Jill Duggar Dillard and Derick Dillard revealed they experienced a stillbirth of a daughter they named Isla Marie.
The couple shared the heartbreaking update in an Instagram post and in a blog post Sunday.
"💔It is with heavy hearts that we announce the stillbirth of our beautiful baby girl, Isla Marie Dillard," the Dillards wrote in the accompanying caption. Jill was due in August but in April the Dillards announced that they found out that their baby died in utero.
"From the moment we found out we were pregnant, we couldn't wait to meet our baby. Isla was much loved from the start, and her 3 big brothers were so excited to introduce her to their world," they continued. "We appreciate your prayers as we continue to grieve and heal from the loss of our little Isla Marie."
Stillbirth, a type of pregnancy loss where a baby dies before or during delivery, affects about 1 in 175 births in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Unlike miscarriage, where a baby dies before the 20th week of pregnancy, stillbirth refers to when a baby dies at or after the 20th week of pregnancy.
Stillbirth, as the CDC notes, can occur in women of any age, ethnicity, race, or socioeconomic background. Certain factors may increase the risk of stillbirth including being Black, 35 or older, smoking, a medical condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure, or a previous pregnancy loss.
Duggar Dillard, 33, and Dillard, 35, have been married since June 21, 2014, and are parents to sons Israel David, Samuel Scott and "Freddy" Frederick Michael.
Dillard is an attorney in Oklahoma, where the family moved to in 2022.
