As the Duggar family attempt to move on from the molestation scandal that shut down their television show, Jessa (Duggar) Seewald prepares to become a mum. But it’s not going to be quite the same for the 22-year-old.
“It is now bittersweet, because it’s not lost on [Jessa] that Jill giving birth to Israel got an entire TLC special devoted to it,” a source told PEOPLE.
Jessa will give birth to her first child with her husband, Ben, on November 1.
And while her older sister, Jill’s pregnancy was documented on the family’s reality television show 19 Kids and Counting, Jessa will not have any cameras documenting her pregnancy.
19 Kids was cancelled in May after it was revealed Josh Duggar had sexually assaulted young girls, with both Jessa and Jill coming forward as victims.
Josh has since apologised and both sisters have publicly forgiven him, but the public hasn’t forgotten.
“Jessa would have liked to have had the same sort of platform to give thanks, show what a miracle she feels her child is and express her gratitude,” says the source.
“The show isn’t there to chronicle this happy time, and even though she’s posting on social media, the scandal still gets brought up by commenters. So much has changed for Jessa compared to what Jill experienced, and it can’t be changed back. And that’s sad for her.”
Both Jessa and Jill will return to TLC to appear on a special raising awareness of child sexual abuse in conjunction with organisations RAINN and Darkness to Light.
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