The document analyzes the portrayal of breastfeeding on reality TV shows like Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant and how this may influence young women's decisions. Research found breastfeeding is shown little and portrayed negatively, though representation has increased due to criticism. Additional factors like formula marketing, lack of education and support, and societal attitudes that sexualize breasts also contribute to lower breastfeeding rates among teenage mothers compared to older mothers. Improving representation and supporting breastfeeding can help reduce stigma and allow more women to experience the health benefits for themselves and their children.

1. Breastfeeding
in Teen Moms
and the
Media’s affects

2. Reality TV
I
watched 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom,
and Teen mom 2 to see if breastfeeding
occurred, if bottle feeding occurred, and
how both were talked about to see how it
could potentially affected teen girls
watching the show and their decisions to
breastfeed

3. Breastfeeding bad for
business?
 Also
research was conducted on several
other factors that could contribute to a
young women’s decision to breastfeed
for example attitudes in the United States
towards breastfeeding, advertising for
formula, and availability of support and
resources for breastfeeding and formula.
 All this was compared all this to the
statistic for women who breastfeed and
there ages

4. The Results are in and …



The number of women who breastfeed
increases dramatically after the age of 30
Breastfeeding is shown little to none in these
shows and is talked about as a bad things
most times and MTV actually cut out scenes
of a mother breastfeeding
The shows is now showing more breastfeeding
after taking a lot of bad press about its
representation of breastfeeding including a
breastfeeding mother being feature on Teen
Mom 3

5. Facts are facts
 Representation
of women breastfeeding
show mostly older 20’s and 30’s moms
 There is little to no information given about
breastfeeding in sexual education classes
 Information about breastfeeding is harder
to get then information about formula
 WIC provides breastfeeding support but
also helps relieve a lot of the cost of
formula on younger moms

6. Formula Companies: the
good, the bad, and the ugly





Infant feeding is a multi billion dollar business and
2/3 of that is from infant formula sales
Formula promotion shows it as being easy and
more portable
Advertisements for formula are everywhere
coupons, commercials, poster
Donation to hospitals and doctors are given but
then doctors and hospitals are made to hand out
samples
Formula companies actually fought against and
won for breastfeeding advertisements that didn’t
show any bad light on formula

7. Breastfeeding in the News
 Breastfeeding
has received a lot of bad
press lately
 There are several new laws that are trying
to be passed about breastfeeding such
as covering up laws and selling or
donating breastfeeding laws
 Shows breastfeeding as something they
will have to fight to do and could cause
people to look at them differently

8. Attitudes in the United States
about Breastfeeding



Hypersexualization of breasts in the United
States have made breastfeeding seem like a
“dirty act”
In a survey mothers breastfeeding in private
are shown to be more positively then those
breastfeeding in public
Body image is even more important to teens
and stereotypes about breastfeeding include
sagging breasts, leaky breasts, and also seen
as painful.

9. Why we should care?




Breastfeeding is something fighting for and the more
it is socialized the less stigmatization will occur
Breastfeeding reduces the chances of breast
cancer, helps the mother lose weight quicker, can
lessen the affects of post partum depression
Breastfeeding helps protect children from diseases,
contains the perfect nutrients for babies, is shown to
lessen the chances for childhood obesity and many
more benefits to our children
Women are being forced to go against nature due
to societies views and they are even aware of the
facts due to formula companies control over the
government and media

10. Breast is Best!

As a Teen Mom who
breastfed her child and
experienced the
negativity of others I
wanted to call to light
how amazing this
opportunity is to share
and bond with your child.
I want more information
put in the hands of teen
moms about the benefits
of breastfeeding not only
for their child but
themselves.