I got pregnant the first time I had sex and had children at 14 and 16 and got no benefits from it
A mother shared her parenting journey after becoming pregnant for the first time at age 14.
Elle Rose, 20, became pregnant with her second child at age 16 and had a daughter a few weeks after she turned 17.
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The young mother took to TikTok to give an insight into her life after receiving messages from young girls, including a 13-year-old girl.
Elle filmed her daily life as a mother and revealed that both of her babies were unplanned and that she got pregnant the first time she had sex.
And while she “wouldn’t trade them for the world,” the teenage mom admits that “no one ever warned me how lonely it really gets.”
While her friends were living their ‘normal teenage lives’, Elle was at home making bottles and putting her babies to sleep, as they were on ‘different paths’.
She urges other mothers to “never feel ashamed,” but warns that it can get lonely.
She also says that people are quick to say they are there for you, but in reality they are not.
Another challenge Elle faced was financial stability.
She says: “I was 14 when I gave birth to my son. In the UK you can’t get a job at 14.”
However, she was able to go to work with my father and earn some money that way.
She continued: “People are quick to claim that you are receiving benefits, but I couldn’t apply for benefits. I was far too young and had no children, so the government couldn’t pay me.”
Elle, who has always worked, was still in school and university when she had her two children.
Although Elle found it difficult to concentrate, she was motivated to complete her education.
She says: “There were times when I should have been studying, but I was taking care of my children.
“I think if you really want something, you will actually do it, no matter the situation.”
I was 14 when I gave birth to my son. In the UK you can’t get a job at 14.
Elle Rose, 20
Elle believes it is “ten times harder” to be a teenage parent, compared to an older child.
Her children continue to motivate her to do more than anything else in life.
She said, “I’m only 20 years old, I have a six-year-old and a three-year-old and I just want them to have the best life they can possibly have.”
The video has attracted a lot of attention and many people took to the comments to share their opinions.
Statistics of teenage mothers in the UK
According to Nuffield Trust The rate of conception among children under 18 has declined significantly since 2007.
Between 2007 and 2021, the under-18 conception rate in England and Wales fell by 68 per cent, from 42 per 1,000 women to 13 per 1,000 women. This resulted in 13,131 under-18 conceptions in England and Wales in 2021.
According to the Bureau for National Statistics Of all English regions and Wales, London has experienced the largest decline in conception rates over the past decade.
Statistics show that this number has decreased by 20.9 percent since 2011.
The latest data also suggests that for the first time since records began, women outside of marriage or civil partnerships have a higher chance of becoming pregnant than women within marriage or civil partnerships.
One wrote: “I am 22 with three girls. I wish I had waited and experienced life first, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world.
“It’s rewarding to see them smile every day, but the loneliness is real. You are an amazing mother.”
Another added: “Elle, you are an amazing mother.”
A third said: “I was 16 when I had my first child and 18 when I had my second. Now I look after two children with additional needs full-time.
“I wish I had waited, we are so routine based and the loneliness is killing me”
