Teen claims getting pregnant at 16 'saved her life' as it's made her stop smoking marijuana and 'getting mortal' every weekend

  • Robyn, from Middlesbrough, admitted she used to 'get mortal' every weekend
  • Told how police once brought her home from a party after she downed vodka
  • Robyn had passed out drunk and was found naked on floor - she was only 15
  • Claims having a baby will help her to 'grow up faster' and make her more mature
  • Robyn is due to give birth to a little girl in June and is 'so excited' to meet her 

By Hayley Richardson For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

A 16-year-old due to give birth next month claims getting pregnant 'saved her life' as it's stopped her from going out drinking and smoking marijuana.

Robyn, from Middlesbrough - which has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in England and Wales - said finding out she's expecting a child has 'calmed her down'.

She admitted she used to go out and 'get mortal' every weekend - and has even been escorted home by the police after downing a bottle of vodka and passing out naked at a stranger's flat when she was 15.

Robyn told the BBC: 'When I met my boyfriend and got pregnant I realised that that couldn't happen any more.'

Robyn, from Middlesbrough - which has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in England and Wales - said finding out she's expecting a child has 'calmed her down'

Robyn, from Middlesbrough - which has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in England and Wales - said finding out she's expecting a child has 'calmed her down'

She added that she is 'so excited' to meet her baby girl - due at the end of June - and 'cried with happiness' at a recent gender reveal party. 

Speaking on camera, Robyn told how she believes having a baby won't 'ruin' her life because it will help her to grow up faster.

'Everything that I plan to do before I knew I was pregnant, I'm still doing that,' she explained.

'There's two paths that I could have went down. I was going out drinking all the time, my mam had the police at the door at 12 o'clock bringing me home mortal every weekend and stuff like that. 

Robyn, pictured left, admitted she used to go out and 'get mortal' every weekend - and has even been escorted home by the police after downing a bottle of vodka and passing out naked at a stranger's flat when she was 15

Robyn, pictured left, admitted she used to go out and 'get mortal' every weekend - and has even been escorted home by the police after downing a bottle of vodka and passing out naked at a stranger's flat when she was 15

Speaking on camera, Robyn (left) told how she believes having a baby won't 'ruin' her life because it will help her to grow up faster and stop drinking all the time

Speaking on camera, Robyn (left) told how she believes having a baby won't 'ruin' her life because it will help her to grow up faster and stop drinking all the time

'Having a child young, it grows you up faster (sic)... I'm not saying go out and get pregnant because you want to grow up, but it does mature you a lot.' 

Which regions have the most teenage pregnancies? 

1. North East (24.7)   

2. North West (21.9) 

3. Yorkshire and the Humber (20.6)

4. Wales (20.2) 

5. West Midlands (19.9) 

6. East Midlands (17.5) 

7. London (16.4) 

8. East of England (16) 

9. South West (14.9) 

10. South East (13.9) 

Source: ONS (figures for June 2017) 

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Her mother Shelly told how Robyn is the fourth generation of teen mothers in their family.

'I've told Robyn it's time to grow up now and she has - I'm proud of how she's changed for her baby,' she told the BBC.

'When Robyn was a bit older I went to Durham University and completed a degree in human science - I think of it as doing my life the other way around.'

Robyn called out society for judging girls differently to boys, particularly when it comes to sex.

'I don't see why a lad should be allowed to sleep with five lasses in one night and it's just normal,' she said.

'But, lasses go out and sleep with one person and they have to feel embarrassed.'

Sat beside Robyn in the video is fellow teenage mum-to-be Megan, who was 17 when she found out she was 23 weeks pregnant with her baby boy. 

Pregnant Megan said her baby will be loved and cared for, adding that she has recently finished a college course in performing arts and intends to return to education or get a job after a 'year out'

Pregnant Megan said her baby will be loved and cared for, adding that she has recently finished a college course in performing arts and intends to return to education or get a job after a 'year out'

She told how she now has stretch marks on her tummy and can 'barely bend over', but it's worth it as at the end she'll have a 'beautiful child'. 

Megan said her baby will be loved and cared for, adding that she has recently finished a college course in performing arts and intends to return to education or get a job after a year out.

She said: 'Being a teenage mam won't stop me. I'm lucky - my family are supportive.'

Middlesbrough is the teenage pregnancy capital of England and Wales

Last year the town in the north east was found to have the most teenage pregnancies in England and Wales.

The pregnancy rates among girls aged between 15 and 17 dropped again in 2017 and now number just 17.9 per thousand.

The newest figure, for 2017, marked a 7.4 per cent drop in England and Wales since 2016 but during this period there were 57 local authority areas in England where rates had risen. 

Middlesbrough's rate has risen over the two years from risen from 2016 to 2017 from 36.5 to 43.8 - a rise of 20 per cent - meaning it is the teenage pregnancy capital of the country. 

The next highest rate was in St Helens in Merseyside, with 37.1 pregnancies per 1,000 teenagers. 

Experts suggest changing priorities in young people's lives and lower alcohol consumption may be causing fewer teenagers to have babies.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed how rates of teenage pregnancy changed across England and Wales between March 2015 and June 2017.

Girls in the north of England and Wales are the most likely to get pregnant before they're 18, while those in the south are least likely.

The figures come after research by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service revealed modern teenagers prefer spending time with their family or on social media to having sex.

Young people are also more likely to focus on their careers or education, which experts believe is contributing to falling pregnancies.

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