Tina Fey and Breastfeeding

My sister gave me Bossypants for mother's day because I like Tina Fey and there is a cute chapter which is a prayer for her daughter.



I was happily reading along when I got to the chapter about breastfeeding. I immediately thought, "Uh-oh. I have a feeling I'm not going to like this." Irony: I was reading this book while breastfeeding Virginia. It happens to be a good time to get in some reading.

Tina begins by talking about how all the breastfeeding literature you get from the doctor saying breastfeeding is best, but is full of adds for formula. She talks about her own struggles with breastfeeding and how after a couple of attempts to breastfeed after her daughter's birth she ended up going with formula.

This is a common enough story and sad for the women who really wanted to breastfeed. But Tina takes out her regrets (or guilt, or whatever other negative emotion mothers inflict on themselves) on women who are pro-breastfeeding.

She complains about "Teat Nazis." These are the women who talk about breastfeeding too much? Are too enthusiastic about it? Are too insistent about the positives of breastfeeding? I wasn't quite clear.

When I finished the chapter I was mad. But, of course, I couldn't argue with her without coming off as a "Teat Nazi." Well played, Tina.

Then I tried to step back and really think about things. What about this quotation from earlier in the book:

When I worked at Saturday Night Live, I had a five A.M. argument with one of our most intelligent actresses. It was rumored that Lorne was adding another woman to the cast, and she was irate. (In fairness, she was also exhausted. It was five A.M. after writing all night.) She felt there wouldn't be enough screen time to go around.
I revived my old argument: How could this be true if we made up the show? A bunch of us suggested that they collaborate instead of compete. And, of course, that's what they did, with great success, once they were actually in a room together. But where does that initial panic come from?
This is what I tell young women who ask me for career advice. People are going to try to trick you. To make you feel that you are in competition with one another...

The competition is an illusion. We (women) don't always need to be threatened by each other, whether the "other" is new actress or a mother who parents differently. Maybe if we work together we can all be happier and do more. Tina Fey taught me that.