Breast Feeding Doll?

[katzone]

Hmm, not sure I like the idea of a doll that is intended for girls to pretend to breastfeed, however, I can remember as a child (perhaps about 7 or 8 years old) putting a doll up my top and pretending to be pregnant and then pulling it out and pretending to breastfeed it ... just using my imagination. Not sure where I got the idea of breastfeeding from as I had never seen anyone breastfeed at this age.

 

[xemmax]

ok and that's your opinion and that's fine but not everybody needs to have the same opinion as everyone else. That's why this thread is asking people what they think because people are bound to have different opinions. So i think it's a bit unfair that you question other people's opinions when it doesn't affect you in any way.

Thats ok just trying to get my opinion across I just wish the two where equal and there wasnt a taboo around it.

Seeing children looking after babies is unnatural also. xemmax. If children are going to play with dolls why not show them another way to feed as well as bottle which is more excepted even by some in this thread.

i understand that a child's greatest play fantasy is to be a grown up, but i don't think this is to do with the promotion of breastfeeding/bottle feeding. some dolls are sold with bottles but they aren't sold with packets of formula and the game is to make it up for a night feed - it's just that children are used to seeing other children fed with bottles at nursery, etc.

i think the issue isn't with breastfeeding but encouraging a little girl to pull her top down and get the baby to feed from a nipple. we live in a world where we're constantly told that people are out to get our kids - of course a doll that encourages a little girl to expose her chest is going to sit awkwardly with people. it's just the world we live in! right or wrong, i totally understand why people are unsettled by it.

 

[Dragonfly]

I can understand that yes. Its a shame though it isnt more excepted.

 

[xemmax]

it really is.. but sometimes not much of this world makes sense!

 

[babytots]

I'm all for breastfeeding and want to make my daughters aware that breastfeeding is natural but I wouldn't buy the doll for either of them.

I plan to bf this baby and if my girls ask questions about it I will answer as best I can and if they copy with dolls they already have then fine but as someone else has said I wouldn't purposely buy the doll for them.

I have nothing against the dolls and if parents buy them then thats their choice but personally I wouldn't waste the money on something my daughters may copy with the dolls they already have once my baby is born. They will see it is natural and I don't need a doll to teach them that when I can do it myself.

As they get older and start asking about babies and things then I will fully inform them on breastfeeding and bottlefeeding and whatever they choose to do as parents when they have children I will fully support.

Anyways rambled a bit then I apologise as I am tired and I tend to go on when I am lol. x

 

[AppleBlossom]

No I wouldn't let my child own one of these

 

[EmyDra]

This is such an interesting post to read.

I was trying to think back to pre-formula to see if that would make a difference, but woman would rarely breastfeed in public back then (Im thinking victorians etc) so I guess little girls would've still only seen bottles. Then I thought to myself - does this bother us not because its a different way to see a child feeding a baby, but because it still isnt a fully-publically-accepted way to feed a baby?

Just another way of reading the point earlier - where if we all saw bare breasts from day to day in our lives as the norm then I don't think the doll would be an issue at all.

 

[Bellatrix]

I really can't see the problem with this doll. There are plenty of dolls on the market which come with a bottle, which in my opinion is far more offensive. My little sister was breastfed until she was about 2 1/2, she often pretended to breastfeed her dolls - she didn't even understand what bottles were for. We thought it was so sweet, she was just a little girl playing "being mummy" - the idea that a child pretending to breastfeed its doll has any sexual connotations is a deeply sorrowful insight into the shameful flaws in today's society.

 

[Dragonfly]

This is such an interesting post to read.

I was trying to think back to pre-formula to see if that would make a difference, but woman would rarely breastfeed in public back then (Im thinking victorians etc) so I guess little girls would've still only seen bottles. Then I thought to myself - does this bother us not because its a different way to see a child feeding a baby, but because it still isnt a fully-publically-accepted way to feed a baby?

Just another way of reading the point earlier - where if we all saw bare breasts from day to day in our lives as the norm then I don't think the doll would be an issue at all.

I seen loads of pics on facebook page of woman breatsfeeding in the Victorian era though. Forgotten the name of the group now.

 

[misspeach24]

Lol its just a toy! kids love to play, and copy mummy, its normal. I knew someone would be making money out of it by now!
I remember doing this with my plain old dolly when I was a little girl, Plain old doly or teddy is good enough because children have a great imagination that should be encouraged. Waste of money!

 

[Pearls18]

I personally wouldn't buy this- if my daughter wanted it I would tell her it's a waste of money and she can pretend to breastfeed her normal dolls!!!!

I think it's a bit weird to have a doll designed to be breastfed and strap on boobs or whatever it was.......

However, I strongly disagree with anyone who has brought the 'sexualisation of young girls' into the argument. I'm fed up of breastfeeding being confused with sex, too many men and women associate breasts with sex and I am quite shocked PREGNANT WOMEN have done the same thing in this thread. But there we go I guess that's society today. I will personally be breastfeeding and will be explaining to my children exactly how they were fed and be proud of it!

 

[xprincessx]

I personally wouldn't buy this- if my daughter wanted it I would tell her it's a waste of money and she can pretend to breastfeed her normal dolls!!!!

I think it's a bit weird to have a doll designed to be breastfed and strap on boobs or whatever it was.......

However, I strongly disagree with anyone who has brought the 'sexualisation of young girls' into the argument. I'm fed up of breastfeeding being confused with sex, too many men and women associate breasts with sex and I am quite shocked PREGNANT WOMEN have done the same thing in this thread. But there we go I guess that's society today. I will personally be breastfeeding and will be explaining to my children exactly how they were fed and be proud of it!

i do agree...there is nothing sexual at all about breastfeeding and saying there is is a bit sad IMO x

 

[Mrs Liamxxs]

i personally wouldnt buy this doll for my daughter, i think that xome children are growing up quickerr than they should do..i personally would like my daughter to enjoy her childhood and 'ignorance' of these sorts of things for as long as possible, but i would by no means 'sugar coat these types of subjects, althought i would fully support her if she wanted to breast feed her babies when she has children xx

 

[Fiore]

i dont think i would buy that if i had a daughter. It's great for children to see breastfeeding as natural but for a little girl to do that i'd find it a little odd to be honest. Seems a bit creepy to give that to a child in my opinion x

wow creepy? theres nothing creepy about breastfeeding! seems ok for a doll to have a bottle but no equal for breastfeeding which isnt really saying its great for young ones to see breastfeeding if your calling it creepy a little girls mimicking breastfeeding woman.

i never said there was anything creepy about breastfeeding itself. I plan to bf so i'm not knocking it and if you read what i said i actually said it's great for children to see bf as natural but i just dont think young girls need to strap on an apron with pretend "nipples" and breastfeed a special doll for it.

If a i had a daughter and she had a doll and mimicked breastfeeding with that then that's her choice and i wouldn't take it away from her and tell her to stop but i wouldn't purposely go out and buy this doll for her to do it. The thought of buying this doll for that sole purpose IS creepy to me, NOT bf itself. that's my opinion and i'm entitled to it x

Children should get the choice, not be presured into BFing their dolls lol! As I said, what they do now will give them little influence on what they will do in 25 years time. Lead by example if you want to encourage it. Fake nipples and a doll which makes sucking noises aint going to do very much other than make visitors feel a bit weird!xx

but they always come with bottles, formula feeding so thats ok but breastfeeding isnt? what choice is that then.

I dont think its creepy not one bit. It shouldnt even be made a deal of but its so unnatural to some and "creepy" it is made a deal of.

It's still a choice, you don't need fake nipples if you want to pretend and I never said that breastfeeding a doll is not OK. The likliness of swaying children into BF'ing as adults with a doll is very slim. A better way would be to lead by example and break down the taboo of BF'ing. No need to thrust it into a childs face but just explain it to them when they ask xx

 

[Pearls18]

i personally wouldnt buy this doll for my daughter, i think that xome children are growing up quickerr than they should do..i personally would like my daughter to enjoy her childhood and 'ignorance' of these sorts of things for as long as possible, but i would by no means 'sugar coat these types of subjects, althought i would fully support her if she wanted to breast feed her babies when she has children xx

So you wouldn't be happy to let your daughter play 'mummy' with any dolls as this is growing up too fast?

 

[EmyDra]

i personally wouldnt buy this doll for my daughter, i think that xome children are growing up quickerr than they should do..i personally would like my daughter to enjoy her childhood and 'ignorance' of these sorts of things for as long as possible, but i would by no means 'sugar coat these types of subjects, althought i would fully support her if she wanted to breast feed her babies when she has children xx

So you wouldn't be happy to let your daughter play 'mummy' with any dolls as this is growing up too fast?

Agreed. Breastfeeding isn't a dodgy issue why should a child be ignorant of it? 'These sorts of things' really does make it sound unmentionably awful.

 

[pinklizzy]

I wouldn't buy this doll but wouldn't have a problem with my daughter pretending to breast feed her doll. My mum had my sister when I was 2 and apparently I used to sit next to her when she fed my sister, with my doll stuffed under my top!

 

[shambaby]

personally, i find the doll creepy, but i agree with a couple of the other posters on here and find all mechanical dolls creepy! however, if you watch the demo someone else posted earlier you will see that it doesn't come with 'strap on boobs' and the little girl doesn't lift up her top, so i don't see those things as issues.

the only thing in this thread i find offensive, though, is people saying that a child breastfeeding their doll is inappropriate or in some way sexualising the child. breastfeeding is not a sexual act, but it will continue to be seen that way unless people's attitudes change. the best way to do this is to let everyone - especially children - see that breastfeeding is the normal, natural way to feed a baby. i agree you probably don't need a 'special' doll to do this, but some children want and expect their toys to 'do something' so maybe this one has its place. on the other hand, if a child sees her mum breastfeeding she is likely to copy her with any doll / teddy or similar toy if she doesn't have a special doll. that's how children learn.

 

[Fiore]

I wouldn't buy this doll but wouldn't have a problem with my daughter pretending to breast feed her doll. My mum had my sister when I was 2 and apparently I used to sit next to her when she fed my sister, with my doll stuffed under my top!

Awww! Bless your little cotton socks lol! Little children do the cutest things. Monkey see, monkey do xx

 

[sept2010]

weird doll...why do u need a doll that breast feeds? jus use a normal doll...

if this doll came with strap on boobs...i'd be worried...because that is sexualisation of young girls...but cunningly covering it up with "breastfeeding" as most mums think telling your daughters about bf'ing is normal and natural..which it is...but we don't need the commercial industry providing our kids with boobs...because that it the same industry that promotes sex, drugs and violence through "childrens" games...

leave teaching children about bf'ing to mothers...and if like one poster said there are no strap on boobs with the doll...its jus a regular doll then isnt it? no harm in it x