Arkansas mum gives birth to 18th child

The Duggar family are now 18 strong... and counting.

www.duggarfamily.com

AN Arkansas woman has given birth to her 18th child.

Michelle Duggar delivered the baby girl by Caesarean section on Thursday at Mercy Medical Centre in Rogers. The baby, named Jordyn-Grace Makiya Duggar, weighed 3.26kg and was 51cm long.

"The ultimate Christmas gift from God," said Jim Bob Duggar, the father of the 18 children. "She's just absolutely beautiful, like her mom and her sisters."

The Duggars now have 10 sons and eight daughters.

Jim Bob Duggar said Michelle started having contractions on Wednesday night. She needed the Caesarean section, her third, because the baby was lying sideways. Jim Bob said both baby and mother were doing well on Thursday night.

"We both would love to have more," he said.

The US cable network TLC broadcasts a weekly show about the Duggars, called Seventeen and Counting. Chris Finnegan of TLC - which handles public relations for the Duggar family - said the show's name would be updated to account for the latest addition to the family. He said TLC also will air a show on Monday on the baby's delivery.

Jim Bob Duggar is 43, a year older than his wife. Their oldest child, Joshua, is 20.

The other Duggar children, in between Joshua and Jordyn-Grace, are Jana, 18; John-David, 18; Jill, 17; Jessa, 16; Jinger, 14; Joseph, 13; Josiah, 12; Joy-Anna, 11; Jeremiah, nine; Jedidiah, nine; Jason, eight; James, seven; Justin, six; Jackson, four; Johannah, three; and Jennifer, one.

"Our whole family is excited about Jordyn's addition to our family," Jim Bob Duggar said. "She's just perfect in every way."

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