Birthing and Nursing Doll: Kid Friendly or Are You Kidding?

April 27, 2009

In an effort toward full disclosure when talking to their tots about where babies come from, some parents might resort to this handmade birthing and nursing doll ($90). A review of the toy explained:

The 14-inch-tall birthing doll is handmade with natural cotton and wool, and is available in an array of hair, skin, and dress options. Each mama doll can give birth to a small cotton and wool baby doll. Each baby doll has an umbilical cord attached to a red felt circle, symbolic of the placenta, and the cord can be unsnapped from the baby’s stomach. The baby also has a little snapped mouth that can be placed onto the mama’s breasts to nurse. In turn, the mama doll’s breasts have snaps as well, so that a secure breastfeeding latch can be accomplished.

18 Comments

3 years 1 week

I'd MUCH rather my daughter have one of these than any of the dolls she's been given in the past with plastic bottles. She breastfeeds all her toys already & is fascinated with birth (often 'giving birth' to her toys before breastfeeding them). I love that normal is normal to her :)

3 years 1 week

I love these! What better way than a cute hand made dolly to educate our children about natural birth??!

3 years 1 week

I think this is a beautiful idea, how can it not be appropriate to teach children about how they made their way into the world? Birth is a natural part of life. Each of us was born, so why should birth be shrouded in secrecy and treated as disgusting? I would definitely buy this doll for my children.

3 years 1 week

I had a doll made like one of these but crochet when I was pregnant for my 3 year old son to play with. I feel that him learning about the natural way babies are born was very important as I wanted him at the birth. I had a home birth and it was amazing by the way. I think that its really sad that women have been brought up to think that something so natural and beautiful should be kept from children. No wonder the C section rate is so high. Our children need to be taught young that birth is beautiful and natural and there is nothing wrong with saying vagina, placenta or anything else.

3 years 1 week

I love the idea! When I was trying to explain to my very inquisitive 3yo what was happening etc, words like placenta and umbillical cord mean nothing to him because he has never heard them used before. Alot of women I know stay home to birth and often have older siblings in the house, being able to show and explain what will be happening before the birth with a doll like this is a great tool. I'm curious what people are upset/weirded out by? Do you know what birth is and how beautiful and amazing it can be, do you realise that by hiding the basic beautiful truth you make it into something ugly? Belly grows, Baby comes out of vagina followed by cord and placenta, new babe is placed to breast to feed...simple, basic, beautiful.

3 years 1 week

What a natural way for a child to learn about a natural thing. Nothing gross or weird about it. No wonder there are such poor attitudes towards birthing out there if the negative reaction to these dolls is the norm.

tinyflame 3 years 46 weeks

This is so weird!! No child wants that much information about his/her mother.

ELLEHUDSON 4 years 3 weeks

it's great to teach your kids these things.. but do you really need a doll to do so?? seems strange!

ForeverMeg 4 years 3 weeks

Not only is this thing an obscene amount of money for a doll - of ANY kind - any child who isn't old enough to hear about this from mom or dad by word of mouth is, in my opinion, too young to know about it. If they have questions, sure, but... ugh, this is so weird.