Entertainment

Here's Why It's Possible That Jinger Duggar Could Use A Midwife When She Gives Birth

by Casey Suglia

The ever-expanding Duggar family, comprised of 19 siblings, never seems to stop growing. And as diehard Duggar fans already know, Jinger Duggar is expecting her first child. Ever since news broke, fans have been clamoring for details about her pregnancy and you may also be wondering what her birth plan might be. Considering the Duggar family definitely marches to the beat of their own drum and they do things their own way, it's no surprise that people could question if Jinger Duggar will use a midwife when it is time for her to give birth this summer.

Duggar's pregnancy — which she is expecting with her husband, Jeremy Vuolo — could very well be one of the most exciting Duggar pregnancies yet. Not only is she the next sibling to give birth, but her pregnancy marks the birth of the first girl since her sisters have given birth to five baby boys. Needless to say, fans are pretty excited for Duggar to give birth. But in order for Duggar's baby to get here, she has to give birth, first. And a lot of decisions and choices go into that birth plan — like the decision to have a home birth or use a midwife.

While Duggar herself has not explicitly stated whether or not she plans on using a midwife when she gives birth to her daughter this summer, fans can look to Duggar's previous pregnant siblings for indication that she herself might at least consider using a midwife for her baby's birth.

In the past, Duggar has expressed her admiration for her mom, Michelle Duggar, and told Us Weekly that she hopes that her mother is there with her when she does give birth. Because she has so much respect for her mother, she might take a cue from her mom when she gives birth. Michelle gave birth to Jinger at home, according to the Duggar Family Fan Blog, and was brought into the world by a doctor and midwife. If her mom is there by her side, then Michelle might even want Jinger to use a midwife, too.

But if she's torn between the decision to use one, her siblings own stories can help. Jinger's sisters, Jana and Jill both have some firsthand experience when it comes to assisting and training under midwives, according to People, which they detailed in a blog post for TLC in 2013. Jill was even next to her sibling, Joy-Anna Duggar, when she gave birth in February, although it is unclear if Jill was by her side in an official capacity, according to People. But if Jinger had any questions about the role of a midwife in her baby's birth, then Jill and Jana could definitely answer them for her.

Jinger's sister, Jessa Duggar, also used a midwife during her first birth and was planning on having a home birth, according to She Knows, even though she was rushed to the hospital after having complications with her pregnancy. During her second pregnancy, Jessa enlisted the same midwife to deliver her first child, according to People. While her sisters can give her plenty of recommendations to find the perfect midwife for her to use in Arkansas, it's not likely that Jinger will use their recommendations. Jinger told Us Weekly in March that she will be giving birth in her newly adopted home state of Texas. But hopes to have some family members by her side. Jinger said, according to Us Weekly:

I want my mom definitely at the birth of our child and so I've invited her and Jana as well and Jill, she wants to make it. So they're invited but I don't know how many will be able to make it. My mom, at this point, is the only one who's probably going to make it for the birth.

Jinger has plenty of time, however, to decide if she wants to use a midwife when she does end up giving birth this summer. In the meantime, it's likely that she'll fill her fans in on her pregnancy journey, just like she has for the past few months.

Check out Romper's new video series, Bearing The Motherload, where disagreeing parents from different sides of an issue sit down with a mediator and talk about how to support (and not judge) each other’s parenting perspectives. New episodes air Mondays on Facebook.