13 Kids and wanting more

Off to watch it now.....

Im watching, it doesnt make me angry so much as baffles me. their bodies must go through so much and I wonder how the heck they afford it!

tax credits and other benefits i d imagine. it makes me angry tbh, its so bloody irresponsible.

We'll find out I guess! still some time to get angry.

oh forgot to mention, wizard's sleeve comes to mind! ?

Yes thats what I mean. So often on these programmes they scrape the bottom of societies barrel and give really awful representation of families like these . For once I would love to see a positive example.

Gah computer ate my reply again. the guardian last sat had an article about them, said they were not on benefits.

my gut reaction without having watched it is 13 is too many children. Seems like an obsession that has more to do with fulfilling the parents wishes rather than anything altruistic. And not terribly environmentally friendly, eh?

I dont think there is a positive example with something like this. the UK is vastly overpopulated as it is.

Really fancy watching this but H is watching Heroes, so will be watching this thread as a way of keeping up ?

I feel sorry for Noreen, she doesn't seem to want any more but her husband refuses to wear a condom.

I can't decide if they are lucky to be able to afford 13 children and comtemplate more or whether the thought of all that hard work fills me with dread. Imagine the ironing <weep>

Well I do feel sorry for her, but there are alternatives.

lucky? what about the drains on resources? the water use, the food, the power use, the list is endless.

Err, the house was manky wasn't it ? The kids were sleeping in their clothes and on bare matresses. Ick !

That health visitor is wasting her breath with him. He is oblivious

The house did look a bit manky, were there 5 or 6 sharing that room? can't be good for them ?

Yes there are alternatives but as I found out myself trying to get a coil fitted takes time, I've been waiting for about 5 weeks so far. I also have a husband who refuses to wear a condom and I refuse to take the pill as I don't want the hormones in my body. So in the meantime we don't use protection. I do try to time it so that it's when I'm not likely to be ovulating, but don't tell him that.

I got a coil fitted the same week by going to the Family Planning Clinic. If you don't mind getting pregnant, that's all very well, but after 10 children, it's plain irresponsible.

There goes all my sympathy for him, not getting a job because he's muslim ?

he seems a bit loopy to me.

"I've got lots of Muslim friends" ?

Ok I'm angry. He has 7 degrees, 11 kids and not one job. I don't believe for one minute that he can't get a job because he is a musilm.

She's taking a course of reflexology to boost her fertility? ? She's already got 12 children, how much more fertility does she need? ?

Im suprised she needed to read the instructions on the pregnancy test?

Bah this program is making me broody! Although I think 4 is my limit ?

And that bloke is just asking for a slap!

I'm thinking live and let live. It doesn't appeal to me in the slightest, but then, I suspect my lifestyle doesn't appeal to them [shrug].

I'm very uncomfortable with the "irresponsible" tag though. How many children would you deem "responsible"? None? 2? I particularly dislike the irresponsible tag when some of these people want nothing more in life than more children, and are (largely) supporting them alone. As for the resources argument - it doesn't wash with me - surely a family of 13 in a 4bed house is more efficient use than if only a couple lived there...when space is at such a premium in the UK. [disclaimer: that last bit was tongue in cheek - I fully appreciate the water, energy etc arguments]

It would be interesting for them to interview older children/adults who are part of families this size; I wonder what kind of effect it has on them.

It took me over 4 years to get pregnant with my first baby so I never looked into contraception apart from the depo (which I'm sure stopped me conceiving in the first place). Having had her 9 months ago I decided I didn't want to get pregnant again so soon so went to my GP, who did some test and told me I would be contacted about an appointment. I'm still waiting.

My point is that I feel her husband is more responsible for it and she has to go along with it. From what I can see Noreen struggles with her English and goes along with what her husband wants (like a good muslim wife should?).

it IS irresponsible. the country is horribly overpopulated. if each of those kids have just one child each, and those have one each, it means that that couple are effectively operating a village-making machine. we do not have the resources to support that kind of ...breeding (for want of a better word)

I think it's irresponsible when you don't have a job and are therefore expecting the state to support you.

I suspect that there is good and bad to have living in a family like this. Much like when you are an only child, theres good and bad. I think if the household is organised and the parents make a big effort to spend one on one time with each child I think it would be a great place to grow up.

I just keep thinking of the logistics of looking after so many children. For example: feeding them well, discipline, helping them with their homework, how on earth can you do this for all of them?

I think I feel the most sorry for Noreen - the other women seem to really really want to have this many kids whereas she seems to be just going along with what her husband wants whether or not she can physically manage another child

I just don't agree. Families of this size are extremely rare (hence why there's a documentary - so we can ogle at the weirdies). The UK is not overpopulated because of families like this. However, I do agree with Hazel that it's irresponsbile if you can't support your brood - from what I've seen so far, that represents only one family highlighted in this film.

Did anyone ever see a prog on Sky about this family? https://www.duggarfamily.com/ this woman is currently expecting her 18th child and all of their names begin with J.

There is even one called Jinger?