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Jessa Duggar reflects on pregnancy after Lauren's miscarriage

By Annie Martin

Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Jessa Duggar is feeling grateful for her pregnancy following her sister-in-law Lauren Duggar's miscarriage.

The 26-year-old television personality shared a baby bump photo at 25 weeks and her grief over Josiah Duggar and Lauren Duggar's miscarriage in an Instagram post Thursday.

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Jessa, who is expecting her third child with husband Ben Seewald, told fans she and Lauren were due to give birth on the same day.

"Pregnancy -- such a precious gift, and definitely not something I take for granted," the star wrote.

"As we look forward to meeting our baby, we're also feeing an exceptional amount of grief over my brother Josiah and sister-in-law Lauren's loss of their baby," she said. "Lauren and I shared the exact same due date. We have cried so many tears, both together and apart. My heart aches for them."

The Counting On star encouraged others to share their grief as a step toward healing. She had nothing but praise for Lauren, who was expecting her first child with Josiah.

"We must all reinforce the fact that emotions over a life lost are not something to be resisted. They're not wrong, and you should never think that for a moment," Duggar wrote.

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"Lauren, you're such a positive, life-giving soul, even in walking through a great hardship and suffering so much loss," she said. "We love you both so much, and pray that God would continue to comfort your hearts."

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#25weeks Pregnancy— such a precious gift, and definitely not something I take for granted. As we look forward to meeting our baby, we’re also feeling an exceptional amount of grief over my brother Josiah and sister-in-law Lauren’s loss of their baby. Lauren and I shared the exact same due date. We have cried so many tears, both together and apart. My heart aches for them. I weep when I think of how difficult it must be for her to see me pregnant in the very stages where she would’ve been— right up through the baby’s due date. And yet, even in a flood of emotions, there are perplexities of the human heart that may cause us to want to clam up or remain silent through such a trial. Because of this, many people feel like they’re walking this road alone. It is true that speaking for the sake of filling silence is not needful and is often hurtful. I’ve watched Lauren converse with people who have been unknowingly insensitive, and I am amazed by her graciousness. I’ve heard some try to give reasons or explanations, not realizing that their unsolicited opinions might be very painful, like salt to a wound. One might never know the tears you cry at night as a result of their words flowing back through your head. Often times, “I love you and I’m praying for you” along with a hug are quite sufficient. We do not need to fill every silence with words. But at the same time, conversations of lost dreams should never feel suppressed. Silence can stifle healing, but a carefully chosen word may work to help bring life and healing to the soul. We must all reinforce the fact that emotions over a life lost are not something to be resisted. They’re not wrong, and you should never think that for a moment. If you’ve lost a child, know this— YOU ARE A MAMA, and you will never cease to think about and cherish the life you carried... **swipe left to read more**

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A post shared by Jessa Seewald (@jessaseewald) on

Josiah and Lauren announced Lauren's miscarriage in a video message this month. The couple lost their unborn child just four months after their wedding.

"It was a really hard time for our family," Josiah said. "All the dreams of getting to see our little one and hold it in our hands were dashed before our eyes."

Jessa and Seewald announced in January they are expecting their third child. The couple are already parents to two sons, 3-year-old Spurgeon and 2-year-old Henry.

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