People Need To Lay Off Michelle Duggar

Michelle Duggar was 19 weeks pregnant with her 20th child when, during a routine checkup yesterday, doctors were unable to find a heartbeat. Michelle, the star of 19 Kids and Counting, had suffered a miscarriage. It was devastating news for the family, who just one night earlier had been discussing baby names and planning for their newest addition.

The Duggars, as everyone knows by now, have 19 children and they were thrilled to be pregnant with number 20. For those who don’t know, Michelle is 45 years old, and with her age comes a higher risk of something going wrong but it was a risk she was willing to take. Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan.

“I feel like my heart broke telling my children. They have all been so excited about this baby and looking forward to April coming around and having a new little one in our arms. That was the most difficult.” Michelle said, adding that the family will select a name after they know if the baby was a boy or girl, and will then plan a funeral service.

What’s surprising about this whole ordeal is hearing people attack the Duggars during this terrible time. It’s easy to just shrug your shoulders and say, “Whatever, they’ve got 19 kids already did they really need another?” which is what many people are saying via Twitter and on various websites.

To me, this is despicable behavior. Yes, the Duggars have 19 children already something that lots of people consider to be highly selfish but that doesn’t change the fact they have just experienced a horrible loss. Whether it’s your first pregnancy or your 20th, the loss is painful, tragic, life-altering and all the more so when you’re in your second trimester. (This is Michelle Duggar’s second miscarriage.)

People have been so cruel to the Duggars, and it’s time they lay off, show some respect and let them mourn in peace. An appropriate response to a miscarriage under any circumstance is “I am so sorry for your loss.” To suggest that Michelle “keep her legs crossed from now on,” as one Twitter user put it, is disgusting. As human beings and especially as parents ourselves we should express our condolences or keep our mouths shut, plain and simple.

(Photo: eonline.com)