Jill Duggar Reveals She Suffered Miscarriage After Getting Pregnant With Third Child

10/12/2021 01:00 am EDT

Jill (Duggar) Dillard recently suffered a miscarriage, the former Counting On star announced in videos she shared on Instagram and YouTube. Dillard, 30, and husband Derick Dillard are also parents to sons Israel David, 6, and Samuel Scott, 4. The heartbreaking video begins with the family celebrating her pregnancy and when she learned she was miscarrying. The couple did not know the baby's gender, but they chose the name River Bliss Dillard.

The video shows the couple waiting for the result of a pregnancy test, which came back positive. They told their son the good news and celebrated with a pizza party. But a few days later, they learned Dillard was miscarrying. "Even though it was too early to tell the baby's gender, we picked a name that we feel encompasses our baby's significance and the life we will always remember: River Bliss Dillard," the couple wrote in a statement on their website.

They chose the name River since one meaning for it is "tranquil," which can describe the rivers in Arkansas. They also liked the name's Biblical connection. "We also like how the River talked about in the Bible (Rev. 22:1-5) represents God's life-giving presence. The river of life (Holy Spirit), 'flows from the throne of God,' and with the tree of life is 'for the healing of the nations,'" the Dillards wrote.

"Our baby doesn't get to live here with us on earth, but is forever with the source of the river of life, in the presence of the Lord," they continued. As for Bliss, they chose this because their baby is "living in perfect bliss with the Lord and was such a gift that brought immense joy and happiness to us even though only with us here on earth for a short time."

Many of Dillard's followers filled her Instagram post with messages of condolences. "Praying for you," Carlin Bates wrote. "Oh Jill, I'm so sorry for you and your family, I've been there it's so much heartache, sending you prayers for healing," one fan wrote. "Hugs, Mama. There are few things more difficult," another commented.

Dillard's younger sister Jessa (Duggar) Seewald also suffered a miscarriage in 2020. In February, she announced she was pregnant with her fourth child. Fern Elliana was born in July, joining Seewald and Ben Seewald's sons Spurgeon, 5, and Henry, 4, and daughter Ivy, 1.

The Dillards starred on Counting On until 2017. In October 2020, the couple told PEOPLE they are estranged from the rest of the Duggar family because they felt they couldn't make their own decisions about their lives. "I never expected this to happen or for it to get to this point," Dillard said at the time. "But I'm realizing I can't put a timeline on healing. I love my family and they love me. I really just have to follow God's lead and take it one day at a time."

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