Josiah Duggar Shares a Tribute to Wife Lauren on the '1st Mother’s Day' after Her Miscarriage
“You are a mother,” Josiah Duggar told his wife Lauren during an emotional post on her first Mother’s Day after she experienced a miscarriage.
Alongside a picture of the couple, Josiah shared words of solace and the recognition of Lauren as a mother, even though she didn’t get to hold her baby.
"To my dear Lauren... Happy 1st Mother’s Day!" Josiah began. "I have seen you love, protect, and how much you have given without getting anything in return. I wish our sweet baby could’ve seen just how wonderful a mother you are."
The 22-year-old “Counting On” star added, "Not all mothers arms get to hold their little one or get to hear their baby’s laughs and cries. You may have missed out on these things since our baby was called home to be with Jesus, but you ARE a mother. I love you, Lauren!"
In February, Lauren and Josiah revealed to PEOPLE in an exclusive “Counting On” clip that she experienced a miscarriage in October last year, only weeks after the couple announced they were expecting their first child.
Lauren started feeling unwell late one night and started cramping “really, really bad.” She thought it odd because she normally didn’t experience cramps. “I thought I had something with gluten in it,” she said.
But when she went to the bathroom, she realized the cramping had nothing to do with anything she ate. “I went to the restroom, and right there was the baby," Lauren said tearfully. "Gone. I couldn't believe it, and I was hoping it wasn't true."
In coping with the devastating loss, Lauren said that their faith helps her believe that she would one day get reunited with her baby in heaven.
For Lauren, seeing other babies would always be a reminder of her own loss. “No one can ever heal from losing a child,” she said. "They say time will heal, but it's a little different."
“I may never get to have memories, get to take pictures, hold and kiss my baby, but I will one day get to hold my baby," Lauren added.
Lauren openly shared her loss because she wanted “to let y’ all know that you’re not alone.” The couple got married on June 30 last year after a short engagement and Lauren wanted to raise awareness around the topic “nobody really talks about.”
What she described as the “worst day of my life,” she also shared that she couldn’t have gotten through it without the support of her family.
Similarly, other celebrities who recently experienced the same devastating loss, also aim at raising awareness around miscarriage.
In April last year, after she suspected a miscarriage, Hilaria Baldwin candidly shared her emotional journey through updates on doctor visits, sonar scans, and how she coped with the eventual loss of her baby.
“I have no shame or embarrassment with this experience. I want to be a part of the effort to normalize miscarriage and remove the stigma from it,” she said.