User Comments

1. 

   12/21/08

   legbamel

   That disturbs me on more than one level. Suffice it to say, I can't imagine having a baby every year for twenty years. Regardless of the reasons, it's just insanely hard on your body.

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2. 

   12/21/08

   lulubelleb

   It disturbs me as well. In addition to her physical health, I wonder what her mental state might be. This is not a slam, but a concern. Dealing with pregnancy and post-partum hormones almost constantly for 20 years has got to be a challenge. I also wonder at the burden it puts on the children, other family and community. IMHO it seems selfish.

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   1. 

      12/21/08

      hatingtherain

      She's a freak. So's the dad. She assigns younger children to be taken care of by the older ones. She also assigns chores by GENDER.
      
      Freak, I say.
   2. 

      12/21/08

      legbamel

      I rather figured that the older kids were essentially parenting the younger ones. Even if she wasn't overwhelmed by sheer numbers, she's either just about to give or just recovering from giving birth for several weeks in a row every year. She just physically can't keep up with all of that.
3. 

   12/21/08

   CreativeJunkie

   My uterus just cringed.

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4. 

   12/21/08

   Friday13

   Did the baby just fall out?

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   1. 

      12/21/08

      lulubelleb

      HAHAHA!!!
   2. 

      12/21/08

      othellobloke

      HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
5. 

   12/21/08

   jan4insight

   It's also rather hard on the planet, you know, to keep over-breeding like this.

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6. 

   12/21/08

   aningeniousname

   I think we found a candidate for vaginal cosmetic surgery, on second thoughts it's probably more of a reconstruction job. She's probably like a clown's pocket down there.

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   1. 

      12/21/08

      Friday13

      Mwahahahahaha!
   2. 

      12/21/08

      lulubelleb

      Sadly, there's a procedure for that as well.
   3. 

      12/21/08

      aningeniousname

      They should fit some kind of ratchet mechanism so it can be tightened according to the size of her partner.
   4. 

      12/21/08

      lulubelleb

      Maybe a Cylon enhancement?
   5. 

      12/21/08

      aningeniousname

      No I don't believe it should only be available in Ceylon, everyone should be able to have it done. Why just offer this to the women of Colombo?
   6. 

      12/21/08

      lulubelleb

      Don't make us toss you out the airlock. I don't see a resurrection ship around.
      
      ;^P
   7. 

      12/21/08

      hatingtherain

      Yay! A BSG fan!
7. 

   12/21/08

   rfburnhertz

   Ignorant and cruel would be the best description of the the majority of the remarks here.

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   1. 

      12/21/08

      legbamel

      I can see where some of these could be seen as cruel, but ignorant? How so? Being pregnant and giving birth do things to your body, and doing so over and over again, especially in your late thirties and forties, makes it even tougher to recover. Let's not ignore the increasing probability of birth defects as mom ages.
8. 

   12/21/08

   Shiley

   This is what I want to know, How do you take care of that many kids financially? We only have three and we will not be having any more. For us, we struggle every day financially. How do you put that many kids through school? Is it really fair for the younger ones to constantly get hand me downs. My youngest gets hand me downs but he also gets new stuff and I can't imagine being able to give the opportunity for new stuff.
   
   I won't even pretend concern for the woman's health. I know that's not like me but when you have a child you know you could potentially die giving birth. It's the children I feel sorry for.

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   1. 

      12/21/08

      legbamel

      Yeah, mathematically she can't possibly parent that many children, even with part-time help from her husband, especially because she's physically unable to do much with the very young ones for at least a few weeks. I assume that he works, and that she doesn't, because who'd going to give her half of every year off for maternity leave?
   2. 

      12/21/08

      Shiley

      She must not work at all. I thought I saw something on the Today Show that mentioned the husband had three jobs. I just want to scream get Trojan to sponsor you or Lifestyles or something!
   3. 

      12/21/08

      hatingtherain

      She doesn't work.
      
      I don't think they believe in using birth control, they're extremely Christian.
9. 

   12/21/08

   hatingtherain

   It's basically her 3 or 4 oldest girls who do all the housework, and take care of the kids. The wife must just lie around (no wonder she gets pregnant all the time)

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   1. 

      12/23/08

      Thundercatt99

      I know a couple of quiverfull families and the older kids in those families actually are happy to pitch in around the house and caring for the younger kids. I mean sometime they might grumble about it, but then did we always accept our chores happily when we were kids in our regular sized families?
      
      Its all they've ever known so they wouldn't think anything of it.
10. 

    12/21/08

    songinwind2009

    this is really amazing to me..
    reading this, she had to be pregent most her marriage,,and I see some sets of twins there too..
    I have 5 kids..thought about that--than it came to me, how things just fall into place in the home,when the new arrives..
    Mine are now married--and the house is empty.:(
    maybe this mother has a good idea..
    ~peace & blessings~

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11. 

    12/21/08

    xmarks

    There are too many people on the planet already and she's a breeding machine. Imagine if every couple had a dozen kids or more.

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12. 

    12/21/08

    destinedforwhat

    this is the reason i do not feel compelled in any way to have children. it’s my contribution to population control.
    
    every so often they do a special on the Discovery channel regarding this family. the kids are home schooled. the dad makes plenty of money, "As a family project the Duggars built a 7000 sq. ft. home debt free! Both Jim Bob and Michelle are licensed real estate agents. Jim Bob served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003 and was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2002." So it seems they are educated and self sufficient financially
    
    the only thing i can say aside from the fact that i think they are crazy and need to stop having children..(there are too many people in the world as it is) is that at least they are not on any public assistance programs and their children aren't a strain on an already overwhelmed public educational system.

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13. 

    12/23/08

    SweetViolet

    While acknowledging up front that this is none of my business, I think it it absolutely disgusting. I wouldn't treat a dog this way.
    
    I used to breed Collies. My dog was given more concern for her physical well-being than this woman is getting: I refused to breed a bitch more than once every two years so that she could fully physically recover from the rigours of pregnancy and lactation.

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14. 

    12/23/08

    ky02121

    These parents are selfish.These poor kids will never get the proper attention they deserve.

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15. 

    12/23/08

    MadameX

    All my life, I shared every one of the concerns voiced here. I have only one child--when I had my two stepchildren in the house, it changed everything, and that about put us at the breaking point. I never understood multiple children at all, let alone more than three. Then, several years ago, I met a woman who had eight children. Today, she has eleven. She is a bright, energetic, giving person who remains involved in outside activities (often with a child or two in tow), home schools all of those who are of school age, tailoring their lessons to their individual strengths and interests (and has sent two off to the local community college at 16) and clearly deeply enjoys and has a person relationship with each individual child. Her pregnancies have been relatively easy, and her children have wonderful relationships among themselves and are one and all great kids who seem happy and healthy. Getting to know them was a revelation for me about just how much we don't know about other people's lives, and how many assumptions we make. She does get rude, disapproving and intrusive comments from people who don't know her well all the time.

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    1. 

       12/30/08

       melindaville

       So, she is a good mother--but the point is that this is bad for our world--this overpopulating.
       
       Look--if you want a big family then adopt--breeding like a farm animal is selfish--plain and simple.
    2. 

       12/30/08

       MadameX

       Plain and simple to you, perhaps, Melinda--because you don't share their beliefs. Is it not possible for a person to be well-intentioned and motivated by something other than selfishness if that person has a different view of what constitutes "good" than you do?
    3. 

       12/30/08

       melindaville

       It's selfish to give birth to that many kids when there are so many who are in need of a good home. If you want a big family, that's great--but don't overpopulate our planet to do it when there are plenty of kids who need a family. That's my opinion--plain and simple.
16. 

    12/30/08

    JanelleV

    I don't think I could handle 18 -- but if the Duggars are able to provide a good home for all those children, then good for them. 18 children may be strange by today's standards -- but they seem like good parents & all their kids appear to be happy, healthy, and well taken care of.

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17. 

    12/30/08

    melindaville

    I think that is completely and utterly obscene.
    
    That is all.

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18. 

    12/30/08

    MadameX

    It's fascinating to me that so many of the same people who vehemently preach that what people choose to do with their personal lives, relationships and families in other contexts is none of anyone's business can spew such hatred at a family who chooses to have a lot of children. I guess it's the old "it's none of our business unless *I* disagree with it", hm?

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    1. 

       12/30/08

       melindaville

       See my reply to you above. I am not against people having large families--I am 100% against giving BIRTH to so many children when there are so many in the world needing a good home. If you want a big family, great--but why overpopulate our poor planet? If she doesn't like adoption, tough! I think it is disgusting and selfish.
19. 

    12/30/08

    PetLvr

    I'd be confused at the Redneck BBQ .. where everybody addresses each other by their initials..
    
    Hi JD.
    Hello JD. Have you seen JD?
    I think JD is over there, next to JD
    No, not JD, I'm looking for JD
    Oh .. JD is by the BBQ.

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