My bloggy pal Nickie told me about the latest Duggar headline doing the rounds. Are you familiar with the Duggars? The slightly strange family from Arkansas, USA? You know, the one where all the kids have names beginning with J? Oh, and Mr and Mrs. Duggar have 19 children? Yes, those Duggars.
Well, despite the fact that their youngest child Josie, (now 3) was born three and half months premature, weighing 1 pound, 6 ounces, and has faced numerous health problems in her short life, and the last Duggar baby (Jubilee) was miscarried at 5 months, mommy Michele (age 47) has announced that they want God to bless them with another child.
The reason the Duggars have procreated like no others is that, after the birth of their first child, Michele went on the Pill. She then got pregnant and miscarried which they feel was God's punishment for having ever thought of using birth control. So now they don't, and as members of the Quiver Full religious movement, they see children as God's gift. This part of the situation I have no problem with; people can believe whatever the heck they like as long as a) I'm not forced to live by their religious rules, and b) it hurts no one.
And see, it's the second point that gives me pause. If your youngest child was severely premature and will forever live with the physical consequences, and your last pregnancy ended in miscarriage, how can you, a woman in her late 40's with a recent history of reproductive/pregnancy problems, suddenly overcome them? There is a very high likelihood that a future pregnancy might result in another ailing child, a miscarriage, or god forbid, the death of the mother.
I hate being judgmental over parenting issues, but how is this "pro life", as they claim to be? The couple is not only risking another miscarried baby, but also could make the rest of the brood motherless. They're not just "seeing what happens", they're actively "trying". What part of "Woman can't have babies forever" is she not hearing? Yes, a woman may be able to get pregnant at 47, but her eggs are now old and most probably won't be able to sustain the pregnancy.
And I know this may sound extreme but - Why aren't Child Protection Services people getting involved?