Baby Number 20?

So the Duggars announced that they’re expecting baby number 20.

If you’re unfamiliar, the Duggars are a family with a bazillion kids and a television show. They recently had a daughter, Josie (almost two now)- who was delivered three months early because Michelle, the mother, had preeclampsia, which can be fatal.

I think I’ve blogged about how I feel about them. Yes, the Duggars are a step up from Nadia Suleman and her brood of 14 kids, but I dislike them all the same. In order to make their modest life work for everyone, each kid takes care of their younger siblings and goes to work when they can. Where’s the childhood?

But this time, I’m aghast. Michelle is 45, and her last pregnancy had complications. You’d think that this would be a sign that it was time for someone to get a vasectomy or at least abstain from sex.

At some point in time, it has to stop being about the choice between birth control and will. They’ve been blessed with plenty of healthy children- but do they seem to care at all about Michelle’s health? Families everywhere make decisions to stop having children, or no children at all- out of concern for the woman’s safety. What is the point of having another child if the cost is leaving 20 children without a mother and a husband without a wife?

They claim they’re taking all this into consideration, that she’ll be taking it easy. But honestly- why take the risk at all? At some point in time, this discussion arises with every family. Why shouldn’t they?

I think that’s the reason I have a difficult time taking them seriously- they try to make themselves seem normal, when all I see is selfishness. Yes, selfishness. They’re putting their own desires before the welfare of their kids. As I mentioned before, what happens if Michelle dies- do they just buckle down even more to make the family run? Not to mention the sheer quantity of children they have… without the TV show, would they even be able to provide a financial future for them?

I admit, I’m judging people I don’t know. I’m sure they’re perfectly nice. But 20 children is ridiculous. There’s no way that you can give that many children any sort of individual attention for more than a few minutes a day. I honestly look at their family and just wonder why.

And I’m not even going to address the religious argument- I know/have known plenty of families that don’t/didn’t believe in birth control for religious reasons and none had anywhere near 20 kids.

Your thoughts?

Day 8 of NaBloPoMo