The couple had waited a year before getting pregnant following the birth of their eldest son, Gideon, now 7, since Joy-Anna had to undergo an emergency C-section. But after realizing she hadn’t felt the baby kick in a few weeks, they went to the doctor, whose face “completely sunk” during the appointment as Joy-Anna and Austin learned there was no heartbeat.
“It wasn’t until a week later that we went into the hospital and delivered Annabell there,” she said. “That was extremely hard, going through the whole delivery process.”
The 27-year-old, who also shares kids Evelyn, 4, and Gunner, 2, with Austin, was grateful to have had a great support system amid the tragic experience, but emphasized that it was still “extremely difficult.”
“It doesn’t matter at what gestation, your body still thinks that you’re pregnant,” she said. “Even if you’re mentally struggling, physically, your body is struggling because it’s wrecked your system.”
She added, “It takes a long time physically for your body to recover from that.”
For a closer look at the Duggar family tree, keep reading.
