‘Counting On’ Stars Jessa Duggar & Ben Seewald Are Expecting Their Fifth Child

“Well, big boy, looks like you knocked me up again!”

Trigger Warning: This story contains mentions of miscarriage. 

Jessa Duggar Seewald and husband Ben Seewald are expecting their fifth child.

The former Counting On star announced in a new YouTube video that she is pregnant, less than a year after revealing that she had suffered a miscarriage. 

“After a heartbreaking loss of our baby last year, just this past week we found out some wonderful news, that our rainbow baby is on the way,” Jessa said in the video. “We could not be more excited.” 

“I’m expecting this kid to be named Jimothy– Jim Bob for short.”

Jessa and Ben are already parents to sons Spurgeon and Henry, and daughters Ivy and Fern. (Jessa previously revealed that she had also suffered a miscarriage prior to welcoming Fern.) 

Jessa’s video is timestamped April 2023 and mostly documents the child-free vacation to Destin, Florida, she and Ben took earlier this year. Jessa did not reveal in the video when she learned she was pregnant or when she is due. Neither she nor Ben have posted additional details on social media, either. 

As The Ashley told you in February, when Jessa revealed the news of her most recent miscarriage, she also shared her current thoughts on birth control. Jessa claimed for the first time that she and Ben were no longer against birth control, though their stance had nothing to do with the miscarriage, as this was revealed by Jessa in a video filmed while she was still pregnant. 

Like many members of the Duggar family, Jessa always stated that she and Ben plan to have “as many kids as the Lord allows them to have,” and the couple had seemingly followed Jessa’s parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, by not using birth control. Jessa explained in February that she and Ben are “not against birth control,” though she noted that “birth control” is “a very broad term.” 

Ben, when faced with figuring out something described as “a very broad term”…

“So, while we are not against preventing a pregnancy or spacing kids or whatever, for sure there are categories [of birth control methods] that would be morally wrong for the Christian because they would take the life of a baby that’s already been conceived,” she said. “Birth control as in preventing fertilization is not unbiblical. For example, methods of [birth control] that could inadvertently allow fertilization to occur and then prohibit implantation. 

“But with that caveat, Biblically speaking, there’s no category for birth control being wrong,” she added. “Obviously we know the truth that children are a blessing from the Lord, but, like with any blessing, it’s fine to manage that. We don’t have a specific number of kids that we’re shooting for or anything like that. I think we just take it one kid at a time and see.”  

“All I know is this is one more kid I have to share my Legos with.”
“Shut it, Seewald!”

Jessa and Ben’s fifth blessing will be Jim Bob and Michelle’s 32nd grandchild (counting all of the grandkids whose births were announced, as well as those who haven’t been publicly announced.) 

You can watch Jessa’s baby announcement video below (although it’s barely about the pregnancy; instead it’s mostly about Jessa and Ben’s solo vacation in April):

RELATED STORY: ‘Counting On’ Stars Jill & Derick Dillard Detail Tense Meeting with Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar in New Book: “You Treat Me Worse Than You Treat My Pedophile Brother” 

(Photos: TLC; Instagram) 

13 Responses


  1. I guess if they can afford it. It does not state anything in the Bible that birth control is wrong. I am a Christian and believe in everything the Bible teaches. I also believe that it should be a woman’s choice how many she wants providing they can afford to raise them without seeking help from the government or from tax payers.


  2. How the f are these people feeding all these kids? Clothing them? Putting gas in their cars? Paying rent? Car insurance?? I do not understand. And the mental toll, I can’t even imagine. I am stressed to the absolute brim with one child. I can’t imagine the logistics of 5.


  3. re: the second-to-last paragraph ~ what grandkids haven’t been publicly announced?
    (not doubting theashley whatsoever but rather a genuine question ~ can’t imagine any of these thirsty ? fundie famewh*res passing up an opportunity for attention)


  4. This is all a well-timed distraction since Jill’s book releases tomorrow. Rainbow baby or not, this announcement is serving more purpose than just reminding everyone to be fruitful and multiply ?.


  5. Dear Lord I have three kids ages 14, 9 and 3 and I cannot imagine having more than them lol. My factory is shut down for the foreseeable future. She must have some patience. Not that I don’t but I do find myself feeling a little more overwhelmed than what I’m used to.


  6. Sounds like 5 is about all she wants to handle, which is still a lot.

    It’s great that their belief says “have as many as you can”, and all but her body is telling her something else.

    If she wants to stop, she should be allowed to stop.

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