16 & Pregnant: Myranda & Eric on their Own

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

All things considered, Myranda is probably one of the more "with it" teenagers we've seen. No, she doesn't work, no, she doesn't have much family support, and yes, she's dropping out of high school, but at least she starts studying for the GED before the baby arrives. While she could have started studying earlier in her pregnancy and possibly even passed the test pre-labor, at least she's on the right path. And, BabydaddyEric may not be the ideal father, but he tries. When his grandmother kicks them out, they get help from other family members in finding a place to live and fixing it up. He works, he goes to college, and we don't see him complaining about caring for their daughter. I don't know how far they'll get in life, but they're working pretty hard for being on their own. I also found it interesting that neither really had a mother or father growing up - we're not sure where Eric's parents are at all, and Myranda's divorced mother has dealt with addiction and alcoholism for years, bouncing in and out of rehab and whatnot. In that way, they're almost the couple you'd predict would get pregnant - though "I missed a day. then another. then a few more" will never be an acceptable excuse as to why conception took place.

16 and Pregnant "Myranda" (S04E07): Myranda, 17, lives in St. Augustine, TX with her boyfriend, Eric, and his grandmother. [and possibly Eric's siblings.] They were together for three months when they got pregnant, and she moved in together three months after that.

July, 31 Weeks: Myranda's mom considers  that Myranda's life is pretty much over. [interesting perspective, coming from someone with such dependency issues.] Eric's grandmother calls them dumb and stupid for getting pregnant - they should have been more responsible. They're shocked when his grandmother tells them that they need to move out when the baby comes. [Nanny is a bit harsh, but she's right about sex being a big responsibility.]

Photo by MTV

July, 32 Weeks: His cousin has a small house they could fix up and live in and would only need to pay utilities. It also happens to be on his grandmother's property, so it's not far away. [if it's so close, why do they take their time going to check it out?] She starts studying for her GED. They talk a little about her plans after the baby is born - Myranda will take online classes, but would really like to play softball again. [so many of these teens want to get back into cheerleading/dance/cage-fighting/other sports when their children are born... I understand they're hobbies and all, but some of these are a bit time-consuming for a parent!] 

33 Weeks: She doesn't know what she needs for a baby, so Eric's aunt tells her about diapers, wipes, rash cream, etc. [and we're starting to see a lot of immaturity on Myranda's part.] They go check out the house, which is pretty torn up, has no fridge or a/c, and there is lots of junk and garbage inside. [did his cousin just leave it this way??!?]

August, 34 Weeks: They have some friends and family help clean out the house, and some of Eric's relatives help with appliances. Her mom was supposed to take them shopping, but she starts being flaky so his grandmother takes them to look at carseats, strollers, etc. She goes to the batting cages with her friends, but they only let her swing a few times. [I'm pretty sure that you shouldn't go to batting cages when you're pregnant... what if the ball hits you?] Her mom has started drinking again and is in rehab.

37 Weeks: Her mom gets out of rehab the day before Myranda's baby shower. Her mom wants to be in the delivery room with Myranda and Eric, but Myranda isn't sure. [if a family member was to be present, wouldn't his grandmother make more sense? She's the one helping out the kids!]

September, 38 Weeks: Her friends are back in school and Eric has started college classes. His family helps put finishing touches on the house and they move in.

39 Weeks: She invites her mom over and tells her that she'd rather have her friend in the delivery room, as she doesn't want conflict. She also says that she isn't thrilled about the idea of her mother watching the baby, either. [at least Myranda stood up for herself!] Two days later, she wakes up in pain and they head to the hospital. Nine hours into labor, she gets an epidural. She doesn't push until at least 14 hours of labor, and Kaylee Michelle is born September 30th at 6lbs, 11oz.

2 Days Old: They go home and the whole family sees her, except Myranda's mother.

4 Days Old: Myranda starts getting stir-crazy, staying at home all day and not doing much of anything besides mixing formula. [I could swear that her phone said it was November 19th... even if it DID say October, there are absolutely 2 digits in that number, so it couldn't have said October 4th...] Her mom texts but Myranda isn't ready for her mom to see the baby.

2 Weeks Old: They decide to let Myranda's mom see the baby, and Eric takes Myranda out to dinner while Myranda's mother watches the baby. Myranda panics, though, when she can't reach her mother by phone. When they get home, it turns out that her mom was holding the baby while the phone rang so she couldn't answer it. Her mom offers to help with the baby whenever. [eh. not my least favorite episode, but I don't know that I would want more Myranda, in a Teen Mom 3 sort-of way.]