I used to sob over cruel comments about me being a teen mum – now I don’t care
SHE first fell pregnant whilst on the pill at 17 and was mistaken for her son’s sister – but now, almost ten years later, Teen Mom UK star Chloe Patton is delighted to be expecting again.
And the 26-year-old from Nottingham, says her second pregnancy is far more straight forward than the first when she barely left the house because she was terrified of being judged.
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The content creator, who is already mum to son Marley, eight, and has been featured in every season of Teen Mom UK since 2016, is set to hit TV screens again on the upcoming MTV series, says that whilst she’s now feeling ‘excited’ about the baby which is due next March, life was far from being smooth sailing with her first.
Chloe was just a teenager when she first found out she was pregnant, and says she was “terrified” of what others would think of her.
As a result, she barely left the house for the majority of her pregnancy, telling Fabulous: “I was really scared and frightened of people judging.
“I thought a lot of people wouldn’t agree that I was 17, it was quite controversial.
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“I was super young. I was too scared to tell people. I thought people would pick on me or be mean or speak about me.
“I think you have this imagination of people shouting names at you in the street.
“At 17, obviously, I was so young and still a kid myself. I think I was just scared of the unknown and the reality of it kicking in that the more people that knew, the more it felt real.”
After going to a festival and being repulsed by the smell of alcohol, Chloe realised that something was amiss.
She adds: “I’d been to a festival all weekend and couldn’t drink. The smell of alcohol was making me feel sick. I felt really off.
“I went to bed early and then I started gaining a bit of weight.”
But luckily for Chloe, who rose to prominence back in 2016 after her appearance on the same show which is now back for its tenth series and follows the lives of former teen mums, her parents were extremely supportive.
Chloe recalls: “My mum never said she was disappointed or anything like that, it was more, ‘whatever you decide to do will be there for you’. She was really supportive.
“Obviously no parent would choose for their teenage daughter to be having a baby, but I was very lucky to have such a supportive family.
“No one made me feel like an outsider or made me feel like they were disappointed. I think I thought they were more disappointed than they probably actually were.”
‘I even looked at adoption’
But although the reaction from her parents was positive, Chloe admits that she did consider an abortion and later contemplated having the baby adopted.
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She confesses: “I was so unsure what to do at 17. What was the best decision?
“I wanted to know as long as I could give Marley the best possible life, then I knew I could do it, and I think there’s always doubts about I’m 17.
“Can I possibly look after this child as well as it deserves? Can we afford to look after this child? All these things were going through my head at such a young age.
I look back now and feel really sorry for myself… I really wish I could give Chloe, 17, looking at all these options a hug because I’d sit and cry
Chloe Patton
“I did question [whether to terminate the pregnancy]. I looked at all of my options, basically, what would be the best for us. I even looked at adoption.
“I actually look back now and feel really sorry for myself. I really wish I could give Chloe, 17, looking at all these options a hug because I’d sit and cry.
“I look now and I smile. The path I chose I’m so grateful for, and I couldn’t imagine my life without Marley.
“It blows my mind that I was actually ever in that predicament.”
‘We were so young’
The TV star confessed that at 17, she and her partner Jordan, certainly weren’t in the right head space to raise a child.
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She explains: “Mentally, we weren’t old enough. Now when I look back, I think mentally we were so young.
“Now this experience for baby number two is going to be so different because we’re just so much wiser, more patient. We’re not hormonal teenagers anymore, it’s crazy.”
Chloe explained that when she was out and about with her son Marley she would often be mistaken as being her son’s sister.
She says: “I got it a couple of times – we were at a theme park and the guy was like ‘are you the sister or the mum?’
“Then another time they were like, ‘is there a parent present?’”
‘I was terrified’
Not only this, but Chloe also opened up on her experience with baby groups, revealing: “Baby groups were really intimidating. I only went to three of them and I was just so scared.
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“I felt like a puppy in a playpen, I just felt so young. I was very isolated.
“I really didn’t enjoy playgroups, I was terrified. It’s very hard, I was 17, I was still a child. And being around all these wiser women that have lived more life than me, I just felt like a needle in a haystack, whereas, I think this time will be so much different.
“This time I’m going to go to all of them. I’m really gonna make an effort to get out of the house and do stuff.”
Although Chloe’s first pregnancy wasn’t intentionally planned, she explained that things have now fallen into place for the second time around.
It happened quite easy for us, because we weren’t planning, we didn’t put the pressure on, we weren’t stressed. I feel so lucky
Chloe Patton
And aside from suffering with some acid reflux and tiredness, Chloe says: “Everyone’s so excited. It’s such a different experience this time. I feel like it is more of an exciting experience than the fear of the first time.
“It happened quite easy for us, because we weren’t planning, we didn’t put the pressure on, we weren’t stressed. I feel so lucky.
“It’s funny because Jordan keeps saying, ‘this time’s gonna be so easy’. We were 17, and that was hard, but I feel like no matter the age, it’s always hard in the aspect that your life is changing forever. But I do think because we’ve got the age gap, it will be somewhat easier.”
‘People were really cruel’
Although the reaction to her baby news has been overwhelmingly positive, Chloe says this wasn’t the case the first time around.
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With 469,000 followers on Instagram, the blonde-haired beauty says a huge social media presence doesn’t come without the trolls.
She adds: “I would say trolling when we first did the show for the first to fourth series was the worst. People just said what they wanted.
“People were calling us ‘bad parents’ because we were kids, ‘kids having kids’ is one of the things that we used to hear all the time.
“People said I shouldn’t have had him. People put their two pence in when it was unnecessary.
“I look back now, and it used to bother me. Whereas now it doesn’t, because I always tell myself before I go to bed, ‘I’m a good mum, I’m a good friend, I’m a good daughter, I’m a good partner’ and I know that. And I have the people around me to prove that, so I don’t let it bother me now.
But if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all
Chloe Patton
“People were really cruel back in the day, and people are still now, but not as much.
“They would comment on my photo and call me ‘ugly’. That used to happen a lot.
“The trolling now will be, if there was a scene on the show, people say ‘oh, I wouldn’t have done it like that’ and put in their opinion. You may have parented differently to me. It’s fine, everyone parents differently.
“But if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
“I think Tattle Life is a big one. I don’t go on it anymore. I used to go on that a lot, and that it is literally so cruel.
“Everyone’s so mean, I just avoid it. I would never go on now, because the last time I went on, I cried because it was just so mean.
Chloe’s thoughts on teenage pregnancy
DESPITE having a child at 17, Chloe told Fabulous why she wouldn’t encourage others to do the same.
She explains: “I wouldn’t say I’m anti teen pregnancy, but if someone would say to me ‘I want a baby’ and they were under 18, I would be like, ‘no, wait! You’ve got your whole life’.
“Even though we did a great job and we’re very fortunate to have such a supportive family, it’s not always the case. We were lucky but we still missed out on a lot.
“I wouldn’t recommend people to have children young, because you have your whole life to have kids. Look at us, we’re only 26. I still feel really young to be having our second.
“Enjoy being young and being responsibility free. Having a baby is great, but it’s also extremely hard, and a huge responsibility, and life was easier with no responsibilities.”
“Just because you put yourself out there in the limelight doesn’t mean you are entitled to be getting bullied.
“Like, I say, people can have their opinions, but being nasty and bringing someone down is like another ball of fish for me. I just can’t get my head around it.
“I feel like if I say left, someone would say right. Whatever you say, someone will find the opposite.”
‘I’m a cool mum’
Since giving birth to Marley, Chloe recalls how her body confidence has evolved: “I’ve never had a flat stomach since I had Marley. I’m not bothered. It’s not a big deal. People’s bodies are bodies,” she says.
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“I’m open about not having a flat stomach and not having the perfect boobs. I think the more honest you are about yourself, the happier you’ll be.
“We are still human beings and we still have our own personalities. I’m not just ‘mum’, I am also a human being. I am my own person and I deserve to be myself and put myself forward sometimes.
“When I go out, I do make an effort, and if I want to wear the dress I’ll wear the dress.
“People have made comments about me being ‘too big for it’, like, ‘that doesn’t suit your body shape’ and things like that. But I know if I feel good in it, it doesn’t matter what anyone says to me.
“If I feel good in it and someone says I look horrible. I don’t care, because I know I feel good in it.
Sometimes I’m a hot mum – if I go out with the girls, and I really get dressed up and I feel like I look good. I’ve learned to love my body
Chloe Patton
“I’m a cool mom. I keep telling Marley that. I’m super cool. I’m down with the kids.
“Sometimes I’m a hot mum – if I go out with the girls, and I really get dressed up and I feel like I look good. I’ve learned to love my body.
“Luckily I’ve got Jordan, and he makes me feel great and like I don’t have to give myself this expectation of what I need to look like, because the person I’ve been with for 10 years loves me the way I am.
“I look after myself. I still go to the gym.”
‘Look at me now’
When it comes to sending a message to those who originally doubted her, Chloe’s response is simple: “Look at me now.”
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Clearly un-phased by those who originally questioned her decision to have a child during her teens, Chloe reveals: “Me and Jordan have grown so much together. We’ve got more space now, we’re financially stable, mentally, we’re in great spaces. We did it.
“Everyone that doubted us. We made it. And if anything, we’ve grown stronger and stronger every year.
“I look at Marley and I’m so proud of how polite and kind he is. And I think that’s on me and Jordan, and we should be proud of ourselves, because when life gives you lemons we made that lemonade.
“We did our very best, and we gave Marley everything we physically and possibly could, and he’s turned out to be fantastic.
“We doubted ourselves so much, and yet it came out really well for us. So this time we’ll have more confidence that hopefully we won’t doubt ourselves half as much as we did before. We’ve done it once, so we know we can do it again.”
‘It’s extremely hard’
When it comes to welcoming another child into the world, Chloe says: “Even though we did a great job and we’re very fortunate to have such a supportive family, it’s not always the case. We were lucky but we still missed out on a lot.
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“I wouldn’t recommend people to have children young, because you have your whole life to have kids. Look at us, we’re only 26. I still feel really young to be having our second.
“Enjoy being young and being responsibility free. Having a baby is great, but it’s also extremely hard, and a huge responsibility, and life was easier with no responsibilities.
“But life has more meaning now for me, and more joy.
“We’ve been through so much at such a young age and we made the best out of it. And now we’re having baby number two, and Marley’s very excited to be a big brother.”
Teen Mom UK returns to screens on 16th October at 8pm on MTV UK.
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