Remember When 'Rugrats' Normalized Breastfeeding?

Onscreen portrayals of breastfeeding tend to range widely, from relatable plot points to educational moments to problematic scenes that sexualize and mock the act of a mother feeding her child.

This nursing scene from the beloved kids’ show, “Rugrats,” falls on the more positive end of the spectrum.

In May 1997, Nickelodeon aired the “Rugrats” season four episode, “Mother’s Day.” At one point in the episode, Phil and Lil look back on the times when their mom used to feed them “the old way.”

This flashback scene shows their mom, Betty, tandem nursing her twins, as they gleefully kick each other and start to laugh. It’s a joyful depiction of breastfeeding and shows that this topic was deemed perfectly suitable for a children’s show 20 years ago.

While it may be more difficult to find contemporary examples of this nature in kids’ television programs, the positive legacy of this “Rugrats” scene endures ... at least online.

Right on, “Rugrats.”