I had a baby at 16 – now I’m 35 with 12 kids & my girl is set to become a teen mum – trolls hate us but I don’t care
WHILST we might moan about becoming like our parents, it is likely that you’ll end up having more than a few similarities.
One US mum has come under fire though, after getting pregnant at 16 and over a decade later, her teenage daughter will follow in her footsteps.
If you aren’t on Tiktok, you might not have heard of Britni Church who is the proud mum of 12 kids – yes, you read that right.
Better known as @ourlargefamilylife on the app, she gave birth to her first child, daughter Crizman Shaye, at the tender age of 16.
Since then, the matriarch has welcomed another four children together – Jordan, Caleb, Jace and Cadence with her ex-husband.
Following their divorce, she unexpectedly fell pregnant with her sixth child, Jesalyn, in 2012.
Though you’d think she wouldn’t have time to date, the mum later met her current husband Chris in 2014 and they have had six children together – including triplets.
Whilst being pregnant for months on end might put anyone off being a parent, Britni is a devoted mum and shares snippets of her daily life on social media.
However, she recently came under fire after announcing that her nineteen-year-old daughter was also expecting the pitter-patter of tiny feet.
Almost immediately, trolls began to target her Instagram and Tiktok account.
Whilst Britni shared video updates about Crizman’s progress, one cruel commentator accused her of ‘hyping up’ teen pregnancy.
Another mocked her, calling the US woman ‘mom of the year’ as they accused her of celebrating.
Responding to the claim in a long Tiktok, the proud mum told fans: “I personally don’t understand when parents are mean to their kids about them finding out they’re pregnant.”
Continuing, she pointedly added: “No matter what’s happening right now, she’s gonna have a baby, we can be upset mad, angry and non-supportive…or we can be loving, caring and supportive.”
Though the 35-year-old did admit that it wasn’t ‘ideal timing’, she says that the new addition will be a ‘blessing’.
“Whether she’s a teenager…or whether she’s married and this is their first child after years of trying. This baby is just as exciting,” the internet star said, adding: “Nobody’s gonna take that joy away from me. Nobody is going to take the joy of her being a first-time mom away from her.”
It’s not the first time Britni has faced intense backlash, with many people criticising her for her extra large family and making assumptions about their lifestyle.
Speaking with CafeMom, she admitted: “People assume a lot of things about us that just aren’t true – we are just like everyone else.”
Often people will have stereotypes about large families, such as being on benefits, with the Tiktoker eager to challenge those expectations.
She stated: “We aren’t on food stamps, but we don’t look down on those who need them. We aren’t ignorant, and we aren’t Catholic or Mormon but I do believe in Jesus.”
In fact, the mum previously revealed that she worked at Walmart to fund the £230 a week she spends on groceries, with her family consuming five boxes of cereal, 66 cartons of milk and 600 nappies.
Seems like she’ll have to add even more to the cart, with the arrival of an extra little one.