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MTV’s 16 and Pregnant showed Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra’s decision to place their daughter Carly for adoption. As high school sweethearts navigating an unexpected pregnancy, they recognized early on that they didn’t have the financial stability or life experience to provide Carly with the opportunities they wanted for her. Their choice to pursue adoption was both heartbreaking and selfless, showing a level of maturity well beyond their years. More recently, Teen Mom OG star Tyler opened up about how he advocated for adoption after placing Carly. And he has different feelings about adoption now.

‘Teen Mom’ star Tyler Baltierra reflected on the pain of giving daughter Carly up for adoption

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In May 2009, at just 16 years old, Catelynn Lowell gave birth to her daughter Carly. Together with Tyler Baltierra, they made the difficult decision to place her for adoption right after she was born. Over the years, they pursued an open adoption, visiting with Carly periodically. However, the relationship with Carly’s adoptive parents, Brandon and Teresa Davis, has become increasingly strained. By early 2025, the Baltierras revealed they hadn’t seen Carly in two years, citing that their attempts to stay connected were blocked or deemed “inappropriate.”

In September 2025, Tyler discussed his feelings on adoption then versus now on the Keeping Your Power: Real Talk on Resilience podcast. “You can be ‘prepared’ as much as you want, but the feeling to fight that organic, natural parental instinct is fighting against nature,” Tyler explained.

While his “soul” told him “not” to go through with adoption, Tyler said he and Catelynn followed their brains.

“Our human species is to protect, and love, and care for your offspring,” he said. “And so, how do you fight millions of years of evolution not to do that?”

Tyler went on to talk about how adoption agencies also warned him and Catelynn of how difficult parenting would be for them at their age. He felt manipulated by the process.

Tyler Baltierra opened up about his adoption advocacy after giving Carly up

While speaking on the podcast, Tyler Baltierra noted that he and Caitlynn Lowell spent “two years” traveling around the country to advocate for adoption.

“Even in that state of mind, we were trying to make sense of the pain,” the Teen Mom star admitted. “… A lot of birth parents do a lot of advocacy work afterward. That’s interesting, because it’s almost like your brain’s trying to heal and make sense of this pain. So, what do you do? You advocate and talk about how great it is, and it’s beautiful.”

Tyler noted that he hoped to “get to a point where adoption is not necessary.”

“We don’t need it, because we as a human species take care of our people,” he continued. “And adoption wouldn’t be necessary if that was the case.”

The ‘Teen Mom’ star wants to see adoption agencies take more accountability

While speaking on the Keeping Your Power: Real Talk on Resilience podcast, Teen Mom star Tyler Baltierra said he wants to see adoption agencies take accountability for the mental health of the parents who give their children up for adoption.

“Accountability goes down to the adoption agencies,” Tyler said. “Why are you not requiring these prospective adoptive parents to complete two to three years of trauma, grief, and loss therapy, not being able to have their own biological children. It should be a requirement, in my opinion.”

Tyler also noted that he “feels” for Carly’s adoptive parents, Brandon and Teresa Davis, as they didn’t receive proper guidance on what was to come. “I also feel they got screwed too,” he continued. “… Their whole plan of parenting got messed up, and it’s not their fault either. … There needs to be more education about the experiences of adoptees.”

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