‘Counting On’: John and Abbie Duggar Just Made It Clear They’re Not Having 19 Kids
The Duggar family is one of the largest families in the United States; Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar have 19 biological children, plus one adopted child (the son of Michelle’s niece). The family has become famous for its size, and fans can’t help but wonder if Michelle and Jim Bob’s kids will go on to have the same number of children. But Abbie Duggar, who is married to John David Duggar, laughed off the idea that she’d ever have so many.
Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar don’t believe in birth control
When Michelle and Jim Bob were first married, they started using birth control because they felt they weren’t ready to have kids. However, while taking the pill, Michelle became pregnant, but they lost the baby soon after. The two felt it was God’s way of telling them to stop preventing children; they went on to have as many kids as God wanted, which is how they ended up with 19.
Michelle and Jim Bob no longer believe in preventing pregnancy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean their kids do as well. There has been speculation that some of the Duggar children use birth control, though it’s not confirmed.
John and Abbie Duggar started a family later in life
It’s not uncommon for Duggars to be married by their early twenties. Joy Duggar married Austin Forsyth when she was still a teenager, but most kids were married by the time they were 23. However, John didn’t meet his future wife until he was 28. When they wed, she was already 26. Although that’s still relatively young for most mainstream Americans, the couple’s religions tend to promote marriage at a younger age.
The two waited about six months to start having kids, and they welcomed their first child when Abbie was 27 and John was 29.
Abbie apparently doesn’t see herself having 19 kids
It doesn’t come as a surprise that John and Abbie might not make it to baby no. 19; Abbie welcomed her first child about six years later than Michelle did. But on a recent episode of Counting On, Abbie made it even more clear that she’s not pressuring herself to have 19 children.
After Abbie and John took a pregnancy class, Abbie was explaining that there was a lot to prepare for before welcoming her first child. The producers then said, “By the time you have your 19th kid, you’ll have it down.” Abbie immediately laughed and shook her head. “No,” she said.
Fans think another Duggar couple will have the most kids
Fans have predicted that John and Abbie won’t have nearly as many kids as other family members. Rather, most think Joe and Kendra Duggar will have more children than any of their siblings. The two were married when Kendra was only 18, and by 19, she had her first child. Now at 21, she’s a mother of two, actually putting her ahead of Michelle’s pace. It’s unclear how many children the couple will have, but right now, it’s looking like they might come close to Michelle and Jim Bob.
