mothergoodbypaige

Tina Fey enters the scene in her business casual attire and yells at fake blonde Amy Poehler, (her surrogate mother), “What kind of food is this for a pregnant woman? Dr. Pepper? Pringles? Tastee Cakes?…Red Bull?!”

In class today we talked about the ambiguity that surrounds what is healthy for a pregnant woman. Why is wine acceptable in Europe by absolutely looked down upon in the States? Why are some women aware of their exact amounts of folic acid, while some have never heard of a pre-natal vitamin?

The health of a fetus is no doubt connected to the health of the mother that is carrying it, fed through the same digestive system, babies literally cannot be separated from the choices of their mothers. Yet, how far is too far in the protection of an unborn baby when it comes to the behavioral choices of a mother? When does the stress of eating right, finding the perfect balance between rest and physical activity, and maintaining relative emotional stability too much pressure for the mother?

Clearly the implications of these questions are affected by many factors, including location of a pregnant mother and what access to resources she has depending on her socioeconomic status and social support. In the movie Baby Mama starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, the two women represent the extremes of this pregnant perfection conundrum.

Tina Fey’s character jokes to her new boyfriend after a detailed order of a Philly cheesesteak that, “Some people would say I am bossy and controlling.” She learns how to loosen up over the course of the movie, but according to upper/middle class white women her attitude towards how to nourish oneself during pregnancy is “the norm.” Or so I thought. According to Dr. Ira Chasnoff, president of Children’s Research Triangle  (http://ninezeroproject.blogspot.com/2010/04/white-middle-class-women-drink-during.html) “We found that middle class Caucasian women have the highest rates of alcohol use in pregnancy.” The NineZero Project is warning against the effects of alcohol in fetal alcohol syndrome, and claim that just one drink during early pregnancy can have a detrimental effect on the baby’s brain development. So Tina Fey’s character in Baby Mama is a wealthy, full-time business woman, single and independent. Her character contrasts Amy Poehler’s, who is called “ignorant” and “white trash”, clearly of a lower socioeconomic status and with a verbally abusive boyfriend. Amy’s character wants to drink during pregnancy and eat unhealthy food. Tina Fey’s works for an organic food company. Perhaps biased and putting undue blame on the white middle class demographic, the study complicates the narrative that upper middle class women are abiding by the “right” rules when it comes to pregnancy. It also shows the ongoing struggle to find a balance between the pregnant woman’s health as an independent being, and the health of her growing fetus. With new studies coming out and extremist websites galore, on both sides of the spectrum, the debate promises to be ongoing.