Joy-Anna Duggar Considered a Home Water Birth To Have Her Baby Boy
Feb. 25 2019, Updated 11:51 a.m. ET
Joy-Anna Duggar, like her sisters, would have preferred to have a more natural home birth, a new Counting On clip from an upcoming episode reveals. But she wound up having to have her baby boy by husband Austin Forsyth as a C-section in the hospital instead! As PEOPLE has reported, the clip from the episode set to air on Monday shows Joy-Anna, 20, exploring all birth options before her son's arrival.
She mused on camera about a possible water birth, "I want to have all the options available, but I’m not sure."
Joy-Anna and Forsyth, who were caught in a shotgun wedding scandal, discussed home birth with their midwife on their TLC show.
"We want a home birth, we’re going to try, but we’re not going to risk mom and baby’s life," Forsyth, 24, said.
His nervous young wife confided to their midwife, "I’m just having to remind myself not to let the fears and anxiety things take over and just prepare as best as I can and be flexible at the same time.
"My thoughts right now? If you ask me, I mean, they change. Sometimes I’m like, ‘I’m ready for this, I can do this!’ And then sometimes I’m like, ‘Why am I doing this?’ It changes. But right now, I’m excited and I’m ready and I want to have this baby as soon as it’s ready to come out," Joy-Anna said.
On her TLC birth special, Joy-Anna reiterated that their hope was to have the baby at home, where she was "more comfortable. I really wanted to at least try it."
But after being in labor for over 20 hours at home, Joy-Anna’s midwife determined her baby was in the dangerous breech position. Joy-Anna was rushed to the hospital, and doctors performed an emergency C-section on Feb. 23.
Healthy bouncing baby Gideon turned out to be a bruiser, measuring 22 inches long and weighing 10 lbs., 3 oz.
Jim Bob and Michelle, and Forsyth's parents Terry and Roxanne were on hand for the birth. "I think it’s pretty amazing," Austin said on the happy day. "God is good." Home births seem to be elusive for the Duggars. Joy-Anna's sister Jill, who works as a midwife, had two C-section for her baby sons with husband Derick Dillard.
As RadarOnline.com readers know, ultra-religious Jill’s first birth was chaotic as she wanted to do it at home but was rushed to the hospital after a 70-hour labor and scary complications, The whole drama was shown on Counting On. Jill also had a second C-section with her second boy.
Counting On airs Mondays (9 p.m. ET) on TLC.
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