'Counting On' stars Josiah, Lauren Duggar are expecting a baby months after heartbreaking miscarriage
Josiah Duggar and Lauren Swanson are going to be parents!
The ‘Counting On’ stars confirmed that they were expecting their first bundle of joy, in a statement on Instagram on May 20. “We are so excited to announce that baby #2 is on the way!!!! It’s hard to fully express just how grateful we are for God blessing us again with another precious gift! So, as we rejoice of the life of our second sweet baby, we also remember (balloon as symbolism) our other sweet baby, Asa, in heaven.” The couple also posed for a photo with a sign that says, "Rainbow after the storm. Baby #2."
Josiah and Lauren revealed in a ‘Counting On preview’ in October that Lauren had a miscarriage just weeks into her first pregnancy when they were on the way to a friend’s wedding. Tearing up, Lauren described not feeling well and having cramping, then getting up in the middle of the night and realizing what was happening. “I wasn’t feeling well,” Lauren, 19, explained in the show. “I was cramping really, really bad, which was quite strange because I normally don’t. I was thinking maybe I had something that had gluten in it. That’s what I was thinking. Well, it was late at night and I went to use the restroom and right there was the baby. Gone.”
It was especially hard for the couple because fans kept speculating that Lauren was pregnant, and eagerly waiting for them to announce the news. After all, Josiah’s brothers and sisters all announced pregnancies shortly after getting married. “We felt like it was time that we told everyone that our first and only baby is in heaven,” the couple said on Twitter. “It is hard to hear when people ask us if we are expecting when we only recently lost our baby. You can imagine it was devastating to both of us.”
Josiah, 22, told Fox News he supported his spouse’s decision to come clean in front of cameras even as they were privately grieving. “A lot of women go through this,” he explained. “... And they keep it in. Our doctor really encouraged us [to speak out]. … That helps with the healing.” The pair insisted that they’re now in a better place. In fact, they said the experience has only brought them closer as they navigate through married life.
“It really has drawn us closer together,” said Josiah. “… It’s not just a honeymoon for the rest of your life. … There’s definitely going to be hard times. And hard times are a part of real life. It’s not just all happiness. … Going through that together really has drawn me closer to Lauren. And I love her even more now than the day I married her.”
"God's faithfulness to us in our most difficult moments has sustained us and brought us such love and comfort. We cannot begin to tell you how much we are looking forward to holding this baby in our arms this fall," Lauren and Josiah said Monday on the Duggar family website. "Every good and perfect gift is from above and we are looking forward to this new season of parenting together!"
"We are so thrilled for Lauren & Josiah expecting!" Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar also shared Monday. "It was very difficult losing their first child in a miscarriage, but now God has blessed them with another child on the way."
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