‘I Wanted To Show That Young Mums Are Just As Capable As Anyone’ – What It’s Like To Be A Teen Mum Getting Your A Level Results

All over the country today, people are picking up their A Level results. Or rather, given that it's 2019, they're getting them via email.

Teenagers will be waking up all over the country, having breakfast and trying to stem the nerves until the email comes through. But for Diana Jones, results morning wasn't just a nervous drive into school, it meant nappy changing and feeding her baby daughter.

When Diana Jones, now 34, had her a 16-year-old daughter during her A Levels. She tells what it's like to balance motherhood and exams.

As told to Rebecca Reid

When I found out I was pregnant I was 17 and living with my parents.

Nine months later I had Niamh. She was born in January, so I had to do half of my exams which I would have taken just after Christmas, technically as re-sits, because I was pretty much in labour when they came around the first time! This made me a bit nervous, because if I failed, I would have to do the whole course again.

I was lucky to have a supportive family. My mum, gran and Niamh’s dad were completely engaged in supporting me through this, and I was able to go back to 6th Form just 4 weeks after having Niamh.

Not ideal, but it meant I didn’t have any gaps in my courses, and got all my coursework in on time!

My favourite moment was popping in with Niamh to show her off, and my English Lit teacher didn’t realise I was coming back, when I told him he got about 8 books out and handed them over. So, I ended up leaving with all my baby stuff and a load of books to motor through!!

I did my AS levels while contending with intense morning sickness. I had to leave a couple of them to throw up in the corridor. But, I had made the decision to stay on, and felt determined to get through it all. I was fairly confident I would be okay, and managed to get great results despite it all.

Niamh was about 5 months old when I sat my A Levels, I was a bit sleep deprived, but as before I had loads of support and got through them fine.

Myself and Niamh’s dad didn’t stay together when I found out I was pregnant (too much to handle, we had only been together 3 months), and had worked on building up a friendship, which lasts to this day. This meant he was having her overnight early on, which gave me a break to study.

The morning of results day I was definitely nervous, I needed 2 B’s and a C to do the degree I wanted to do, and I felt I had quite a riding on it. I was determined to make sure that Niamh never felt like she had held me back, and this was the first step in achieving that goal!

I think because I had always done well at school, people were confident I would get the grades I needed. I was determined to show that young Mums are just as capable as anyone else, they just don’t always have the support.

I would never have been able to continue at college if I didn’t have pretty much full time support from my Mum, Gran and of course Niamh’s dad, and I really appreciated that not everyone is going to have the same support network in place. As I said before, I never want Niamh to have felt that because I had her young, it stopped me achieving what I wanted. I did the degree I wanted to do, had a great uni experience and now a successful career, and more than anything an amazing daughter

I got 3 Bs and a C in the end, and I was so pleased with. On results night I went out with my friends to a bar! Niamh’s dad looked after her, and I had a great night! I’d say it was very similar to any other 18 year old.

My school were really supportive towards me and my pregnancy. I was advised to take a gap year and do my second year alongside the year below, but I was determined to complete at the same time as everyone else.

Once we had agreed that’s what I would do, I was pretty much treated as a normal student. I didn’t experience any bullying or issues, just got on with it. Even managed to help organise our Leavers Ball and edit our Year Book!

How did you do?

After school I took a gap year, and worked 4 days a week to build up some work experience. I went to the University of Essex and studied English Literature and Film Studies. I picked Essex because I was able to commute from Chelmsford to Colchester. Sometimes I would bring Niamh with me, but she would mainly be with her dad or my mum and gran.

I would tell anyone in a similar situation – trying to balance taking their exams with becoming a mum, that babies are hard work, and take up a huge amount of time. If you can, seek out and take any help or support offered. Asking for or needing help is not a sign of weakness. Remember that your academic ability and intelligence is not always reflected in the results of a few hours sitting in an exam room, and if you need to - you can take them again.

I also expect that if you have had a baby during this time, or are pregnant, you were as determined as me to build a happy and successful life for your child, and that will be reflected in your results!

In the end, I don’t regret anything about how I had my daughter. I wouldn’t advocate having a child at 18, but equally I wouldn’t change a single thing. She is my absolute world, and my life is as full and happy because she is in it.