It’s Life After Labor for the girl’s of MTV’s season three of 16 and Pregnant. Dr. Drew is on hand to host the reunion and ask the hard-hitting questions, as he interviews Jordan Ward, Jennifer Del Rio, Jamie McKay, Danielle Cunningham, Cleondra Carter, Kayla Jackson, Izabella Tovar, Kianna Randall, Taylor Lumas, and Allie Mendoza.
First in the hot seat is Jordan Ward and her husband Brian Finder. You may remember that Jordan was at the center of a tug-of-war between her twin sister Jessica and Brian. An emotional Jordan reveals to Dr. Drew that she felt the need to have sex so soon because of insecurities brought upon by a very unstable upbringing. On the reunion, the couple explains that they are happily married and living with their son Noah in St. Louis with Jordan’s grandparents and sister Jessica. Jessica now sings Brian’s praises. Both twins get teary when talking about the future. Jessica is so proud that she is the first in her family to go to college, but is distraught that her sister isn’t able to do the same. Jordan still hopes to make something of herself, but admits it’s hard to even think of the financial burden that school loans would bring to her new family. Brian has enlisted in the Air Force, and as we know from recent news, the couple is expecting their second child…although that tidbit was not addressed with Dr. Drew.
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This past season, Jennifer Del Rio was the petite sophomore carrying twins by her verbally abusive and controlling boyfriend who clashed with her supportive parents. Her gem of a boyfriend, Josh Smith, then pushed her out of his car and sped off with their babies in the backseat. Talking with Dr. Drew, Jennifer gets upset, explaining that before she got pregnant, Josh was her best friend and acted like a different person. She tells Dr. Drew that her mother knew she was sexually active and took her to get birth control. Jennifer’s father joins the discussion and he is very uncomfortable talking about his daughter on birth control, but he’s still the supportive, caring dad I remember. Jennifer says her relationship with Josh is civil, and if he were able to change, she could entertain a reconciliation. In her next breath, Jennifer discusses the two restraining orders she’s had to file against her ex, one for threatening to have her put in jail and raped. Oh girl…Dr. Drew is right, no one deserves to be treated like that! Jennifer’s dad is diplomatic and won’t speak poorly of his grandsons’ father, but says he believes Josh acts the way he does because of how he was raised.
Danielle Cunninham can’t watch her footage, and she is joined on the sofa with her baby’s father Jamie Alderman and her mother Casey. Casey, a teen mom herself, feels like she failed at breaking the cycle of young motherhood. Casey put her daughter on birth control but Danielle stopped taking it. Jamie reveals that he and Danielle are still together (as of five minutes ago), but the pair remains rocky. Casey breaks down when Dr. Drew asks if she was more a friend than a mother, and she reveals she raised Danielle as more of younger sister than a daughter. Jamie has nothing but praise for his girlfriend’s mother, calling her “phenomenal.”
Taylor Lumas and Nathan Bridewell join Dr. Drew and the couple is still together. Taylor got pregnant at fourteen and wouldn’t consider adoption when her mother broached the subject with her. Their daughter Aubri recently had a tumor removed from her lung and is doing very well. Taylor’s mom Debi admits that while she had wanted her daughter to give up the baby, she can’t imagine life without her granddaughter. Debi is handling the majority of parenting. Taylor’s words of wisdom for sexually active teens who value their youth and freedom? If you have to ask a bum off the street for a condom, do it. Use protection.
The next teen mom to be interviewed by Dr. Drew is Jamie McKay. Her baby’s daddy Ryan McElrath was late to his daughter’s delivery because he was out partying…and he arrived at the hospital with a hickey. After going to court over custody of their daughter Miah, Ryan now sees his daughter once a week during a one-hour supervised visitation, which he has only missed once. Jamie and Ryan do not speak and Ryan admits to making mistakes. Jamie’s mother feels that she was at fault when it came to talking with her daughter about birth control. Mom April says Jamie approached her about going on the Pill, but she had her head in the clouds hoping her daughter just wouldn’t have sex. Jamie seems very upset (but also seems very mature) and hopes that one day Ryan can earn enough trust to be a bigger part of his daughter’s life.
Cleondra Carter and Mario Escovedo join Dr. Drew on the sofa. Once their baby was born, while they lived across the street, neither would compromise as to where to stay as a family. Cleondra wanted to be around her large and loud family, but Mario wanted their daughter to have her own space, which would only happen at his family’s home. Dr. Drew believes that Cleondra is pushing Mario away. Mario is willing to work things out and has proven he’s there to be a dad, but Dr. Drew thinks that Cleondra is so worried he’ll leave her that she is sabotaging things before he has a chance to potentially hurt her. I do really feel for Mario here, and I appreciate that Drew really gets to use his psycho-analyzing skills with this pair.
Dr. Drew talks with Kayla Jackson, the young mother who suffered from anorexia and reverted back to her body image issues during pregnancy. Kayla’s mother was the mom-of-the-year who asked her fragile daughter to diet with her after baby Preston was born, and requested that Mike Schwing, her daughter’s helpful, hard-working boyfriend pay rent. Talking with Dr. Drew, Kayla explains that her eating disorder is “loud” and she now lives with her father. She broke up with Mike when she realized she didn’t have the feelings for him that she should have for the person with whom she wanted to spend her life. Her mom Deb joins the interview, and Kayla explains that she and Mike paid for her mom’s utilities and all the groceries in Deb’s house. She also feels Deb left her to spend more time with her boyfriend. Deb offers her daughter a half-hearted apology after basically being scolded by Drew for not saying it earlier. Mike joins Kayla and she calls him an amazing father who fully supports Preston both emotionally and financially. Mike states that he is still in love with Kayla, while she “loves him as Preston’s father.” Mike blames his new job and long hours for the break-up, as he was working more and didn’t have as much time to devote to being a boyfriend. Kayla’s eating disorder is ruling her life, and Mike is scared for his son to be around her. Kayla is indifferent and twirls her hair for most of her time on the sofa, and Dr. Drew makes her “pinky-promise” she will see a therapist to get her anorexia under control. She needs to call that therapist stat.
Kianna Randall, her mom Rachel and her baby’s daddy Zak Hegab join Dr. Drew and discuss Kianna’s initial plans for adoption. Rachel, as a teen mother herself, is happy that her daughter kept Kay’ Den. Zak, at sixteen, has put a ring on it. He is engaged to Kianna and gets teary when he expresses to Dr. Drew that he wants to give his son so much more than the five memories he has of his own father. Kianna hasn’t changed her plans to go to college and Zak says he supports her 100 percent. I stand by my opinion (although it was greatly disputed) that they were one of the more grounded and mature couples from this season. I wish Dr. Drew had devoted more time to them, although, as things seem to be going (relatively) smoothly, perhaps it wasn’t necessary.
Up next is Izabella Tova who kept her pregnancy a secret from friends and extended family. Her boyfriend Jairo Rodriguez is a supportive teen dad, but lied to his girlfriend and her family about completing high school online. When the couple joins Dr. Drew, they are stronger than ever. Jairo has a job and is doing well in school. Jairo says that the two used condoms, but the condom broke. Izabella took the morning after pill, but at that point she was already pregnant. Her parents join the pair on Dr. Drew’s sofa and are proud of how much Jairo turned his life around after his initial lies. Hear those wedding bells? Izabella and Jairo also announce their engagement.
Allie Mendoza of the season finale talks with Dr. Drew about her relationship with her baby’s father Joey Aranzeta and his mother who was suffering from prescription pill abuse when her episode was filming. Allie will be graduating from high school and hopes to attend a four-year university to study mathematics. She cries talking about the struggles of being alone with son Aydenn, but says she understands why Joey’s grandmother Belen sided with her grandson during the break-up. Allie is appreciative of all of Joey’s grandmother’s help and is upset to think that Belen hates her now. Belen and Joey join Allie on the sofa, and Joey reveals that he hasn’t seen his son in months. Allie can’t control her emotions when she tries to show her appreciation to Belen. She also won’t allow Aydenn to be around anyone in Joey’s family unless she’s there, thus, Aydenn hasn’t spent any time with his paternal family. Joey has been so hurt by Allie, he doesn’t want her around when he sees his son. Allie says she can’t trust Joey’s family. Dr. Drew brings out Allie’s mom, and Joey smiles through his tears as he holds his son for the first time in months. Joey will do whatever it takes to get to a civilized agreement where he can see his son, and Allie agrees, but I think she was rolling her eyes. There is a lot of animosity between these two, and here’s hoping they can put their issues aside so that their son can have the benefit of both parents.
It’s time for the scripted questions among the girls, and Jennifer asks a good one: Are the other girls afraid that their own children may become teen parents? Allie jokes that it will be easier for the girls who had boys to prevent that situation. Taylor is concerned she will be the kind of parent her mom was…more a friend than an authority figure. The babies are brought out and Dr. Drew reminds the viewers (yet again) that teen pregnancy is 100 percent preventable. I sincerely wish all of these young people the best of luck…while wondering which ones will be “starring on” the newest Teen Mom spin-off show.
