Maci Bookout’s journey to motherhood began on 16 and Pregnant.
The now-mom of three was pregnant with her first child, Bentley, when she starred on the first season of the MTV show. She later joined Teen Mom, which was rebranded to Teen Mom OG, and welcomed her daughter Jayde and son Maverick.
“I’ve realized that parenthood is hard work at any age, and that’s why it’s so important to wait until you’re really ready to start a family,” Maci wrote on Instagram in 2015.
Speaking to PEOPLE in 2022, the reality star admitted that it has “taken a lot” to get to where she is today, being married and having three kids. “I think, first and foremost, it took the good to get here and took the struggles to get here,” she confessed.
Here’s everything to know about Maci Bookout’s kids: Bentley, Jayde and Maverick.
Bentley Edwards, 15
Maci gave birth to her “first love,” Bentley Cadence Edwards, on Oct. 27, 2008, in Tennessee.
Bentley is the oldest of Maci’s children and the only child she shares with her high school boyfriend, Ryan Edwards. Maci’s pregnancy with Bentley was documented in the first season of 16 and Pregnant, which aired in 2009.
“Giving birth to my baby was the hardest thing I’ver ever done,” she said on the show. “I kicked and screamed through over 30 hours of non-stop pain.”
The TV star has previously told PEOPLE that Bentley is accustomed to being on television. “Bentley, he’s the oldest Teen Mom Kid. He was born on TV, so it’s kind of normal for him,” she explained.
“As he’s gotten older, obviously sharing things that are personal to him, is always been under the same set of boundaries,” she added.
During Bentley’s middle school graduation in 2023, Maci celebrated her firstborn’s accomplishment on Instagram, writing, “And just like that the chapter of middle school ends. So proud of you Benny, your next chapter is going to be amazing… find joy in the journey! 😎💙.”
According to his Instagram, Bentley plays baseball, golf and wrestles. Maci revealed in 2023 that her son placed fourth at the TNAAU State tournament and “moved up to fill a spot on the high school wrestling team.”
Discussing Bentley’s teen years with PEOPLE in 2022, Maci said they are an “absolute blast” as well as “an absolute struggle.” She admitted that she finds herself biting her tongue all the time.
“I’m like ‘Maci, you just have to let him like just let him do it,’ ” she said. “Even though you know it’s totally not going to work out, you just gotta let him learn.”
Bentley became a big brother for the first time in 2015 with the birth of his little sister Jayde. Months after her arrival, Maci told PEOPLE that Bentley “thinks the world” of his baby sister.
“At this point, he’s really a huge help. He likes to feed her and help change her and bathe her,” she said. “[His help] has been really nice and made the transition into parenting two children much easier. It’s awesome to see him so involved and, really, in love with her.”
Jayde McKinney, 9
Maci welcomed her second child, daughter Jayde McKinney, on May 29, 2015.
Jayde is the Teen Mom star’s only daughter and first child with Taylor McKinney, whom she married in 2016.
Maci announced her daughter’s birth on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “She is beautiful and as healthy as can be!”
When Jayde was 7 months old, Maci revealed to PEOPLE that her daughter was trying to crawl, but her belly was getting in the way.
“She’s chunky – she definitely doesn’t miss a meal. So she’s in this phase where she wants to crawl so bad, but her belly gets in her way,” she quipped at the time. “I’m like, ‘Yep, that happens to the best of us, Jayde, you’ll get it one day.’ ”
Jayde has been nicknamed “Snacks” by her mom. Like her big brother, Jayde wrestles and also plays softball — Maci has even coached her daughter’s softball team.
In 2022, Maci posted a photo of herself and her daughter in wrestling attire, which she captioned, “Snacks placed in both Girls K-2 and Bantam in the first Top 100 of the #TNAAU season! It’s so fun to see how much passion she has for this sport!”
The MTV personality has called Jayde the “smartest little beauty queen” she’s “ever known.” She’s also been dubbed “fierce and intelligent, beautiful and kind” by her mother.
According to Maci, Jayde is “gonna change the world y’all!”
Maverick McKinney, 8
Maci welcomed her third child, son Maverick Reed McKinney, on May 31, 2016, with husband Taylor.
“Mr. Maverick Reed has officially made his debut & completed our family,” she posted on X at the time. “So much love, so many blessings!”
The reality star introduced her son months later on Instagram with an adorable snapshot of Maverick sporting a baseball-themed onesie that read: “Team Dad.” Maci captioned the cute picture, “Hi World. My name is Maverick, and I’m the cutest little guy in the world! Nice to finally meet you! 🌎👶🏻💙 🤗.”
Maverick has followed in his older siblings’ wrestling footsteps. In 2020, Maci shared that he came in first place in the “TN Top 100 Beginner Tot Division” and third in the “TN Top 100 Tot Division.” Following the region tournament in 2021, Maci revealed that all three of her kids had qualified and were “TNAAU State bound.”
Maverick ended his season in March 2023 with a 27-5 record, per his mom.
“He wrestled hard all season long, won a ton of matches against really tough opponents and lost a couple heart breaking matches,” she wrote on Instagram. “He took his athleticism and ‘feel’ that make him naturally a good wrestler, added some new skills he learned this year and really started to understand the sport.”
In her post, Maci noted that she can only encourage her son to “celebrate his success and work toward eliminating those heartbreaking losses with hard work in the wrestling room.”
While Maverick is fun to coach and watch, Maci admitted that at times it’s frustrating “because he really doesn’t take wrestling practice serious.” Though she pointed out, “Maybe that’s just the beauty in it all!”
Maci has described her youngest child as “fearless” and “free spirited.” In a tribute to mark his seventh birthday in 2023, she penned, “Don’t ever let anyone or anything put out your flame… You’re one of a kind buddy!”
She’s also admitted in the past that her “favorite wild man” makes “motherhood so much fun!”