Before you lynch me for saying this, please hear me out. I've nothing against breastfeeding. In fact, I'm grateful I was able to feed both my babies this way until they were almost a year old. I'll exalt the benefits of breastfeeding a baby any day of the week and if a mom-to-be asked me about it, I'd have no qualms telling her it's the best gift she can give her baby. And yet, giving my child a breastfeeding doll that makes suckling noises when put to the chest is a completely different animal!
You see, a Spanish toymaker, Berjuan Toys, has come out with a doll called "The Breast Milk Baby," which supposedly teaches little girls to breastfeed and nurture a baby.
How does it work? Well, the doll comes with a halter top with sensors sewn in the nipples, which are covered with petal appliques. Little girls wear the halter top and when they bring the baby doll to the nipples on the halter top, it starts to suckle as if it were breastfeeding!
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Now, I see absolutely nothing wrong with little girls role playing and wanting to model what they see their mommies do. Heck, my own daughter would breastfeed her stuffed animals right next to me while I breastfed her little brother! While I was surprised the first time she did it, when she told me she was feeding them just like I did her baby brother, I realized it was totally normal.
So, what, then, is wrong with having a breastfeeding doll? Well, I think it's completely unnecessary. Not to mention that the price is outrageous. At $89, I can think of a million other better things that I could buy for my child than this unimaginative doll.
Image via TheBreastMilkBaby.com
