This gURLs Life: Maci

Maci from 16 and Pregnant has a lot to deal with. She's juggling her baby son Bentley, her fiancé Ryan, school, work and friends. It's not always easy, but that hasn't stopped her!

gURL had a chat with the teen mom about being pregnant in high school, her plans for the future and advice for other girls. Check it out!

Maci

gURL: What was your first reaction when you found out you were pregnant?

Maci: I was shocked. I didn't cry and I wasn't very like sad or upset. I was just shocked and I was just like, "I can't believe this is happening to me. The first person I told was my fiancé Ryan and then after that I told my big brother. And then a couple weeks later after I'd gone to the doctor and gotten the "100 percent you're pregnant." I told my parents.

Maci

gURL: How did Ryan react when you told him you were pregnant?

Maci: The same as me. We were both just shocked and we were just like, "Well here we go, let's raise a child together." Ryan definitely had trouble adjusting to everything, especially when Bentley was first born. But he got used to it and now he's doing great. And he's just had to get a little bit more time getting used to it, because he didn't have the whole nine month pregnancy with him that I did.

gURL: How are things with you and Ryan now?

Maci: They're great, actually. We're doing a lot better and we're still together and we've actually set a wedding date and we're making plans.

Maci

gURL: How did you cope with high school when you were pregnant?

Maci: After I found out that I was pregnant I decided to just do whatever I could to graduate and if possible to graduate early, which I did. I graduated a semester early. And I just did what I needed to do to get out as soon as possible so that I could move on. It was hard, but I just did what I needed to do.

gURL: How did the other students react?

Maci: I didn't tell anyone until I finished my junior year. So I wasn't really in school, it was during the summer when everybody realized that I was pregnant. But people were really supportive, actually. Everyone's always asking me how I was doing and when I was due and ever since Bentley's been born all my friends from high school (I'm still in touch with them) all love Bentley.

Maci

gURL: How has your life changed since you had Bentley?

Maci: It's a completely different world. I don't know. It's like I have a family now and and I have my own place to live and I still have my friends and I still hang out, but now I just have like a new addition that I get to take with me everywhere.

gURL: What do you think is the hardest thing about being a mom?

Maci: You get so caught up in being with your family and making time for your friends and doing stuff around the house that you kind of forget to get your own time. So I guess that would be a hard part, because I find myself just being so overwhelmed that I'm never alone. But at the same time it's fun to have a family and be responsible for all of it.

Maci

gURL: What are you and Ryan up to right now?

Maci: I'm majoring in business and I'm minoring in journalism. Ryan works as a diesel mechanic and he works on like heavy machinery and stuff.

gURL: What are your plans for the future?

Maci: I'd like to write for a magazine actually. If not, I'd like to open up a restaurant.

Maci

gURL: Do you have any advice for girls who are in the same situation as you are?

Maci: Number one, if they aren't pregnant yet, I want them to watch my show and realize that it's very hard to be a teen mom and make everything happen. And so to protect themselves as much as they can. But if they're already pregnant and they're in my situation, I just want them to know that it's possible for them to do whatever they wanna do. Anything is possible. They're just gonna have to take a different road and it's gonna be a lot harder. But if they set their mind to it they can do it.