Michelle Duggar on Kids Becoming Adults

FAMILY MATTERS on 05.31.13

Michelle Duggar19 Kids and CountingBIO

 

Photo: DCL

Question from a "19 Kids and Counting" fan: How do you feel about Jana and Jill pursuing midwifery?

 Boy, it’s definitely been exciting. It’s very interesting to me. Jana from the beginning has just loved children. And being the first-born daughter in our family you would think as she becomes an adult she probably has had her fill with children around all the time -- that she’d probably want to do something with adults. But it is so interesting to see that any time she has an opportunity to do something in the community it always has to do with children. She wants to go to the children’s home. She wants to help mamas deliver babies. It’s just all about kids.

Jana and Jill both have been a team together working in midwifery. Jana really wants to be a doula and assist mothers in labor. She really has a good way about her when it comes to crisis situations. She can take the bull by the horns. Around the house, if Mama isn’t here at the moment and somebody has a boo-boo, Jana can fix it.

Jill is interested in the study of midwifery and taking full responsibility at the birth. I think it’s kind of neat to see the two of them work together. They’re gone for days sometimes delivering a baby; when a mother is in labor Jana and Jill are there for the duration. Whether it’s a hospital birth, home birth or a birthing center the team sticks together. So they get a call, and we don’t know when we’ll see them again. It’s been a very rewarding learning experience for the girls. I think Jill will continue her studies to get her accredited midwifery license. And Jana is piling up the hours in her doula training.

I see Jana now and I remember her personality when she was young. I would have never have thought that she would have gone the direction she did. She was very energetic as a little girl, but she’s very reserved and quiet as an adult. But boy, when she jumps into a crisis situation, she’s in charge, and she’s capable. I just encourage all of them. I tell them there’s absolutely nothing that they cannot do if God has called them to do it; he will equip you with what you need and you will be capable.