Joy-Anna Duggar Dealing with the Pain of Her Miscarriage

Joy-Anna Duggar and her husband, Austin Forsyth were left heartbroken after she suffered a miscarriage. The pair have a son already.

In April the Forsyth's announced that they were expecting baby number 2. Joy-Anna, 21, and Austin, 25, had their first child, Gideon, 14 months before the announcement.

They were looking forward to becoming a family of four. Unfortunately, things took a heartbreaking turn during the fifth month of the pregnancy.

Pregnancy Announcement:

The pregnancy was announced on the Duggar family website. Joy-Anna's parents, Jim Bob, 53, and Michelle, 52, said:

“The Bible is right, there is no greater JOY than seeing your children walk in truth. We have loved watching Austin and Joy build their lives together as a married couple and as parents. Their love for God, each other, Gideon, and others is genuine and inspiring. We could not be more thankful as we watch their lives unfold day by day. A new baby will bring even more joy and blessings to their lives and ours. We are on cloud nine that another grandbaby will make a debut in 2019!”

“Our favorite math is addition and we are very excited to share that the Forsyth family is adding a member!” they said. “Marriage and being a mom and dad to Gideon has already far exceeded our expectations. We are looking forward to loving another little one and seeing what special dynamic he or she brings to our family. Table for 4 sounds perfect!” wrote Joy-Anna, 21, and Austin, 25.

When was the baby due:

According to an Instagram post, the baby was due in November this year. Unfortunately, she would not make it to that day.

“Some of you have guessed, some of you had no clue… November 2019 Baby Forsyth #2 is Due!” they wrote. “Cannot wait to meet this new little one! Gideon is going to be such a great big brother!! #baby2due #babyforsyth #pregnant.”

10 Week Scan:

The couple then shared a glimpse of their baby's 10-week ultrasound on Instagram. They wrote:

“Finally got our 10-week ultrasound video downloaded!! Look how tiny it’s little arms and legs are!! Looking forward to meeting this baby in 6 & 1/2 months!!!”

Miscarriage

In July 2019, the "Counting On" star took to Instagram to share devastating news with her fans. Joy-Anna shared a painful black-and-white photo of her resting on a hospital bed with her husband holding her.

“Today marks one week since we heard these words… ‘So this is your baby’s heart (pointing to the ultrasound screen). I don’t hear a heartbeat or see any movement,” Joy-Anna wrote.

Joy-Anna went on to explain that she and Austin had gone in for her 20-week ultrasound scan. They were hoping to see the gender of the baby but unfortunately also found out that the baby had passed away. The miscarriage comes just after Grandma Duggar passed away.

The gender and name of the baby:

Joy-Anna revealed that they had been expecting a little girl. The couple had already picked out a name for her. They called her Annabell Elise.

“Annabell means ‘God has favored me,’ and Elise means ‘God satisfies.’ What a precious thing to know that when our daughter opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the face of Jesus,” revealed Joy-Anna.

Dealing with the loss:

Joy-Anna revealed that even though the experience was extremely painful and traumatic, the family is coping with their loss better than they had thought they would. She said:

“Although we don’t understand why, God has given us unexplainable peace and comfort during this very difficult time. Yes, it still hurts and we have cried countless tears, but we know that we can trust the Lord. In the words of King David after the loss of his baby, ‘I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me’ (2 Sam 12:23). We don’t grieve as those who have no hope because we trust that we will see this little one again. Please pray for continued healing, not only physically but for our hearts as well."

The couple's history:

Joy-Anna and Austin married in May 2017 at Cross Church in Rogers, Arkansas. They had their first child together in February 2018.

Little Gideon was born a healthy baby boy and was 22 inches long and weighing 10 lbs., 3 oz. At the time the couple said:

“We are blessed beyond measure with the arrival of our son. Looking at our child for the first time was such an incredible moment! God is so good, and we are so thankful.”