Jessa (Duggar) Seewald and her husband, Ben Seewald, are creating memories with their five children — Spurgeon, Henry, Ivy, Fern and George.
The couple, who starred in TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting and its spinoff series, Counting On, got married on Nov. 1, 2014.
Prior to the wedding, Jessa was already thinking about becoming a mom. “We both want to have a big family,” she told the same year, adding that they were excited about building a future together — one filled with kids. The pair didn’t have to wait long, either.
After saying “I do,” they welcomed their first child, son Spurgeon, in November 2015. Jessa and Ben's second son, Henry, was born in February 2017, followed by their daughter Ivy in May 2019. After experiencing a pregnancy loss in 2020, Jessa welcomed another daughter, Fern, in July 2021.
A little over two years later, in September 2023, Jessa and Ben announced that baby No. 5 was on the way after another miscarriage in 2022, and in December 2023, the couple shared that their fifth child, a baby boy, had arrived.
"Baby is here and we couldn’t be more grateful!" she shared in an Instagram post announcing the birth.
Here’s everything to know about Jessa (Duggar) Seewald's children — Spurgeon, Henry, Ivy, Fern and George.
Spurgeon Elliot Seewald, 8
Jessa and Ben welcomed their first child, Spurgeon Elliot, on Nov. 5, 2015, just days after their first wedding anniversary. Their son was born at their home in Arkansas after a difficult, nearly 48-hour delivery.
“Labor is hard,” Jessa told days after his birth, calling the experience “very intense” and “very long.” She went through 10 hours of contractions before Spurgeon arrived. “Everything was different than I expected,” she added.
Shortly after giving birth, the new mom had to be rushed to the hospital for a blood transfusion but was quickly able to return home and begin her journey into motherhood. “I can’t believe he’s really ours,” she said, calling her newborn son “a miracle.”
The couple spent some time choosing the perfect name for their little one.
“We want to give him a strong name, with a lot of meaning,” Jessa told at the time. Ultimately, they opted to name him after one of Ben's heroes, the influential British preacher Charles Spurgeon.
Jessa has said that her eldest has grown into a sweet and helpful big brother to his three siblings. On the Duggar Family blog, she described Spurgeon as a kind, “creative” and “thoughtful” child who loves “imaginative play” and books.
“He’s a sweet-hearted, talkative little guy, and he keeps us laughing with the funny things he says,” she wrote. “He’s thoughtful with his words — thanking people when they do things for him and complimenting if he thinks someone’s clothes look nice.”
Henry Wilberforce Seewald, 7
Fifteen months after baby Spurgeon was born, Jessa and Ben welcomed their second son, Henry Wilberforce, on Feb. 6, 2017. He was born at home like his older brother, but for Jessa, the second time around was far easier.
“Labor is labor, but it was calm and relaxed,” she told, “Ben and I were surprised how fast it went.”
In fact, it was so sudden that Jessa's mom, family matriarch Michelle Duggar, and older sister, Jana, nearly missed it. “They came at the very end,” Jessa explained. “I was already pushing when they walked in the door.”
The reality star may have grown up in a famously large family, but she said adjusting to another baby was still a “challenge."
“I feel like every day is different,” she explained in a 2017 episode of Counting On. “Some days it's very, very simple ... Other days, it's a little more chaotic.”
Jessa wasn’t the only one who needed to adjust. Speaking after Henry's birth, the couple opened up about Spurgeon’s reaction to becoming a big brother.
“We thought, ‘This is going to be so adorable,’ but he wasn’t really sure about it,” Jessa said. “He thought Henry was a toy." Ben shared their eldest had “no concept of being soft.”
Luckily, that might not have been an issue for Henry, who Jessa described on the Duggar Family blog as “bold, rambunctious, and full of energy.” She shared that he “has a strong sense of right and wrong” and loves to sing, read and snuggle with his parents.
Jessa celebrated Henry's sixth birthday with a sweet Instagram post. “Henry is a ray of sunshine in our home!” she wrote alongside a photo of him with an ice cream cone. She went on to describe his love of reading, building Legos and cuddling up to her before praising his ability to care for his sister Ivy.
“He’s so gentle and caring towards his baby sister and absolutely adores her," Jessa wrote. "He’s both tender and bold, loving and full of laughter."
Ivy Jane Seewald, 4
On May 26, 2019, Jessa and Ben welcomed their first baby girl and third child, Ivy Jane.
“She feels so tiny compared to her siblings!” the pair said in a statement. “She is already so loved. Her big brothers adore her!”
Although Jessa and Ben waited to name their sons, they had Ivy picked out for their daughter before she was even born. “Ivy Jane, we just liked those two names,” Ben said in a TLC clip shortly after her birth. “We liked the way those names flowed together.”
He went on to explain the meaning behind the moniker. “With her middle name, Jane, she’s actually named after Lady Jane Grey,” he said, referencing one of England's shortest-reigning queens. “She was a very inspirational character to us.”
Adding a daughter to the family after having two boys was exciting for them. “I definitely shed some tears,” Jessa said. Ben, too, had a rush of strong feelings.
“Holding little Ivy for the first time, it was a really special moment for me,” he said. “I was kind of taking it all in. I don’t know how to describe what I was feeling at that moment. The other day, the thought occurred to me: 'Wow, I could be walking her down the aisle someday.’ ”
It seemed Spurgeon and Henry were equally as enamored with her. “She loves her big brothers, and has them wrapped around her finger,” Jessa wrote on the Duggar Family blog. In addition, Jessa described her first daughter's personality.
“She has the biggest, bluest eyes,” the mom wrote, adding that she has “a remarkable vocabulary” and “so much personality in such a tiny human!”
Fern Elliana Seewald, 2
In February 2021, Jessa announced that she and Ben were expecting their fourth baby after experiencing a miscarriage the previous year. On July 19, their baby girl, Fern Elliana, arrived. Unlike her older siblings, who were born at home, she was born in a hospital.
In a YouTube video, Jessa opened up about the decision, saying that although she was nervous about the change, she felt it was the best option based on her “history.”
“I’ve had three home births, three great home births, good experiences, no complications with the birth itself, but I have had postpartum hemorrhage two times,” she said.
Jessa went on to say that although she would miss not having “the comfort of home,” she was looking forward to the possibility of an epidural this time around.
In part one of Jessa's birth story video series on YouTube, she admitted that finding the right name for Fern was a bit of a struggle.
“I feel like the more kids you have, the more you've used up the favorites,” she said. “And I haven't even always liked the same names from pregnancy to pregnancy. It's kind of changed."
Personality-wise, Jessa has described Fern as a sweet, joyful girl.
“She’s just about the happiest baby you’ll ever meet!” she wrote on the Duggar Family blog. “She hardly ever cries. She’s full of smiles, whether she knows you or not. Her older siblings are constantly bringing her toys or entertaining her, waiting on her hand and foot!”
In a December 2023 YouTube video about her fifth pregnancy, Jessa shared that Fern was looking forward to becoming a big sister. "She is constantly talking about the baby and how excited she is," Jessa said. "She tells everybody Mommy has a baby in her belly, and she kisses my belly, and she says, 'I want to hold the baby.' "
George Augustine Seewald
In September 2023, Jessa announced that she was expecting baby No. 5 after another miscarriage in 2022. The following month, the former TLC star offered a pregnancy update on Instagram.
“Every heartbeat heard, every ultrasound seen, every appointment with a good report … the worries fade a little bit more,” she wrote alongside a photo of her latest ultrasound. "YOU ARE SO, SO LOVED, my little one #rainbowbaby🌈.”
A few months later, Jessa revealed that her son, George Augustine Seewald, was born on Dec. 19, 2023, sharing a video of his birth on YouTube. Later, she updated with another video that showed her older four children meeting their baby brother for the first time at the hospital.
Just when you think your heart can't be any more full as a parent, you see your bigger kids loving on the newborn baby, and your heart just swells with emotion," Jessa said. "It's the sweetest thing to witness."
