Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Girl, 11, will be Britain's youngest mother
The Daily Mail ^ | 12 May 2006 | Ian Drury

Posted on 05/14/2006 10:33:46 AM PDT by CheyennePress

By IAN DRURY, Daily Mail

Great Britain - A girl is to become Britain's youngest mother after becoming pregnant at 11.

The girl smokes 20 cigarettes a day despite being eight months' pregnant. She conceived aged 11 when she lost her virginity to a boy of 15 on a drunken night out with friends.

The 15-year-old has since been charged with rape by police, and is due to appear again at Edinburgh sheriff court on July 10.

Her 34-year-old mother, who gave birth to her youngest child eight months ago, said she was 'proud' of her daughter.

She will be 12 years and 8 months when she has the child next month. Jenny Teague, Britain's youngest mother until now, was a month older when she gave birth in 1997.

How can we best tackle this problem? Tell us in reader comments below

The youngster, who lives near Edinburgh, says looking after her younger brothers has prepared her for motherhood.

But the girl admits she "panics and cries" when babies are unwell and does not feel able to bathe them.

The mother-to-be, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had unprotected sex with the teenage boy, who also cannot be identified, while drunk last August.

'Excited'

She told the Sun: "I didn't think I'd get pregnant because it was my first time. But I'm really excited and looking forward to being a mum.

"I can't wait to take the baby swimming and out for walks in the pram. I think I'll be able to cope as I've had lots of practice looking after my brothers.

"I know how to feed a baby its bottle and I can change nappies. But I panic and cry if they're sick and I don't like giving them a bath because I'm a bit frightened.

"It's good to know I'll have my mum here to help me if I need her."

Concerned she might be pregnant, the girl visited a GP three times but tests proved negative. She learned the truth after buying a home-testing kit from a supermarket.

After the device displayed two blue lines, indicating she was pregnant, she pleaded with a female relative to break the news to her mother. The girl, who has been suspended from her first year of secondary school for fighting, said: "I was paranoid about what my mum was going to say and just frightened about being pregnant too.

"I knew straight away that I couldn't have an abortion because that's something I don't believe in.

"I was upset and so was my mum, especially as she'd just had my wee brother. We had a big argument and I ended up locking myself in my room and running away to a friend's.

"It was really hard but it's brought me and my mum closer, which is good. I knew my mum would stand by me no matter what, but I told her straight away I was going to keep the baby.

"The social worker suggested I got rid of it but I'd never do that."

Smoking at nine

The girl, who has shoulder-length dark hair, began smoking at nine and started drinking tonic wine and vodka cocktails at ten. She claimed her cigarette habit was not harming the health of her unborn child.

She said: "I can give up smoking at any time, but I don't find it affects my pregnancy."

The girl, whose parents split up several years ago, said she would like a baby boy - and may call him Leo.

She is currently being educated at a local community centre but knows she must return to school.

She told the Sun: "My mum has said she will look after the baby so I can go to school. I don't know what I want to do with my life when I leave. I used to want to be a nursery nurse, but now I'm not so sure."

'Proud of my daughter'

Her mum said: "I'm not ashamed of my daughter at all - in fact, I'm proud of her for keeping the baby.

"I know she's worried what other people will say but she can walk out there with her head held high.

"At first I wasn't too happy about becoming a gran. But now I'm used to the idea. I'm really looking forward to having another baby in the house."

The Scottish Conservatives has called for society and families to unite to change attitudes towards sex following the news.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: 11yearold; pregnant; scotland; teenpregnancy; underage
Hard to tell whether to commend her for sticking to her moral beliefs and keeping the child or stand in awe about the laundary list of things that she has experienced in her life. At 11, I thought girls had cooties and was more interested in chasing bugs around the back yard, fishing, and ramping bicycles.
1 posted on 05/14/2006 10:33:48 AM PDT by CheyennePress
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: CheyennePress

This is at least the third thread on this article.


2 posted on 05/14/2006 10:34:34 AM PDT by linda_22003
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CheyennePress
I see a bright,happy future for this girl...and her child (children?).

(end sarcasm)

3 posted on 05/14/2006 10:35:37 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: linda_22003

yeah, being on drudge for a while tends to produce multiple threads


4 posted on 05/14/2006 10:36:25 AM PDT by kinoxi
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: CheyennePress
Her 34-year-old mother said she was 'proud' of her daughter.

Isn't that just great!

5 posted on 05/14/2006 10:38:45 AM PDT by ncountylee (Dead terrorists smell like victory)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CheyennePress

uh...Happy Mother's Day?


6 posted on 05/14/2006 10:39:25 AM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CheyennePress

A 35 year old grandmother... What took her so long, I wonder?


7 posted on 05/14/2006 10:42:45 AM PDT by Brilliant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CheyennePress

A 35 year old grandmother... What took her so long, I wonder?


8 posted on 05/14/2006 10:42:45 AM PDT by Brilliant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CheyennePress
The girl smokes 20 cigarettes a day

A smoker? Gasp!!!

9 posted on 05/14/2006 10:43:01 AM PDT by socal_parrot (Pass)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CheyennePress
Hard to tell whether to commend her for sticking to her moral beliefs and keeping the child or stand in awe about the laundry list of things that she has experienced in her life.

Yeah especially the loving maternal instincts of smoking 20 cigarettes, all at the tender age of 11. Is this Jerry Springers illegitimate child? This winner makes trailer trash look like royal aristocracy!

10 posted on 05/14/2006 10:46:23 AM PDT by Bommer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: socal_parrot

she's pleading for donations because they might take away her baby if she doesn't redecorate her house... no sarcasm


11 posted on 05/14/2006 10:47:36 AM PDT by kinoxi
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: CheyennePress

And here I thought Europe was so much more evolved than the United States, at least that's what many residents o'the Continent love to exclaim.


12 posted on 05/14/2006 11:01:35 AM PDT by jla
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: linda_22003

It's actually the 2nd. I originally found the article off of a local television news site and searched under that title, retrieving no results--but decided to hunt down the original Daily Mail Article but did not perform the subsequent search.

My fault. I guess local TV stations do not always adhere to keeping the same title of the article, either. (oops)


13 posted on 05/14/2006 11:06:35 AM PDT by CheyennePress
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: CheyennePress

"It's good to know I'll have my mum here to help me if I need her."

Good luck. It sounds like this girls', "mum" needs a, "mum" of her own...


14 posted on 05/14/2006 11:36:16 AM PDT by Mrs. Darla Ruth Schwerin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CheyennePress

Is this from the Onion?


15 posted on 05/14/2006 12:04:45 PM PDT by Bigg Red (Never trust Democrats with national security.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CheyennePress

Is this what the Brits call being a "chav" ?


16 posted on 05/14/2006 12:15:51 PM PDT by ikka
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bommer
Hard to tell whether to commend her for sticking to her moral beliefs

ROLFMO!!! You're kidding, right?

17 posted on 05/14/2006 12:25:58 PM PDT by Hildy ("Whenever someone smiles at me all I see is a chimpanzee begging for its life." - Dwight Schrute)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson