Stacey Solomon tearfully recalls mean comments from strangers over teenage pregnancy

Stacey Solomon has tearfully recalled the mean comments she received from strangers about her teenage pregnancy.

The Loose Women co-host discussed being a young mother in a series of posts on her Instagram Stories, as she shared with her followers the birthday celebrations of her middle child Leighton, who had turned nine.

Stacey first became a mother at the age of 17, welcoming baby Zachary with her former boyfriend Dean Cox, and she then went on to fall pregnant with Leighton, who she shares with ex-fiancee Aaron Barham, at the age of 21.

However, she revealed it wasn't all plain sailing while she was pregnant, and confessed she was heartbroken by vicious comments from strangers about her journey to motherhood.

After sharing a clip of Zachary hugging his brother Leighton, Stacey said in a video that all the trolling and criticism was worth it in the end.

"I've got to stop watching that cuddle video because it's doing me in. I think it's mostly because I am very tired, but also because, you know when you get pregnant at 17 you don't know - or some of you might know - everyone looks at you like you're going to fail and be an absolute terrible parent," Stacey, 31, explained.

"And then they grow up and they turn out to be really nice people and you're like, 'I did it, even though you thought I was an absolute disgrace.' Oh my god," she laughed.

She also wrote a lengthy caption alongside the video, in which she thanked her family for their unwavering support.

"I keep thinking about when I got pregnant with Zachy and people used to tut at me 'a baby with a baby' and literally tell me to my face what a terrible decision I'd made and how I'd be bringing a child into the world who will be so unhappy," Stacey wrote.

"I look at them all now and how kind and caring they are.... And it just makes me want to cry my eyes out!"

Stacey welcomed her third son Rex, who she shares with current partner Joe Swash, in 2019.