Stan's Original Series "Bump" Is a Heartfelt Take on Teen Pregnancy

The popular series has already been renewed for a second season.

On New Year’s Day, Stan treated viewers to a new original series Bump, from the team that brought us Love My Way and The Secret Life of Us. Bump tells the witty and heartfelt story of a highly academic teenage girl Oly (Nathalie Morris), as she suddenly has a surprise baby.

Since its launch, the series has broken viewing records for Stan, and has been praised by critics for its funny and compassionate look at issues surrounding motherhood, culture, identity and family. In fact, it has already been renewed for a second season.

While shows like Teen Mom often contribute to the formulation of negative stereotypes by portraying teenage mothers as uneducated or irresponsible, Bump does exactly the opposite. Giving the series’ teen parents a chance to find their feet after a very unexpected pregnancy, the show becomes a highly sensitive portrayal of the challenges associated with being a teenage mother.

*Spoilers for Season 1 of Bump below.*

To quickly recap, after starting a normal day at school in Sydney’s Inner West, Oly finds herself going into labour in a school toilet cubical. Consequently, she is rushed into an ambulance and gives birth to a baby girl. The only problem: she didn’t even know she was pregnant in the first place (a phenomenon known as a ‘cryptic pregnancy’).

After giving birth, Oly starts to question whether she should give her baby up for adoption and work towards her career goals instead. Of course, it doesn’t help matters that her boyfriend Lachy (Peter Thurnwald) isn’t the baby’s father.

By the end of Episode 2, Oly’s plans, relationship and values are challenged by the realisation that she wants to keep her baby and try raising her on her own. Staying true to her strong feminist beliefs and academic drive, Oly empoweringly chooses to bring baby Jacinda to high school with her.

Not long after Oly returns to the classroom, it is quickly revealed that the sensitive ‘stoner’ boy in her class, Santiago (Carlos Sanson), is the father.

*End of spoilers.*

If you’re not familiar with the term, a ‘cryptic pregnancy’ occurs when a woman does not become consciously aware of her pregnancy until the last weeks of gestation (or in some cases, until they give birth).

According to Insider, as many as one in 2500 women experience a cryptic pregnancy. The concept is scary for any woman, but even more so for teenage girls.

While Bump does delve into the shock and awe of the situation, it doesn’t use the startling event as cautionary tale. While the scene of baby J’s birth in the ambulance is relatively graphic, it isn’t an attempt to shame teenage girls for having sex. Instead, the show aims to share the realities of what young motherhood is truly like.

Additionally, the characters in Bump don’t get too caught up in moral arguments about teen sex or pregnancy. Although there are initially some questions raised about the concealment of Oly’s pregnancy by medical staff, friends and her mother, she is never slut-shamed by the people around her. Given the social stigma around having a baby when you’re a teenager, it’s refreshing to see Oly met with trust and understanding by her family.

Throughout the season, Morris’ character is continually supported by the people around her, and this compassion also extends to her baby’s father. Her parents, Angie (Claudia Karvan) and Dom (Angus Sampson), welcome Santiago with open arms, rather than accusing him of messing up their daughter’s life.

Bump is also elevated by Morris’ impressively raw performance as a young mother. The actress, who also starred in Black Christmas, brings viewers along on the emotional rollercoaster that is motherhood. Karvan also gives a particularly magnetic performance as Oly’s mother, sharing unbridled empathy, despite her character dealing with her own personal struggles.

Creators Claudia Karvan and Kelsey Munro also explore family and culture through Santi's experience as a third-generation Chilean migrant. Latino representation is a significant part of the series, with Argentinian, Australian and Italian filmmaker Leticia Cáceres directing Episodes 8–10. Latino culture is rarely represented in Australian media, but Bump explores the reality that Aussie society is far more diverse than we usually see on screens.

The end of Season 1 leaves audiences with a strong sense of confidence in Oly and Santi—even if their romantic relationship doesn’t last. We're keeping our fingers crossed that Season 2 of Bump continues to tell an empowering story about the challenges and realities of teen motherhood.

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Season 1 of Bump is streaming on Stan.