Nine years later. Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra first appeared on 16 & Pregnant in 2009 and placed their daughter, Carly, up for adoption. Nine years later, the couple sat down with their adoption counselor, Dawn Baker, to reflect.
“I think some of our old expectations were unrealistic. Like, [we] signed our rights off,” Baltierra, 26, says in Us Weekly’s exclusive sneak peek of the Monday, November 5, episode of Teen Mom OG. “A couple of years ago, I was on the other side. I was like, ‘You wouldn’t be parents if it weren’t for me.’ It’s acceptance of what role I really play in this child’s life and this family’s life.”
Dawn also shares some important advice for Baltierra and Lowell, 26, who share 3-year-old daughter, Nova, and are currently expecting another daughter.
“If I can advise you in anyway, I would say a soft landing would be a good thing. Maybe starting a conversation with, ‘What’s Carly doing today? How are things going with her at school?’ You love to brag about Nova, she’s gonna love to brag about Carly,” Baker says. “I think that’s gonna be an easier entry into a conversation.”
The pair then point out that they’ve realized recently that adoption is a “trauma,” which they’ve both been working through. Lowell points out that much of her PTSD came from the adoption and her childhood and was triggered by her recent miscarriage.
Baker, who has been counseling them for the last nine years and shared that she too went through a miscarriage in the past, then gives them a gift: an Alex and Ani bracelet that has the birthstone of July, the month that Lowell miscarried.
In May 2018, Lowell shared a photo on Instagram to celebrate Carly’s 9th birthday. “I can’t believe that 9 years ago Tyler and I were waiting to go to the hospital to make one of the hardest decisions of our lives . . . but it ended up being one of the BEST things we could have done for her,” she wrote. “Carly we love you so much and are so proud of you! #birthdaygirl #adoptionjourney.”
Teen Mom OG airs on MTV Mondays at 9 p.m. ET.
