Becoming a grandmother at 37 is the best thing that’s ever happened to me – I’m glad my daughter gave birth at 18
- Elizabeth Elliott, from Pontefract, West Yorkshire, became a grandma at 37
- Her daughter, Chloe, has battled endometriosis but gave birth last year at 18
- Chloe is working hard to be a ‘boss mum’ to her daughter Elizabeth-Hope
- Read more: Mother-of-five became Britain’s youngest grandmother at 30
A Yorkshire mum revealed how she was thrilled to become a grandma at the age of 37 after her daughter battled through endometriosis to give birth at 18.
Elizabeth Elliott, now 38, from Pontefract, West Yorkshire, welcomed her granddaughter, Elizabeth-Hope, into the world last year and is delighted with how her daughter Chloe, now 19, has taken to motherhood.
After having Chloe at a young age, Elizabeth assumed her daughter would not follow in her footsteps, even encouraging her to wait to have a baby.
Chloe had struggled with endometriosis and polycystic ovaries and Elizabeth had not thought she would ever be a grandma, so the pregnancy came as a happy surprise.
Elizabeth Elliott, now 38 (left), was delighted that her daughter Chloe, now 19 (middle), was able to give birth to baby Elizabeth-Hope (right) last year
Elizabeth explained: ‘Becoming a grandma at 37 was the best thing that ever happened to me.
‘It was just a miracle that came out of a bad situation with Chloe being so unwell.
‘When she got pregnant it was a shock, but it was a welcomed shock as she’s still doing her A-levels, but she’s doing it from home and her baby is now in the midst of it all.
‘I went through some bad times when Chloe was young, so I’ve always encouraged education and being a parent later.
Chloe had battled with endometriosis and have birth to her daughter when she was 18 years old
‘I think her having a baby saved her life, it’s something she’s always dreamt of as we were worried it would never happen because of her endometriosis – it was a real blessing.
‘She is the best mother to Elizabeth-Hope as she was in bad place before from being so unwell, yet she’s taken to it like a duck to water.
‘People are always shocked I’m a grandma. People think I’m the mum, but I point out Chloe is the mum.
‘I get told I look too young to be a grandma.’
Elizabeth is proud of how Chloe has worked hard to make sure she is the best mum possible.
She continued: ‘I think me being a grandma was a shock for people, but no one is negative.
‘I think because she’s so switched on and dedicated to being the best mum, no one has had any bad feelings.
‘Of course, I was worried about Chloe’s health and whether she’d be able to be a mum, as she really wasn’t well.
‘We all thought “Oh my God, this is really happening” after the excitement settled, but Chloe has proved how the whole situation is fantastic.
‘Chloe has a completely different mothering style to me and I’ve learnt so much from her.
‘When she got pregnant she had her head in books, reading, and educating herself and becoming a boss mum.’
Elizabeth described the generational differences between how she raised her children and how Chloe is now raising her daughter.
Elizabeth is proud of how her daughter has taken to motherhood, saying: ‘She is a fantastic mother’
‘She said growing up she remembers our house as always being very loud, and now we have a rule that our house is a non-shouting household.
‘When my girls were little, as soon as they weren’t sleeping through, I used to give them milk rusks to soothe them, but Chloe pointed out that her generation have a lot of stomach issues and that’s because feeding a baby solid foods too early messes with their gut.
‘I was so shocked at what she was feeding her but now it all makes sense.
‘They have the most amazing bond, and it’s all from how much time and effort Chloe has done for her and interacts with her, when I was young and pregnant I never had any guidance, it wasn’t as widely available.
‘I didn’t have a midwife, I was just left to it, whereas Chloe had a community nurse who taught her about breast feeding and these life lessons.
‘I was 17 when I had Chloe and Chloe was 18 when she had Elizabeth-Hope.
‘I am the proudest grandma; she is a fantastic mother. Everything she has done and has been actioning is always what she thinks is right.
‘When my kids were young, I wasn’t the best mum and Chloe went into care. I had to work hard at being a good mum and especially a single mum.
‘It didn’t come naturally and I had to work hard at it.
‘I don’t know why I had any worries about Chloe being a mum as she helped me bring up my younger daughter.
‘I worked my fingers to the bone for my kids and Chloe looked after the house and her younger sister.
‘We’ve been parents to my younger daughter together and now we’re parenting her baby together.
‘We’re an unconventional conventional family.’
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