Jessa Seewald Planning Home Birth, Ben Considered Pursuing Acting Career To Support His Growing Family
Jessa Seewald is planning to give birth at home even though her old sister, Jill Dillard, experienced major complications and a 70-hour labor when she opted for a home birth.
Jessa Seewald is currently 35 weeks pregnant, and her due date is November 1. This happens to be the same date as her first wedding anniversary, and the former 19 Kids and Counting star does not want to spend this very special day in the hospital — she’s determined to give birth in the comfort of her own home.
Jessa Seewald recently revealed her plans in post on the Duggar Family Blog. Jessa says she’s very aware that complications can arise, but she points out that other members of the Duggar family have successfully given birth at home.
“We have lots of relatives and friends who have had wonderful experiences with giving birth at home, and we are excited and hopeful that our experience will be the same,” Jessa says. “But we also realize that sometimes (as in Jill’s case) a transfer to the hospital may be necessary, and our birth plan definitely includes a plan B.”
According to Us Weekly, Jill Dillard’s difficult birth included 70 hours of labor. Jill was looking forward to making a splash on TV by having her water birth filmed by the 19 Kids and Counting camera crew, and she had an inflatable pool ready for baby Israel’s arrival. However, little Izzy had other plans. Jill, who is now a Certified Professional Midwife, took castor oil after her water broke, and she began having painful contractions. She feared that her baby was in distress when she saw some meconium staining on her pad, and she decided to head to the hospital. Doctors eventually discovered that Israel was in the breech position, so Jill had to undergo an emergency C-section.
Jessa Seewald didn’t reveal whether her experienced midwife sister will be helping out with her first birth. Jill Dillard is currently on a long-term mission trip in Central America, but she and Derick Dillard have returned home multiple times since leaving Arkansas for the mission field. TLC is filming new specials focused on Jessa and Jill, and it would certainly make for great TV to have Jill acting as one of Jessa’s midwives during her baby’s birth.
Perhaps Jessa’s house will bring her a bit of birthing luck. She’s currently living in the same home that Josh Duggar and Anna Duggar inhabited before they moved to Washington, D.C., and Anna successfully birthed two babies there. Poor Michael was actually born on the toilet in front of the 19 Kids and Counting cameras.
After the Duggar family lost their popular TLC series, many 19 Kids and Counting fans wondered how Ben Seewald was going to support his wife. In another Duggar Family Blog post, Jessa revealed that Ben is still making a living by working for her father. Jim Bob Duggar runs a real estate business, and Ben helps out with work like mowing lawns. However, Ben doesn’t plan on working for his father-in-law forever, and it sounds like he was pretty determined to get back in front of a camera after 19 Kids was cancelled — according to ET Online, Jessa’s husband actually considered becoming an actor!
Sadly, Ben gave up on his Hollywood dream and is now planning on becoming a pastor instead. He and Jessa Seewald realize that this may require a move away from the rest of the Duggar family.
“Ben’s seminary that he’s looking into, if that requires us to move then we might eventually move. But for now, we’re in Arkansas,” Jessa said during an appearance at the Southern Women’s Show in Orlando, Florida.
If Jessa Seewald and Ben Seewald do decide to move, it looks like there’s a good chance that the TLC cameras will be there to document this big life change.
[Featured Image via Duggar Family Official Facebook]
