MTV’s Teen Mom Premiers Tonight At 10PM ET/PT

MTV will once again bring one of today’s most thought-provoking topics to its viewers with an all-new docu-series “Teen Mom.” The series catches up with four girls: Maci, Amber, Catelynn and Farrah, from the cast of the first season of “16 And Pregnant” to give viewers a deeper look at the lives of teenage parents. Told by each girl first hand, the series will depict the varied challenges young mothers face. From marriage or relationships, to high school or college, to new babies or life after adoption, these new parents must learn how to balance adult responsibilities while trying to hold on to a semblance of teenage life. “Teen Mom” premieres on Tuesday, December 8 at 10:00pm ET/PT and will have eight one-hour episodes. Read more

A Review of Teen Mom on MTV

MTV follows up on the young mothers from 16 and Pregnant

MTV’s Teen Mom is the follow-up series to their groundbreaking show, 16 and Pregnant. In the debut episode, we look in on the girls  several months after the birth of their babies, and see how their lives have changed and how they and their families have adjusted.

Maci is engaged to Ryan, after a few rocky months of shell-shock that they endured as they adjusted to the responsibility of being parents to young Bentley. The couple already live together, and are planning their wedding, which is months away. There is pressure from their parents to get married, which is stressing the young couple out. Add to that stress the fact that Ryan has just embarked on a month-long business trip that will keep him away from his new family, and leave Maci along to manage the household and the baby.

Gary and Amber are also living together, and engaged, but with a different set of challenges. Gary works 12 hours a day to take care of his new family, while Amber has dropped out of school to be a stay-at-home mom to baby Leah. Although Amber loves being a mother, she is also feeling the strain of a diminished social life and is missing the freedom she enjoyed before becoming a parent. She is also overwhelmed by the amount of responsibility placed on her shoulders as she tries to take care of the baby and the household. This is something that it seems Gary is not taking seriously. She finally seeks the help of a therapist to deal with her anxiety and depression.

Farrah is raising baby Sophia without the help of the baby’s father, but with the support of her family, whom she lives with. As well as raising her baby daughter, Farrah is also juggling a modeling career, working and going to culinary school. Such a busy life does not change the fact that Farrah misses her social life; specifically, dating. Farrah meets a young man at a modeling gig, and they go out on a date, something that her mother strongly disapproves of. It seems that Farrah’s  mother would like it if Farrah held off on dating until Sophia graduates from high school. But if she is going to date, she would feel a tad better if Farrah brought the young man home to be grilled by her, as seen in the clip below:

My favorite line of the show: “We would love for you to go to Heaven with all of us.”  What day works for you, young man? As it turns out,  Farrah discovers that the kid is a creep after all, and butts heads with her mother on how she wants to handle it.

Catelynn and her boyfriend Tyler are not raising their baby Carly, as the young couple have made the brave decision to give their child the life they could not give her by placing her with an adoptive family. (For a great article about Catelynn and Tyler’s choice, click here.) They have a semi-open adoption, which means that correspondence will be exchanged through the agency and the both sets of parents and Carly will get together twice a year for a visit. This was clearly a difficult choice for the teenage couple, and they are very supportive of each other as they deal with the pain of not having their baby in their lives. Their parents are not as supportive. Tyler’s dad, who accessorizes his  hellified mullet with a nasty attitude, refuses forgive his son for putting Carly up for adoption (although I am not sure why he feels that it was an act that requires anyone’s forgiveness). He compares the semi-annual planned visitation of Carly to being in jail, something he knows a thing or two about, having been in jail not too long ago. To make matters more difficult for the young couple, it seems that Tyler’s dad and Catelynn’s mom are a couple, which means that they can both be brow-beaten by their parents when they stop by for a visit.

Teen Mom is a very good companion series to 16 and Pregnant, because it allows a look into the lives of these four young women after they have had their babies. It doesn’t sugar-coat the reality of being a mother before you have finished being a child. It shows each girl rising to the challenge of having to grow up before they are ready, and there were clearly some cringe-worthy moments that demonstrated a certain level of immaturity. Like when Farrah laid the baby on the floor at the top of the stairs while she wiped up a little milk throw up. Babies that age may be too young to crawl, but they do wiggle and roll.

Another moment was when Catelynn went to the OB-Gyn to be fitted for Mirena, and the doctor asked if she’d had sex since her last period.  She lied and said she hadn’t, as if she feared getting scolded. The doctor needed to know because becoming pregnant while using an inter-uterine device can be life threatening. She probably would have waited to fit Catelynn with the contraceptive until she was sure she hadn’t accidentally gotten pregnant.

Is Teen Mom going to scare teenage girls straight, and stop them from getting pregnant? If they are watching like it is a typical reality show, probably not.  But if they are watching it with their parents, it is an opportunity for an open dialogue  that may cause them to consider how the decisions they make in the moment can have a great impact on their choices in the future.

Teen Mom airs Tuesdays at 10:00 PM on MTV. For more information on how to prevent pregnancy and teen parenting, go to It’s Your Sex Life.com

Interview With Amber from MTV’s Teen Mom

I recently had the chance to talk with Amber, one of the mothers featured on MTV’s Teen Mom (which debuts on December 8 at 10 PM). Amber is 19 years old, and is learning to adjust to a new life with baby Leah and fiance Gary, who at the time of taping was working 12 hour days to take care of his new family.

RRC: Hi Amber, thanks for taking time out to talk to me today.

Amber: You’re welcome.

RRC: How’s the baby?

Amber: She’s doing really good. She cracks me up. She’s dancing all the time, shaking her butt. She’s adorable.

RRC: And how are you doing? In the first episode we see that you were having some problems with anxiety and stress…

Amber: Right…

RRC: How’s that going now?

Amber: I don’t want to talk about that (laughing).

RRC: Ok, not a problem. Then, let me ask you this: what do you want to talk about?

Amber: I’m trying to think of how I can really answer that. I don’t really want to blame it (the anxiety) on having a baby. It’s just the fact of basically being young, and all these new responsibilities kind of hit me all at once. And that probably caused a lot of stress in my life.

RRC: Ok. We’re not blaming the baby, but having the baby created the new situation. Am I right?

Amber: In a way, but I think it’s more just the fact of me having more responsibilities so fast. It’s all the responsibility; I just realized that I had them all at once, and it kind of took me by surprise, I guess, after having the baby.

RRC: Yeah, you don’t know until it happens.

Amber: It’s true! You don’t know until it really hits you, and that’s when it happens; after you have the baby.

RRC: At this point, how do you deal with all of the new responsibilities?

Amber: Well, you just have to learn to deal with it. I guess you just learn in time to deal with it. I mean, that’s just really the answer. You can’t just stop; you know you have a child and that’s every day life. You have a big responsibility; you have that life in your hands. You have to mold them into a person and you have to catch yourself.

RRC: What do you do now when you begin to feel overwhelmed with everything?

Amber: You just have to step back and realize what’s going on. It’s kind of hard, but you really don’t have a choice in the matter. You just gotta step back and collect yourself, and jump back in, pretty much. You learn along the way, and that’s the good thing about parents. It doesn’t matter how old you are; any parent who has a child learns along the way.

RRC: In the first episode you were having some issues with not getting out of the house much. Do you have a support system in place; someone who can come over and give you a break?

Amber: Of course I have a support system of family and friends, you know. But it’s really hard. I’m at that stage where I want to go out, and I have to say, “no”. You kind of mature a lot faster, and you just learn. You learn to pick your battles…you can’t go out every weekend, maybe once or twice a month. My life’s completely changed since I had Leah. She’s really my world.

RRC: How old is she now?

Amber: She’s a year.

RRC: Wow. Is she walking yet.

Amber: Not yet, but she’s pretty close. (laughs)

RRC:  Is Gary more supportive  now?

Amber: Yeah, he’s more supportive now. But, I feel like as a mom I take care of her so much more.

RRC: It sounds like you’re taking it one step at a time.

Amber: Right. That’s exactly it; one step at a time. They learn from you; you learn from them, pretty much. You’re just a more loving person, I think, after you have a child. You feel a love that you’ve never felt before. And it’s amazing because you love them unconditionally. It’s got it’s stresses, but it’s still amazing, and it pays off in the end.

Although things are going well for Amber, and she has learned to adjust to the responsibilities of parenting, and think that I need to point out that for some new mothers it is not so easy. All new mothers have to adjust to the hormonal changes and lifestyle changes that come with giving birth, and adapting may not be as simple as “getting over it”. In the first episode of Teen Mom, we saw that Amber sought help from an outside source, which is the right thing to do under those circumstances. It is nothing to be ashamed of and can prevent a stressful situation from possibly developing into something unhealthy or dangerous. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the stress of parenting, talk to a friend or family member, or your doctor or your child’s pediatrician, as they can steer you in the right direction. And don’t forget to take advantage of the mommy blogs and online support groups for mothers. Here are a few to get you started.

Baby Center

Cafe Mom

Everything Mom

Mommy’s Getaway

Take a Sneak Peek at Teen Mom on MTV

Meet Amber:

Amber is a self-declared teenage party girl who dropped out of high school and grew up fast when she got pregnant with her baby, Leah. While her fiancé, Gary, works 12-hour days to support the family, Amber stays at home alone with Leah all day, and the stress of being a full-time mom is starting to add up. Amber’s parents aren’t able to help, and they can’t afford childcare, so she does it alone. Amber doesn’t have time or energy to see her friends, and when she tries to go out, Leah cries all the time. Gary doesn’t understand, and they fight constantly about taking care of the baby. Amber wants to finish high school and realize her dreams of opening her own beauty salon — but juggling high school, adult responsibilities, and a baby proves to be a lot harder than she thought.

Teen Mom premieres Tuesday, December 8 at 10:00 PM on MTV>

Dr. Drew Pinksy Hosts “16 and Pregnant: Life After Labor” Tonight

Find Out How Maci and the Girls Have Been Coping With the Realities of  Motherhood

The finale special, hosted by Dr. Drew Pinsky, will be an issue-driven forum on teen pregnancy. All six of the teen mothers profiled on season one of the series will participate in this event. Dr. Drew will discuss each girl’s episode, specific issues and challenges and update us on what’s going on in their lives now. This open discussion will provide a platform to address the controversial topics that were shown in season one: birth control, adoption, abortion, marriage, religion, gossip, finances, high school graduation and employment. During the show, Dr. Drew will field questions by members of the live studio audience, as well as select emails from viewers.

Here’s a preview of Maci’s interview with Dr. Drew:

MTV Will Bring “16 and Pregnant” Back for a Second Season

“16 & Pregnant: Life After Labor” Finale Special Hosted By Dr. Drew Pinsky Set To Air On Thursday, July 23 At 10PM ET/PT

Reflecting on one of the most controversial and thought-provoking topics, MTV President of Programming Tony DiSanto announced today that after only 3 episodes aired, the network is picking up a second season of the captivating series “16 and Pregnant.” In addition, MTV will also air “16 and Pregnant: Life After Labor” finale special, hosted by Dr. Drew Pinsky, on Thursday, July 23rd at 10PM ET/PT. “16 & Pregnant” can currently be seen on Thursdays at 10PM ET/PT.

The series follows the lives of teenage girls for 5-7 months as they navigate the unfamiliar territory and uncertainty of being pregnant. MTV captured every moment and reaction in real time, including several of the births and how the young mothers and fathers dealt with new parenthood. The series tackles a variety of issues including marriage, adoption, attending school and dealing with gossip. Cameras continued to follow the teens for a significant amount of time after they gave birth to document how they coped with taking care of their infants in addition to balancing adult responsibilities with teenage life.

The “16 and Pregnant: Life After Labor” finale special, hosted by Dr. Drew Pinsky, will be an issue-driven forum on teen pregnancy. All six of the teen mothers profiled on season one of the series will participate in this event. Dr. Drew will discuss each girl’s episode, specific issues and challenges and update us on what’s going on in their lives now. This open discussion will provide a platform to address the controversial topics that were shown in season one: birth control, adoption, abortion, marriage, religion, gossip, finances, high school graduation and employment. During the show, Dr. Drew will field questions by members of the live studio audience, as well as select emails from viewers.

16 and Pregnant on MTV Tonight

Just a reminder that the groundbreaking reality show, 16 and Pregnant airs tonight at 10:00 pm on MTV.

MTV Takes On Teen Pregnancy With “16 and Pregnant”

This summer, MTV brings one of the most controversial and thought-provoking topics to its viewers with the new series, “16 & Pregnant.” With statistics showing that three in ten girls in the U.S. will get pregnant before the age of 20, the show will take an intimate look inside the lives of pregnant teenagers as they face the challenges that come with being a young parent and dealing with relationships, finance, school and other new responsibilities. “16 & Pregnant” premieres on Thursday, June 11th at 10:00pm ET/PT and will have six one-hour episodes.

“MTV has a long history of reflecting the lives of our viewers with compelling reality stories,” said Tony DiSanto, President of Programming MTV. “‘16 & Pregnant’ follows the journey of six young women going through an immensely life changing experience at such a young age. Each episode tells a new, unique story and shows the real life challenges they face from dealing with family and friends to school and finances as new mothers. This is the real secret life of an American teenager.”

“16 & Pregnant” will follow the lives of teenage girls for 5-7 months as they navigate the unfamiliar territory and uncertainty of being pregnant. MTV was able to capture every moment and reaction in real time, including some of the births and how the young mothers and fathers deal with new parenthood. The series tackles a variety of issues including marriage, adoption, attending school, and dealing with gossip. Cameras will continue to follow the teens for a significant time after the births to show how the new parents cope with taking care of their infants in addition to balancing adult responsibilities with teenage life.

“Given that the teen birth rate is on the rise for the first time in a generation, MTV’s ‘16 & Pregnant’ is extremely timely,” said Sarah Brown, CEO of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. “We applaud MTV for using their unique and compelling style of storytelling to bring this important programming to their devoted audience. The show provides an honest portrayal of the challenges of too-early pregnancy and parenthood. The stories in ‘16 & Pregnant’ are full of hope, heartbreak, and real life consequences and should be a must viewing for teens nationwide.”