16 & Pregnant: Lindsey Tries Hard

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

"Because we won't have to buy two of everything." Yeah, that's the best reason to move in with your babydaddy. But, Lindsey wasn't really getting much support from anyone, so I'm not sure that it mattered all that much. No, Forest wouldn't get a job, but at least she doesn't have to share a BED with her younger sister anymore! This is definitely one of the more unique episodes of 16 and Pregnant. None of the episodes takes place while the teen is in school (filming starts during the summer and she's on bedrest by the time it starts back up again). The girl actually works a lot of hours. She tries to price things a few months before she needs them. She has a penchant for cage-fighting. She's just different from most of the young ladies we've seen before. Her fate is pretty similar though... she wants to live with the babydaddy, he doesn't have a job, and she's stuck doing online school because she can't afford childcare. Still, it's one of the more watchable episodes, don't you think?

16 and Pregnant "Lindsey" (S04E04): This 16-year-old lives in Reno with her mother and little sister (with whom she shares a room and bed). She has two older sisters who live in the area, and her boyfriend of three on-and-off years, Forest, lives half an hour away. Her aspirations include becoming a detective, a model, and a professional cage fighter. Her mother and Forest both suggest that an abortion would be best, but that causes some tension, plus she and Forest broke up for a few months over it. The backstory on her conception: they had sex without a condom once and she didn't get pregnant, so she decided that she probably couldn't get pregnant and they repeated the pattern. [one of the more ignorant stories.]

July, 24 weeks: She thinks that her mother doubts her abilities, but her mom is just afraid that she'll have to care for the baby when Lindsey doesn't. Forest admits he thought that she got pregnant to tie him down. [yeah, that sounds likely in this scenario, haha!] She's sad that she can't keep cage-fighting, but she never told her trainer why - she just stopped going. [odd. I would have at least mailed a letter.] She was afraid of what he'd say, but doesn't want him to think she's a flake, either. She's also working long hours at McDonald's.
July, 27 weeks: she goes with her friend to watch a cage fighting match, but avoids everyone she knows so she doesn't have to come clean. She's thinking of moving in with Forest, and they both decide that there are more pros than cons. She goes

Photo by MTV

to a baby supply store to get some ideas on what prices are, realizing she needs ~$500 just to get some basics, and she doesn't make that. [newsflash: the #1 thing you need is the carseat, not the crib.] She tells Forest that he needs to get a job, especially because she'll need to take six weeks off when the baby is born. [was the kid taking classes over the summer?]
August, 29 weeks: It's been a week and Forest still isn't looking for work, which his mother supports, as she doesn't think he should work until he's out of school. [now, that's fine in some scenarios. but when he's about to father a child, you might have to make him take on some responsibility! the cartoon of Forest sitting in a beach chair on a hamburger patty was funny, though.] Forest and Lindsey get into a fight and that night she starts to feel contractions. Forest won't answer his phone, so she heads to the hospital with her mom. She is admitted
September, 31 weeks: [still in the hospital?? MTV totally messed up the timing there]. They monitor her overnight and give her a shot to help develop the baby's lungs. The next day, her contractions have calmed down, and she's released but placed on bedrest. One of her sisters tells her that she deserves better than Forest (who hasn't gotten back to her).
32 weeks: She starts her senior year online. [she's cooking and stuff... not taking bedrest super-seriously.] She leaves Forest a message that she's not with him anymore until he gets his life together. [probably a good thing.]
September, 35 weeks: [why put on her old fighting gloves?] Forest texts so she gets up and goes to his place to talk. [SHE'S ON BEDREST! GO TO HER!] He says that he wants to try and make things work and that they should try living together. She tells her mom that she's going to move as soon as the baby is born, but her mother worries that Forest won't be of any help anyway. A few hours later, her water breaks and she heads to the hospital. Five hours of labor, we have Aniyah Monroe, born October 13th at 5lbs, 4 oz. [yep, totally not September if it's the middle of October. Bad job, MTV.]
1 Day Old: Lindsey's mom needs to fill out some paperwork because Lindsey isn't 18. [hahaha, more reasons not to have sex before you're an adult, guys.] But, because Lindsey wants to go to Forest's when she's released, her mom won't finish the forms. [I completely see this being true.] 
3 Days Old: Lindsey knows that she doesn't have enough money.
4 Days Old: She breastfeeds, cares for Aniyah, and does schoolwork online. None of her friends want to make the half-hour drive to see the baby. [not too surprised.] She meets her mom for sushi, then they go to see her trainer and explain the situation. He seems kinda surprised, but says that she can return to training four days a week for $80/month. [I feel like that's SUPER cheap!] 
October, 2 Weeks Old: Lindsey talks to Forest about her schedule - she's going to start working three nights a week until midnight. He'll have to watch the baby, but he's so dead-set on not working that he doesn't seem to mind. [I don't think his mom would let him work anyway.]