rest.