- Jessa Duggar Seewald is the fifth child of Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar.
- She was featured in the reality shows ’19 Kids & Counting’ and ‘Counting On’
- Jessa has four children with her husband, Benjamin Seewald.
- Jessa announced she’s expected her fifth child in September 2023.
Jessa Duggar, 30, is a member of the Duggar family, who became famous from their now-canceled TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting. Jessa is the fifth child, and third daughter, of Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar, who have 19 children. After 19 Kids and Counting was canceled in 2015 due to Josh Duggar‘s sexual abuse scandal, Jessa starred in the spinoff Counting On, which was also canceled in 2021 because of another scandal involving her brother.
Jessa is now enjoying life away from reality television with her husband Benjamin Seewald, 28, and their four children. In February 2023, Jessa shared the heartbreaking news that she suffered a miscarriage with her fifth child two months prior. Jessa had previously suffered a pregnancy loss before her daughter Fern was born in July 2021.
After her miscarriage in 2022, Jessa revealed that she was pregnant again in September 2023. “After a heartbreaking loss of our baby last year, just this past week, we found out some wonderful news, that our rainbow baby is on the way, and we could not be more excited,” she said in a vlog.
With baby number five on the way, here’s everything you need to know about Jessa and Ben’s four children.
Spurgeon
Jessa and Ben’s eldest child, son Spurgeon Elliot Seewald, was born on November 5, 2015. Spurgeon’s birth was featured on an episode of Counting On. He was named after British preacher Charles Spurgeon. A few months after Spurgeon’s birth, Jessa told US Weekly that she planned to raise her son differently than how she grew up in her extremely conservative family.
“Spurgeon is still pretty young, but I’m sure that as he continues to grow, I will find that I tend to do some things differently than my mom did,” Jessa said at the time. “That’s the beauty of the individual family. No one is identical. There will be variations with little things here and there, but I know that our foundational goals remain the same — to raise our kids to love God and be a blessing to others,” she added.
Henry
Jessa and Ben’s second child, son Henry Wilberforce Seewald, was born on February 6, 2017. His birth was announced on an episode of Counting On. Jessa said she chose the name Henry for her second son because she “really liked it.” Henry’s middle name is in honor of William Wilberforce, a politician and philanthropist who was instrumental in putting an end to the slave trade.
The day after Henry’s birth, Jessa and Ben shared the first photo of their family of four with PEOPLE. They also did a TLC video to introduce the new addition to their family. “I think it’s really awesome that we have two little boys so close together in age,” Jessa said in the video. “I know they’re going to be best friends and love growing up and doing everything together, so I’m looking forward to seeing that.”
Ivy
Jessa and Ben’s third child, daughter Ivy Jane Seewald, was born on May 26, 2019. Like her older brothers, Ivy’s birth was featured on an episode of Counting On. Ivy weighed 7 pounds and 14 ounces and measured 20.5 inches long when she was born, according to Us Weekly. “She feels so tiny compared to her siblings!” Jessa and Ben told the publication in a statement after Ivy’s birth. The couple added, “We’re so grateful to God for this precious gift. She is already so loved. Her big brothers adore her!”
When Ivy turned 3 in May 2022, Jessa shared a sweet tribute to her eldest daughter on Instagram. “She brings joy and laughter to our home every single day,” Jessa wrote. “I can barely remember what life was like before she was here with us! So thankful to God for this precious gift of Ivy Jane!”
Fern
Jessa and Ben’s fourth child, Fern Elliana Seewald, was born July 18, 2021. Jessa revealed her second daughter’s name and sex in a “Birth Story” video on YouTube. Fern weighed 8 pounds and 5.9 ounces, and was 21 inches long. The “Birth Story”, which was broken up into several parts, also featured Ivy, Henry, and Spurgeon meeting their new sibling for the first time. Jessa shared a photo of Fern when she was 2 weeks old. Baby Fern wore a yellow bandana with a bow in it in the snapshot, which Jessa captioned, “Baby Fern is 2 weeks old!”
In Sept. 2022, Jessa posted a photo of Ben holding baby Fern, and shared that Fern is “a daddy’s girl— no doubt about it!” Jessa revealed that Fern “runs across the house” when she hears Ben coming home from work. “And I’m not jealous— not one bit!” Jessa said. “I’m just over here melting into a literal puddle every time I witness these scenes.”
