‘Counting On’: People Are Worried for Joy-Anna Duggar’s Health After She Announces She’s Pregnant

Nine months after she experienced a devastating pregnancy loss, Joy-Anna Duggar has some happy news. The Counting On star is expecting again, she and her husband Austin Forsyth revealed on Instagram on March 18. 

“It’s been quite the crazy journey these last few months, but we are so thankful that mom and baby are healthy!” the couple wrote. In a YouTube video, the 22-year-old said that her baby girl was due August 19. 

Some are concerned about Joy-Anna Duggar’s health 

Family, friends, and fans all reacted with joy when the couple announced they were expanding their family. On Instagram, Joy-Anna’s siblings and in-laws, including Jill Duggar, Jessa Duggar, Anna Duggar, Josiah and Lauren Duggar, and Jana Duggar all shared their congratulations, as did Little People, Big World star Tori Roloff and Joy-Anna’s BFF Carlin Bates from Bringing Up Bates.    

But over on Reddit, some Duggar watchers struck a more cautious tone. Joy-Anna’s last pregnancy ended in a stillbirth at five months, and people expressed concern that the mom-to-be might not be getting proper prenatal care. 

“I hope to hell and back she does the right thing and seeks a REAL medical professional,” wrote one person. 

“I just hope she gets high-quality prenatal care and goes to a hospital for this birth since she had complications with Gideon’s birth and this one is apparently high-risk,” another commented. 

Joy-Anna says she’s seeing a doctor 

Joy-Anna gave birth to her first child, a boy named Gideon, in 2018. Originally, she intended to give birth at home, but complications forced her to move to the hospital, where she had an emergency Cesarean section. At the time, some criticized the Duggars for putting both mom and baby’s health at risk by laboring at home for hours before finally seeking medical care at the hospital. 

Her rough labor and delivery with Gideon plus the loss of another pregnancy has some worried about Joy-Anna’s health, especially those who suspect that the Duggar family might forgo some prenatal care. 

While it’s not clear exactly what kind of health care Joy-Anna has received in the past, she did say in her pregnancy announcement video that she is currently seeing a doctor. She said that shortly after she found out she was pregnant, she started spotting “quite a bit” and decided to call her doctor. 

After getting some blood work done, Joy-Anna’s doctor told her that some of her numbers looked a bit off and there was a chance she had a molar pregnancy (a pregnancy where the fertilized egg is not viable). That news was “hard” to hear, she said. 

“It’s been a very difficult few weeks,” she added. “We’re doing the genetic testing next week and hopefully by 10 weeks we’ll know if this is a viable pregnancy.  

Fortunately, Joy-Anna and Austin soon got some good news from their doctor. Not only did she have a healthy pregnancy, but she was able to learn the gender of their child. 

“It’s pretty crazy,” she said. “[I’m] super excited, nervous, and thankful all at the same time.”

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