Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard are grieving the loss of their fourth child, a baby girl named Isla Marie Dillard. The couple announced the infant’s stillbirth delivery on April 13.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the stillbirth of our beautiful baby girl, Isla Marie Dillard,” the Counting On alum wrote in a joint Instagram post. “Jill was 4 months pregnant (due in August) when we found out that our baby died in utero. From the moment we found out we were pregnant, we couldn’t wait to meet our baby. Isla was much loved from the start, and her 3 big brothers were so excited to introduce her to their world.”
The couple also included a photo of themselves holding newborn baby clothes as they mourned their daughter. “We appreciate your prayers as we continue to grieve and heal from the loss of our little Isla Marie,” the message concluded.
Jill, 32, and Derick, 35, had not publicly announced the news of the pregnancy before the stillbirth. The reality stars are already parents to sons Israel, 9, Samuel, 6, and Freddy, 21 months. In 2021, Jill also miscarried a baby named River.
Shortly after welcoming Freddy, Jill reflected on the loss in an October 2022 Instagram post. “As I sit here this morning nursing our little Freddy, covered in spit up and a little sleep deprived, I feel conflicted with feelings of loss and joy,” she shared. “I miss the moments we never had with River, yet I feel so so thankful for where we are this year holding our sweet little newborn & I do not take for granted what a blessing this journey of motherhood is.”
She also gave a shout-out to other moms dealing with pregnancy loss and concluded, “I can’t wait to see you in heaven my baby! Until then, have fun running the streets of gold with Jesus and getting lots of cuddles from grandpa & great grandparents and cousins who have joined you there!”
In her 2023 book, Counting the Cost, Jill opened up about possibly not having as many children as she originally thought she would. Her concerns came after Samuel dealt with health problems post-birth. That, coupled with Jill’s difficult birth experience, led her to visit a fertility specialist.
After the book’s release, Jill recalled telling her father, Jim Bob Duggar, “I don’t think I’ll be able to have any more kids,” in a November 2023 interview. “My dad pipes up, ‘We don’t really know, do we now?’ He’s trying to control the situation,” she added. Derick chimed in, “This idea still that he was a gatekeeper for our information. ‘We don’t know that yet. Let’s be careful what we say to other people.’”
Derick also pointed out, “Another toxic aspect of this culture is there’s also a sense of hierarchy that you’re less than if you have less kids. But even your parents have said, ‘Whoever has the most kids gets the house.’” However, Jill made it clear that her mom and dad were “half-joking.”
“In the book, I talk about the shift of going from feeling that pressure, being OK with having a lot of children, in that belief system that I grew up in,” she said. “To then having the shift of being like, ‘Do I trust in God with the number of children that I’m supposed to have?’ could also mean trusting Him if he doesn’t give us 20 kids.”
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