It looks like it will be an extra merry Christmas for Jessa Duggar and husband Ben Seewald this year! The pair just announced that they welcomed their fifth baby (a boy!) on December 19, 2023, making them a family of seven. The reality star made the announcement on Instagram on December 23. She shared photo from the hospital and a caption that noted "Baby is here and we couldn’t be more grateful!"
Jessa and Ben, who married in 2014, are also parents to daughters Ivy, 4, and Fern, 2, and sons Henry, 6, and Spurgeon, who is their eldest (and most controversially named) at 9 years old. Jessa also took to the couple's YouTube channel to share some more details about the birth of their son, including that her mother, Michelle Duggar, was in attendance.
More from CafeMom: Jessa Duggar Responds to Fan Concerns Over How Her Husband Treated Her on a Lunch Date
Baby No. 5 was a rainbow baby for Jessa and Ben.
In February 2023, Jessa revealed that she and Ben had experienced a miscarriage over the 2022 holiday season. At the time she also announced that she would be taking a break from social media as she processed her grief and the pregnancy loss.
Fans were excited for her when she announced in September 2023 that she was expecting again. In October she shared her optimism for a healthy delivery, noting that "every heartbeat heard, every ultrasound seen, every appointment with a good report…the worries fade a little bit more. God has blessed us beyond measure, and YOU ARE SO, SO LOVED, my little one.
#rainbowbaby "
Jessa opted for a hospital birth for the new baby.
Jessa, who has given birth at home previously and experienced some complications that led to a 911 call and hospital transport, delivered her fifth baby at the hospital. She revealed on her YouTube channel that after more than 12 hours of labor, she chose to get an epidural, noting that "it worked great on one side and it was, like, sort of spotty on the other side. It wasn’t a perfect take, but I would say 80 percent better than what it was before getting it."
After about 21 hours of labor, little boy Seewald make his grand entrance. According to Jessa, "he sweetest moment… when they raised the baby up and put him on me. Just holding him there, I think there were just so many emotions in that moment, so many things that you’re processing. It’s been a year since we lost our last baby and just a flood of emotions."
Jessa and Ben haven't revealed the baby's name yet.
Although Jessa and Ben have confirmed that the baby was a boy, they are holding off on revealing the name. Prior to the birth, Jessa also mentioned she was predicting a big baby "in the nine pound range" and that turned out to be a very good guess. Her big boy weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs., 14 oz.!
Fans should stay tuned to her YouTube channel for upcoming videos that promise to reveal the baby's name and the moment her little kids met their newest sibling.
