'Counting On's Jinger Duggar Reveals What Her Labor With Baby Felicity Was Like

For first-time expectant moms, the prospect of labor and delivery can be a daunting one. Sure, the baby is eventually going to come out one way or another. But hearing stories of excruciating, days-long labors — along with firsthand accounts of exactly what it feels like to push a human out of your nether region — doesn't exactly make pregnant women any more thrilled about the process. And who can blame them, really? A medication-free delivery is no walk in the park, regardless of how some celebrities and social media stars may romanticize it. Recently, Counting On star Jinger Duggar revealed her labor with baby Felicity was exhausting, which so many moms can relate to, but she also shared that family support helped her through it all.

On July 19, Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo welcomed their first child together — a baby girl they named Felicity, as TODAY reported. “God is so kind! Jinger gave birth to Felicity Nicole Vuolo this morning at 4:37 am.," the Vuolos wrote on their website. "Felicity weighs 8lbs. and 3oz. and is 19.5 inches long. Both mom and baby are healthy, doing great, and resting well. We are very thankful for her safe arrival and look forward to life as parents!”

At the time, not much information was provided about the nature of the delivery. However, details of what it was like for the reality star are now slowly emerging.

Now that Jinger has experienced the birthing process for herself — and has had a moment to recover — she recently opened up with Us Weekly to share how she made it to the other side.

“I had heard so much about what it would feel like, the kind of pain I would experience and how difficult it would be, and it made me nervous,” she explained in the new issue of Us Weekly. “But when the time came, I felt like God gave the grace to cope.” According to Us Weekly, Jinger continued:

Everyone told me giving birth was like running a marathon but until I experienced it, I really did not know what to expect. But I have been so thankful to have so much great help around me, giving me time to rest and recover.

During this same interview, the new mom also opened up about how supportive Jeremy had been while she was laboring with their baby girl. “He was right there beside me the entire time, giving me encouraging words to press on,” she told the publication. “There were several times I told him, ‘It hurts so bad, I can’t do it anymore.’ And he’d say, ‘I know it hurts but you’re stronger.’”

On Monday, Jinger and Jeremy also introduced her baby girl to fans with a video posted on their website, as People reported. Along with getting a decent glimpse at their baby girl, fans also got to hear the new parents' thoughts on new parenthood.

"It's incredible being first-time parents. It's something that you think about and really dream about. But when it's actually here, I think the reality hits you, and it's just the sweetest thing in the whole world," Jinger said in the video. "Just seeing a little bit of both of us in her, it's just absolutely amazing. There are no words to describe how it feels to hold your little one."

Looking back on my three labor and delivery experiences so far, it's interesting to see how women can differ when it comes to their needs at the time. For me, the best thing my husband could do was not talk or touch me at all. I preferred silence in order to cope with each contraction on my own — even though my husband would have been more than happy to help "coach" me through the pain. So he shut up and kept his distance. And for that, I was incredibly grateful.

As a long-time follower of the Duggar family, it's awesome to see that Jeremy's calm reassurance was exactly what Jinger needed as she was bringing their child into the world. It's nice, too, that Jinger didn't sugar-coat the process; because there's no way around it, childbirth hurts. It seems like Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo are elated that their baby girl is finally here, and are adjusting to new parenthood with the help and support of family.

If you want to learn more about their journey — and of Jinger's siblings' journeys — Season 8 of Counting On premieres on TLC at 9 p.m. (ET) tonight, Monday, July 30.