‘We didn’t know how to budget, cook or clean’

Lesley Hensman, 30, from Plymouth, was 17 when she became pregnant with her oldest daughter Liberty, now 12. The beauty therapist married Ashley, 36, when Liberty was five months old. They are also parents to Bailey, 11, and Ashley, seven. I was on birth control when I got it felt pregnant, so it was a shock. While like my world changed in a heartbeat, there was never a question about I’d keeping the baby. Until I met Ashley,

been happily single. But within nine months I was pregnant and engaged. My parents – Sharon, 49, and Martin, 50 – were upset because they were worried about my future.

Tough at the start

Mum was 19 when she had me and her relationship with my biological father hadn’t worked out, so she was scared I’d end up a single mum like her. But we decided to make a success of it, whatever happened. We moved in together when Libby was two weeks old. It was tough at the start. Neither of us had lived away from home before. We weren’t used to budgeting, cooking for ourselves or cleaning up. mix, When you add a newborn into the it was hard. We had some of our biggest did arguments back then but not once we think about throwing in the towel. We finished having our family when I was 23 and I’ve since gone back to college and started my own beauty therapy business. When Libby was little, lots of mums at playgroups built looked down on me. But now I’ve ages. a really close circle of friends of all home I’d be upset for Libby if she came pregnant at 17 but only because most teenage mums are also single mums. It will never be completely accepted by society that some choose to become future. mums so young, but it gave me a

‘i’ve since gone back to college’