I was a teen mum at 14 – I’m not proud and even my daughter gets trolled for it but I’m not going to hide her
HANNAH Downs, now 23, has shared how despite the negativity surrounding teen pregnancies, she is not ashamed by it.
Falling pregnant at 13, and having the baby at 14, has spent the past decade dealing with negativity and hateful comments so she took to TikTok to respond to the haters.
She said: “Just today somebody had something along the lines of, I shouldn’t be proud of it.
“I am not ashamed of my daughter, and I am not ashamed of myself.”
Living in Lewisville, Texas, USA, Hannah has had to put up with constant negativity on her social media pages since she was a teenager and pregnant.
In spite of the hateful comments, which tell Hannah she should be ashamed for giving birth at such a young age, she hasn’t let it get to her.
Hannah is determined to share her story and her life and hopes to grow a community on her page.
She has made a point of telling her viewers that she doesn’t care what they think and if they’re upset by what she is saying they should scroll on.
Despite all the social media criticism Hannah has made it a goal of hers to try and help other teenage mothers who are going through something similar.
She even claimed that her daughter being born saved her life.
Since falling pregnant at 13, Hannah married at 16, had two more children and is now pregnant again.
Hannah’s viral video has since been viewed nearly 400,000 times with many comments flying in to share their support.
One TikToker said: “Who cares what people think! You have a beautiful family and that’s all that matters.”
While another added: “You’re not the first and not the last, it is awesome what you’re doing and you’re doing a great job raising her.”
I’m not going to hide her; I’m not going to hide that part of my story
Hannah Downs
Hannah said: “I had a baby when I was 13, I had a baby when I was 14.
“My daughter is eight years old now and I am 23.
“So many people are saying I’m trying to normalise it or even that I’m trying to brag about it.
Which areas of the UK have the highest rate of teen pregnancies?
- Middlesbrough (43.8)
- St Helens (37.1)
- Halton (34.9)
- Hartlepool (33.2)
- North East Lincolnshire (33.2)
- Blackpool (32.9)
- Hyndburn (32.8)
- Kingston upon Hull (32.7)
- Norwich (31.3)
- Salford (30.7)
Source: ONS
“I share that part of my life, because TikTok is literally meant for sharing your stories.
“My daughter that I had when I was 14 literally saved my life.
“I just know that if it hadn’t been for her, I would not be here and I would not be living the life that I am today.
“A lot of people will come on that post and make really nasty comments, not just towards me but towards my daughter as well.
“I think that is really silly and unnecessary.
“I’m not going to hide her; I’m not going to hide that part of my story.”