Jill and Derick Dillard Announce Recent Stillbirth

Jill and Derick Dillard have maintained a low profile in recent weeks. While Duggar family followers noticed the duo weren’t posting much on social media, most assumed they were taking a break after a whirlwind press tour for Jill’s scathing memoir. There was a much sadder reason behind their absence. In a heartbreaking update, Jill and Derick Dillard announced the stillbirth of their first daughter; they hadn’t shared the pregnancy news with the world.

Jill and Derick announce the stillbirth of their first daughter 

Jill and Derick Dillard revealed that they learned their first daughter had died in utero at four months gestation in a recent blog post. The couple didn’t go into much detail about the pregnancy or if they planned to announce their expected arrival publicly before the sudden loss. In their blog post, they did share that Jill was due with their first daughter in August, which means they likely experienced the loss in March. Duggar family followers speculated that she was expecting late last year.

Jill and Derick revealed their stillborn daughter is named Isla Marie Dillard. They went on to say that they are grieving the loss, as are their three sons, all of whom were excited to add a bay girl to the group. 

The pair also shared the news on Instagram and were flooded with comments, condolences, and well-wishes. Jill remains largely estranged from her famous family. As of press time, neither her siblings nor her parents have commented on the announcement. Several of her sisters and her mother have experienced similar losses.

Jill Dillard has had difficult pregnancies

The Dillards’ latest loss isn’t the first difficult pregnancy journey they’ve navigated. Jill and Derick took to expanding their family quickly after their 2014 wedding. Still, the former reality TV star has not had easy pregnancies. Her first pregnancy ended with an emergency c-section after a days-long labor. Her second pregnancy nearly cost her and her second son their lives. In her book Counting the Cost, Jill recounted the uterine rupture that required emergency surgery and left her and her son fighting for their lives. 

The duo took a long break between pregnancies to ensure Jill was healthy and could successfully carry more children. In her book, Jill discussed her apprehension and fears about having more children and the strain it placed on her relationship with her parents. Jill had a miscarriage in 2021 before announcing another pregnancy. Five years after Samuel Dillard’s traumatic birth, they welcomed another son, Frederick Dillard. He was born in 2022.