Breast-feeding Dolls

[0stara]

Hi ladies

I just saw this and I admit I was kind of taken aback...

https://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeands...-jane-martinson/2011/aug/03/breast-best-dolls

I was wondering what other people thought about it?

Personally I don't like the doll and wouldn't give one to my daughter. I am planning to breastfeed and think there is nothing shameful or sexual about it. I also understand that children mimick what their parents do and see it as normal. However I don't think they need 'tools' to carry out a ritual which is an adult thing to do.

For example - little girls (and boys!) see mummy putting on make-up, which is perfectly normal for an adult woman, but you wouldn't buy a 3 year old a make-up set, would you?

All opinions welcome

 

[vaniilla]

I don't think theres much of a need for it, my dolls as a child came with bottles but I used to pretend to feed them myself as thats what I was brought up around, kids love to copy and they're more likely to try bf in the future if they're used to being around it

 

[Linzi]

I don't really see the fuss tbh as a poster above said if a child is going to do it they'll copy with a regular doll. If someone wants to spend their money on a purpose made breastfeeding doll so be it.

I think its important to show the next generation the pros and cons, and I will be educating my son in it when my next baby is born, in hope that he will be able to remember, understand and support his partner in the future should she decide to breastfeed their child.

I dont see the problem tbh.

xxx

 

[Lightworker]

My DD1 just nurses her normal dolls.

 

[KittyVentura]

I LOVE the idea but I think it's a shame it's needed. Baby dolls shouldn't automatically come with a bottle. Mothers should be encouraging their daughters to see BF as the norm and any doll could be put do a little girl's chest without all the faff and add-ons being necessary.

If I have a little girl I'll be getting her dolls but with not auto showing her how to feed with bottles - She'll be told how a baby is meant to feed (according to nature - NOT opinion). Of course I'll explain that some babies do drink from bottles for whatever reason and my daughter can use BOTH with her baby. A bottle AND being encouraged to put her baby to her chest.

Before anyone reads this as a slight on FF. I FF Fin from 3 weeks old after giving BF my best shot xx

 

[Lightworker]

Just wanted to add, whilst I am very pro-BF, and I think any attempt to promote BF is commendable, I am worried that this doll, with its burping etc, might be more expensive than normal and that is counterproductive as it alienates some people. Who is making the doll? is it strictly a business venture or is it by pro-BFers?

 

[xemmax]

There is a thread about this in Baby Club at the moment. This same doll is thrown up all the time and I'm always surprised it's such a controversial idea.

It is no different to a doll being supplied with bottles. Feeding a baby a bottle is just as much an 'adult' thing to do as breastfeeding a baby. I don't see what the fuss is all about.

I think it's a great way to normalise breastfeeding and expose children to the natural way of feeding. I know children will copy their parents but if all dolls are supplied with bottles then children will naturally begin to see it as the norm.

Children will always copy adults... it's the basis of most of their games. I don't see any issue with encouraging them to do things which I hope they will see the importance of when they are older.

 

[KatelynsMummy]

I think they're great. It shows children what breasts are actually for and that there is more than 1 way to feed a child.
In this day and a age and child is brought up, (not by parents necessarily more by internet, papers etc) that breasts are a sexual thing, that they were made to be sexual objects when in fact they were not.
When a child becomes a parent, they will feed their child how they want to, regardless of how they fed dolls when they were younger.

 

[xemmax]

Just wanted to add, whilst I am very pro-BF, and I think any attempt to promote BF is commendable, I am worried that this doll, with its burping etc, might be more expensive than normal and that is counterproductive as it alienates some people. Who is making the doll? is it strictly a business venture or is it by pro-BFers?

I've just had a look at the Spanish manufacturer's (Berjuan) website and it looks like they make a whole range of dolls with different characteristics (crying dolls, sleeping dolls, speaking dolls etc) so I guess a breastfeeding doll is just another doll in their range representing a normal activity of a baby.

 

[xemmax]

I think they're great. It shows children what breasts are actually for and that there is more than 1 way to feed a child.
In this day and a age and child is brought up, (not by parents necessarily more by internet, papers etc) that breasts are a sexual thing, that they were made to be sexual objects when in fact they were not.
When a child becomes a parent, they will feed their child how they want to, regardless of how they fed dolls when they were younger.

Yes but "how they want to" is entirely influenced from the moment they begin learning about how children are fed. Therefore it's so very important that breastfeeding is promoted as the norm even to children, if breastfeeding is to be accepted in society and breastfeeding rates are to increase.

 

[freckleonear]

Children who grow up seeing their mother or other adults breastfeeding will often naturally mimic what they see and "breastfeed" their own dolls and cuddly toys. However, there are lots of children who never have the chance to see breastfeeding, either because they are the youngest child or the mother wasn't able to breastfeed or for some other reason. In these cases have a breastfeeding doll as opposed to a doll with a bottle can make a big difference in viewing breastfeeding as normal. I think the fact that the doll is so expensive alienates it from its ideal target audience though. It would be nice to see a range of cheap dolls available in most toy shops that encourage breastfeeding in some way.

 

[Lightworker]

emma- thanx for the info. For me, thats the only downside, if it is by a business, then their priority is profit which explains the expense, and already BFing in Western society is seen as middle class, and it may contribute to the divide (although maybe not significantly) if low income parents cant afford it. I hope LLL come up with their own version, they already have pretend breasts lol x

 

[indy and lara]

I really can't see the controversy. Emma gives me her dolls to BF when they are hungry. I am quite sure that many children do something similar.

 

[lucy_x]

have you seen these girls?
https://www.boobiebuddiesbfdolls.co.uk/

Love love love these, I will almost certainly be buying one for A once shes old enough.

And for the record, No one ever tought me about BFing, I always bottle fed my dolls... I learnt from nature, we always had baby animals with nursing mothers...I hope my LO does the same in the future.

 

[gills8752]

I think the idea is commendable but the doll is not necessary. One of the plus points of breastfeeding is that you don't need anything no equipment to feed the baby so a doll isn't needed.Any old doll will do!

 

[Feltzy]

I suppose its only the same as the dolls that make drinking sounds when the bottle goes to their mouth. Its nice to see a doll thats got bf in mind because in my experience most of them have come with a bottle. That didn't stop Evie pretending to bf them though!

 

[LoraLoo]

Hi ladies

I just saw this and I admit I was kind of taken aback...

https://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeands...-jane-martinson/2011/aug/03/breast-best-dolls

I was wondering what other people thought about it?

Personally I don't like the doll and wouldn't give one to my daughter. I am planning to breastfeed and think there is nothing shameful or sexual about it. I also understand that children mimick what their parents do and see it as normal. However I don't think they need 'tools' to carry out a ritual which is an adult thing to do.For example - little girls (and boys!) see mummy putting on make-up, which is perfectly normal for an adult woman, but you wouldn't buy a 3 year old a make-up set, would you?
All opinions welcome

Is it normal for a child to have a baby at all- change its nappy, give it a bottle, dress it? You wouldnt let a 3 year old do that with a real baby would you? And yet we buy our children dolls, to mimick what we do. Nothing natural about a child having a baby. So if you are saying its ok for a child to have a doll, then why not one that you can breastfeed?

I personally dont see a problem what so ever. I cant see why it is seen ok for children to 'feed' a doll with a bottle and not to breastfeed, thats what breasts were intended for and I think it should be seen as the norm, not bottle feeding xx

 

[Eve]

I have nothing against the breast milk baby at all, but any baby doll can be breastfed.

 

[JASMAK]

My 6 year old daughter breastfeeds her dolls, and my kids don't even know that you can feed a baby out of a bottle. It would probably seem weird to them if they had a doll with a bottle...

 

[fantastica]

It does seem a little unnecessary, but if a child has never seen anyone breastfeed before, then maybe they would need the accessories in order to explain it to them? Obviously any doll can be 'breastfed' but if a child doesn't know what breastfeeding is, then how would they know what to do? When I was little, i'd never seen anyone breastfed or bottlefed, and can't even remember how I 'fed' a doll. It's great to educate children, but I really don't think how you feed a doll is going to have a huge impact on how you'll feed your baby in the future.