About Bump+
In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court gave women a choice. Thirty-seven years later, we're giving them a voice. BUMP+ is a provocative web series from Yellow Line Studio that follows the fictional stories of three women facing unintended pregnancies.
Watch the episodes. Share your story. Join the conversation.
Emily's Blog
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Blog
Katie, Hailey, and Denise have been through so much—so much heartbreak. Each journey has been difficult and painful. They’ve made their decisions; and in that sense, each journey is at an end. But now they have to figure out how to live with the choices they’ve made.
I worry for Katie and John. I [...]
New Features
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Bump+ The Conversation Continues
To Our Audience -
Bump+ The Show has come to an end – but the conversation it has sparked is just beginning.
When we launched this experiment, the only thing we knew for sure was that the time for a new kind of conversation about the sensitive topic of abortion had come. We hoped that story [...] -
No Voting
The creators of Bump+ would like to address several errant media reports. Headlines around the world have said Bump+ trivializes the issue of abortion. Fox News has suggested that Bump+ is an “abortion game show.” It is not. We take the stories of our characters and the choices that lie ahead of [...]
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Lauri Deason – Producer
Lauri responds to the question of creating television shows.
To Our Audience -
Bump+ The Show has come to an end – but the conversation it has sparked is just beginning.
As word about Bump+ spread to 64 countries across the globe, controversy and criticism from people on both sides of the debate followed; but instead of listening to them, you found the courage to listen to each other. Six weeks and more than 125,000 site visits later, your responses not only to our characters, but also to each other has proved to the world what we suspected all along – we were right to trust in the goodness and intelligence of our audience. We are intensely humbled by the stories you’ve shared and the respect you have shown to each other. Your partnership has challenged us to see this debate in new ways, and reminded the world that we don’t have to agree to listen and respond with compassion. Thank you for that gift.
Comments on individual episodes have now been closed in order to preserve what was The Bump Experience as it unfolded. A new comment thread has been opened here to keep the conversation going. Please visit this link to share your story and join the conversation.
Kay, It might help you to know that there are three psychological stages ( I learned them while studying nursing) most pregnant woman go through. Even, if you are in the most PERFECT circumstances, it is NORMAL the first trimester to feel unsure. Questions like, ” Uh,Oh! Do I REALLY want to be pregnant?” How will my husband, boss, mother, girlfriends etc. react? Can I do this?” I spent 10 years consumed with trying to get pregnant. I was so confused when I finally WAS pregnant that I was feeling uncertainties!!!? Then I remembered what I had learned in nursing obstetrics class. Please DON”T feel guilty about thinking there was a time you didn’t want your daughter! Those feelings are apparently so universal they are in a textbook!. Enjoy your beautiful kids!
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I found out I was pregnant way sooner than I was wanting to be after my first child.
I can’t tell you how hard it was to look at myself as a mother and think, “I don’t really want this child.” I wasn’t planning it, I didn’t feel like going through the whole pregnancy thing again, and I was just in shock I was pregnant. Instead of being happy about it, I was mad at myself for letting myself get pregnant so soon and not being more careful.on top of it all, I was having so much fun just doting on my son, being so busy with another kid would change our relationship so much…I was sad to say goodbye to that one-on-one time.
For the first time, I saw a glimpse of what women who didn’t really want to be pregnant must feel–but only a glimpse. I was married, didn’t have financial problems, and was already staying at home with my first kid, so it’s not like I was going to be out of a job.
If I can feel so “bothered” by this unexpected turn in my life, what must women who are not so well situated (young women, women who had the father leave, women who need to work, etc) feel with a pregnancy they didn’t feel ready for?
For the first time, I feel like I understood a little better what women might wrestle with. Especially those who don’t think it’s a baby until birth, like Hailey..why go through so much, or why worry about “killing” something you aren’t even sure is alive.
But in the interest of sharing my story…I had my baby. Even though I couldn’t imagine loving anyone more than my son, having my daughter showed me that babies really have a way of filling a heart with love I never thought could exist. She’s my baby girl, and now I can’t imagine my life without my two kids. She and I have a special bond I couldn’t have anticipate those first few months of pregnancy when I was so scared at the thought of another baby.
My son loves her and adores her too, and I feel like instead of depriving him of my time, I gave him the gift of a sister that he’ll have for life.
In my nervousness about the baby, all I could think of and anticipate was how hard it was going to be, and how I wasn’t ready for another. But what I could never anticipate was how much I fell in love again!
Although I understand the premise of the show being an “open discussion”, I still feel that this is a real danger! When we ‘debate’ [EDITOR'S NOTE: We are looking for conversation not debate, that is the key.] something like this in this fashion, we risk the possibility of losing the seriousness of it. This is a real decision made by thousands of woman every day. A decision that impacts them for the rest of their lives! I know I made that ‘choice’ almost 20 yrs ago. It did take awhile for me to understand what I had done. But the guilt did come, with a vengeance! I had symptoms that bordered on lunacy. I felt it was necessary to punish myself by not forgiving myself and moving on. Many yrs ago, a woman came into my life and through unusual circumstances, knew I had an abortion.
She asked me if I forgave myself…What! Are you kidding?….She told me to let the Holy Spirit close the hole in my heart. Although I never prayed like that before, I did pray that night! Now, I can talk about the experience without tears. They didn’t offer a ‘choice’ and I never knew that that baby was a baby then (just a clump of cells, tissue, nothing more; I was told). Now with the Internet, there should be no excuses…find out what is done to an unborn baby during abortion and ask yourself if you can live with doing that to a living person. [EDIT] I know when I got to see my 5 beautiful babies on ultrasound in the years following, I KNEW THAT I MADE A MISTAKE. To Amanda, I know you say that you never regretted it and that may be so, but you’ve also never saw another child in your own body at the same stage as the aborted one. It changes your perspective, I can tell you! I will pray that someday you may see the decision for what it was and heal afterwards. Truly heal!
Abortion tends to be viewed as a way to change the circumstances, put things back in order like they were. This show is looking at the circumstances, and asking questions about how each girl should deal with her specific circumstances. It’s also, I assume, going to look at options, something that isn’t done everywhere. Decades ago I went to a Planned Parenthood office for a free pregnancy test, and the young woman checking me in asked matter-of-factly, “If it’s positive, do you want your abortion today?” Like if your porcelin nail is broken do you want it fixed today, or will you come back tomorrow? This is life and death, people, let’s give it the attention it deserves! Kudos to the producers.
It sounds like your six minutes was wasted when you discovered the show doesn’t follow your beliefs to a T.
The show is trying to stay neutral in an attempt to get people talking. Clearly it’s succeeding. Just b/c it’s not presented in a way that you like doesn’t mean it’s not doing something beneficial.
@ Amanda– I appreciate your story. There seems to be a trend on this site that implies abortion=suffering. You bring a new perspective so thank you for sharing.
I got pregnant when I was 18 because my birth control failed. My boyfriend had just joined the military reserves and I was in college. The parasite in my body made me very very ill and I ended up having to drop out. Because of that my boyfriend decided to go active duty and got orders to move cross country. We knew we were going to get married and we both talked about what we should do about this…thing. There was no way we could handle being newly weds, moving out on our own for the first time, AND raise a child. We both agreed abortion was our best option. I found a nice clinic in my town, they treated me with respect and dignity. There were no protesters that day, thankfully. I have absolutely no regrets. I knew I made the right choice. I get so angry when other people try to me feel like I made the wrong choice, who are they to judge me? I am still not ready to have children, I don’t think I ever will be. I found a much more reliable birth control method and once I’m able to find a doctor willing to do it I plan to be sterilized. No one can tell me what’s right for me except for me and I’m not even going to attempt to tell someone else what’s right for them. However, I will fight tooth and nail to make sure that every women’s right to choose is protected.
@ Amanda: I have a question, when you say; “there were no protesters that day, thankfully.” Why do you say that? If you said you said you have no regrets and knew you made the right choice, why would it have mattered if there were protesters there or not? Just curious.
Your pregnancy went from parasite, to thing, to a child. You say you have no regrets yet you don’t really sound like your a happy with your decision…your response sounds full of anger…You say you get so angry when other people try to make you feel like you did something wrong…no one has that kind of power to make anyone feel a certain way…we do that on our own with our own conscience…which never lies to us.
Amanda– thank you for sharing a view that shows women don’t have to suffer for eternity if they have an abortion. I won’t pretend to know how you’re feeling exactly but I experienced something similar and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Almost like the first choice I made that really shaped my life as a younger girl. To this day I don’t regret it.
Abortion has nothing to do with a woman’s choice. It is the fact that you have a LIFE inside of your body. Just because having a child inside of your body for 9 months may be an inconvenience, doesn’t mean you should terminate a life. Another option is to “suffer” through those 9 months and then give your child up for adoption. Wouldn’t you rather give that child a choice at life? Wouldn’t you rather have your baby put into the arms of a loving couple that is actually ready to have a baby, instead of never knowing? I am all for women’s rights, but when it comes to abortion, which involves ANOTHER LIFE…I don’t see how it is about being a feminist.
Even though the show is a scripted show, I appreciate the show offering an opportunity to comment and have discussion on this topic. Most often times though in these conversations, the point gets very lost. No one should condemn a woman (mother), or think less of her life over the unborn child’s life—they are both valued and both should be loved, but we cannot ignore some facts. One fact being that the unborn child cannot speak for him/her self–he/she literally has no voice (yet).
[THIS COMMENT HAS BEEN EDITED]
A NOTE FROM THE PRODUCERS -
It’s been an interesting 24 hours here at Yellow Line Studio. The conversation has garnered some media attention; and practically speaking, that means increased traffic to the web site and on the comment boards. We’ve also noticed that the tone of some of the posts has become more argumentative. We are working to remove or edit the comments that don’t conform to our posted guidelines – and we appreciate your patience.
To those of you on both sides of the issue who have been so incredibly supportive of this experiment – and especially those who have been brave enough to share your personal stories – we thank you. We know this conversation is not an easy one to have, and that emotions and disagreement will be involved on both sides from time to time. We are trying to let it unfold as naturally as possible, and you have proved to us that we were right to believe in the goodness and intelligence of our audience. Please help us by continuing to reach out to each other with compassion – and gently moderating the conversation yourselves by reminding people to stay on topic and be kind. If posts appear that clearly don’t support the goals of the experiment, rest assured that we are still monitoring the boards and will remove them as soon as humanly possible.
To those of you who persist in personal attacks or in restating old arguments – we understand that this experiment represents a huge shift in the way we talk about this issue. People from both perspectives are represented on our own creative team, and many of us have had to make the same shift. We have learned that we don’t have to deny or change our personal convictions to listen with compassion – and we want to offer that confidence to you. But we take this issue and our respect for our audience very seriously – and we WILL remove posts that don’t respect our clearly stated guidelines or attempt to derail the conversation.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
I’m still not 100% sure how this project represents “a huge shift in the way we talk about the issue.” So far, from what I’ve seen, the show appears gimmicky and neutrality on the issue is enforced to the point that the characters seem like mere parodies of real people. I am beginning to feel that +Bump may be too clever by half.
If you really want to see a “huge shift” in how abortion is discussed, I would argue that the unvarnished truth would be a more sensible and impactful approach. In the end, gimmicks come across as disingenuity. Any conversation started under such pretenses is not likely to have enduring positive effects. Indeed, you may unwittingly create even deeper divisions and greater apathy long-term.
John 18:37
I will still be watching. But I do so prayerfully and with trepidation.
Katie really needs to let her husband know. I like Denise a lot more now that I saw her with her kids but I still want to see her boyfriend. Hailey is kind of slow hahaa.
p.s. I love this show
I think this show is amazing. In my personal opinion, when it comes to Katie, I think it would be amazing if she was seen on the internet by her husband. Not only would she deal with having to decide on an abortion, but she would also have to face the harsh realities of being on any type of realty show as well as not telling her husband. I have known of someone who had a similar situation.
As for the other two, I would love to see Hailey away from her boyfriend, I feel that there are other motives at play and she cannot make up her own mind about what she is to do. Concerning Denise…why is she so…stupid?
I don’t think Denise is stupid. I’ve known women like that — they put on a mask of being free-spirited or childlike to hide the fact that they’re afraid and trapped.
For her, some of it might be trying to seem light-hearted and goofy as a way to protect her kids from the scary darkness at home…..
The biggest issue should not focus on whether or not these women are in situations that would make abortion a socially acceptable option. The issue at hand is the humanity of the growing child within. Like it or not, once a baby is growing inside of a woman, her body is not completely her own. She makes decisions that will not only affect her, but the baby as well, for the rest of both of their lives. If an abortion is chosen, she decides to kill the viable life that dwells within. An unbirthed baby is it’s own organism, connected to the mother for nutrients and protection. No woman should have an abortion. No woman should be convinced that murdering their child is the right choice.
Being pro-choice, I still would councel ALL of these women to have their baby if they were friends of mine (or at least to seriously consider it). Since our comments are supposed to change the story, I’ll offer my opinion.
The woman who seems to have abortions as birth control (I doubt their are many of these in real life but we’ll let it pass): Is in a loving relationship, which is the best environment for a child. They’re immature, but maturity comes from the responsibility of having a kid. She seems compassionate and caring, offering a shoulder to the other woman in this episode, so she would probably make a good mother. We might find out later on in the show that she’s not as tight with her partner as she lets on (she seems to have a different personality around him and without). Also does anybody really believe that birth is when a baby becomes human? She needs some education.
The woman whose hubby is in IRAQ: Needs to talk to her husband. Having an abortion and then hiding it to cover cheating is no good, neither is pretending the kid is his (which I assume she can’t do because he’s been away too long). A relationship should be based on honesty. Also, since her husband is likely to be the father of this baby (even if not biologically) she should make him part of the decision.
The woman with kids: Needs to get help for the abuse. Where I live there is a woman’s shelter that helps families in these sorts of situations, I’m sure there’s something similar in this fictitious world. Someone on this show should provide her with resources! All this has nothing to do with whether she should have her baby or not. She knows what’s involved in having babies and raising kids better than the rest of them. Though she’s portrayed as a goof, all the other women should be going to her for advice!
I don’t think the woman with two kids really IS a goof.
I’ve known people like her– the childish behavior (i.e. red candy) is usually an act– an attempt to seem ‘free-spirited’ because, really, they’re anything but.
I think her whole attitude hides the fact that she really is scared –for herself and for her children. She acts like she doesn’t care b/c if she admits how trapped and scared she is, she’ll fall apart – and she thinks has to be light and fun for her kids– to keep things together.
IF she managed to leave her abusive relationship, get counseling and get her life on track, she’d probably turn out to be a really together person– hardworking, organized, a bit anal but generally happy… She just has to stop feeling trapped.
As for the baby, I don’t really get the feeling she’s seriously considering an abortion– more that she’s on the show because she WANTS help with the abuse thing bu isn’t sure how to GET help. And it sounds like she’s essentially a single mom already, and that her kids are what keeps her going – Notice her ‘complications’ from previous pregnancies have names– she starts with the assumption that pregnancies end in kids.
I DO worry b/c she’s so thin and stressed. I wonder how her prenatal nutrition is, and if she’ll have trouble carrying the baby to term. If the abuse led to her losing the baby, I think she’d blame herself— in fact, I think she ALREADY blames herself for having her kids in such a bad situation.
So far, she’s my favorite character– because she may seem the weakest, but I think she actually has a huge store of inner strength–she just needs to figure out what to DO with it. Once she’s out of the abusive situation, she and her kids will blossom….
I hope you’re right about the goofiness hiding fear. Hopefully we’ll see this come out in a future episode. These are actors playing roles, and I really would like to see these roles reflect reality and not be stereotypes.
I think your insight on Denise is right on. I feel the same way about her, that she really isn’t on the show to end a pregnancy, but a situation. She’s trying to scream what’s going on, but can’t and pregnancy gets you instant attention, add that to a show and your in the spotlight. She can’t hide in the shadows any longer, something has to be done, she needs to get help. You can tell she’s a good mom in her very matter-of-fact statement that “No Man will touch those kids!”, and also in the way that she turns to pay attention to her little girl. Mom’s are always on duty 24/7, but the relationship she is in changes her ability to be a mom…her partner disturbed her so much from her ability to be a mom that she left the room with her kids there. Although others were there she didn’t take that second to make sure they were being watched…which makes me think this is how she keeps them safe. She absorbs the impact, she takes the situation elsewhere, she’s the punching bag, whether physically, mentally or emotionally…that is also being a good mom…she’s protecting her kids, but who is protecting her.
Jennifer, thank you for this awesome comment! What I like about it is that you identify your self as pro-choice, and then you give intelligent, compassionate opinions about each of the characters. I have been pro-life all my life (I was born a few years before Roe v. Wade). What I have found is that it is easy for pro-lifers to “lump” pro-choice people into a stereotyped category of people who have no regard for life or morals. I used to stereotype pro-choice people that way when I was in high school.
What you have done in your comment is to show that stereotype about pro-choice people to be untrue. I really believe that every woman who chooses to have an abortion really sincerely tries to make the best choice she can. That is what I hope the women on this show do.
Thanks again. This is the kind of conversation that makes this whole “Bump” idea so valuable, in my opinion.
Not that I want to reply to every comment as I go down the line, but I have to agree with you Sister. When I saw Jennifer’s comment, I thought the same thing…Someone “pro-choice” with genuine compassion. It’s like being “pro-life” and not being judgmental.
If we can see beyond the stereotypes and really converse, we will delve into the deepest core of our humanity and find that we all have souls. Souls that want to make better choice, than those before us. Have better lives then our parents, make less mistakes than history has laid out, but what we find is our path our road drives us back to the fact that we are all human. And I don’t say that to shrug off responsibility, I say it to bring everyone to the realization that to be human is to err…but if we can love, be compassionate and listen that makes us walk together, side by side. And isn’t it the loneliness that all the woman feel at these moments the most telling about their stories. They are all so very lonely and looking for someone to walk with them.
This show is not about making a decision. The decision was already made when the man and woman decided to have sex. Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means naive – I have had my share of sexual promiscuity. If you have sex, there’s is a high probability that you and your partner create a life. Notice, I did not say “become pregnant,” because the medical jargon has clouded our minds of what is truly happening inside. Abortion is not “terminating a pregnancy,” but killing a person. Let’s all face up to it. In the instance of the woman who cheated on her husband – the mistake was not the resulting child; the mistake was her wrongdoing. She has created this problem, and wants to cover it up. When a woman conceives, there is no “covering it up.” My cousin was born from my uncle and a woman he met at his office. After years of healing from his adultery, my uncle and aunt became the strongest couple I have ever seen. Because they dealt with his mistake, and could watch a beautiful woman grow up and live.
This whole debate is about taking responsibility for your own actions. When are we going to grow up?
Even if you believe that abortion=”killing a person” these women still have decisions to make. Adoption, raising the baby alone or with your partner, plus a multitude of decisions one has to make when raising a child, some minor and some major. Saying “when are we going to grow up?” belittles the debate and is insulting to both to mothers and to any woman forced to make the difficult decision of aborting an unwanted pregnancy.