breastfeeding doll

superToots · September 2013

After the UO today I thought of this:

https://thebreastmilkbaby.com/learn-play/

I want to like it and hope it might encourage young children to play and think of breastfeeding as a normal, natural thing... but I can't help but think it's creepy. What do you think?

ClandestineX · September 2013

I like the idea of it, I mean to me it is the same as those babies that pee on themselves and those you feed with a bottle. I am open like that though and I can see it being a problem for people who are more conservative. There should be a talk when she is old enough though to explain why it is right to do that in front of people but it isn't right to just have your boobs out in front of people for no reason. lol (I know this is a talk that will come up eventually anyways). It might be a little confusing when the time comes when her breasts are viewed differently than a nurturing thing.

I do know it isn't the creepiest toy out there, that, to me, goes to a Furby with low batteries saying "Me....love.... you" in a death metal voice and then some sort of satanic screeching.

Debbie0580 · September 2013

I guess it's no different than the dolls that come with bottles that "empty" as you feed them. But at the same time I'm not sure if it needs to be specifically a "breastfeeding doll" to encourage kids to play and see BFing as natural. My son BFs his kitty and teddy all the time. Straps on my pillow, lifts his shirt, it's the cutest thing. And he didn't need a doll specific to breastfeeding to do that, ya know?
Another mom, who does BF, said she thinks its weird when her daughter pretends to do it and completely discourages it. I was like, really, I let my son do it all the time. But I also let him wear his sister's hair clips when I'm putting them in her hair and he asks for one. Maybe I'm the weirdo...
Interesting side note, my friends daughter also started BFing her dolls after seeing me do it. Her mom EFF her little brother, and I'm the only person she's seen BF my baby. My friend tells me that now when she feeds her dolls she does a combination of pretending to BF and using the bottle. I think that's pretty cool.

tondraluv · September 2013

I bet the world isn't ready for this but ready for more extreme things, go figure.

ClandestineX · September 2013

cece2682 said:

Ummm...NO. This is ridiculous and inappropriate. I'm all for age appropriate conversations with your daughter about how mommies feed their babies, but a little girl should not be playing with her "ninnies" (private parts) I feel it opens doors for confusion on what should be private.

What would you do when a young kid (girl or boy) discovers their privates? By young I mean like 8 and above.

Debbie0580 · September 2013

cece2682 said:
Ummm...NO. This is ridiculous and inappropriate. I'm all for age appropriate conversations with your daughter about how mommies feed their babies, but a little girl should not be playing with her "ninnies" (private parts) I feel it opens doors for confusion on what should be private.

So doll aside, should I not let my son BF his kitty because it might cause him confusion on what's private?
ETA: or would it be different if he were a girl? Should my friend not let her daughter BF her doll after seeing me do it?

kelsea1031 · September 2013

cece2682 said:

Ummm...NO. This is ridiculous and inappropriate. I'm all for age appropriate conversations with your daughter about how mommies feed their babies, but a little girl should not be playing with her "ninnies" (private parts) I feel it opens doors for confusion on what should be private.

But they're not playing with their "ninnies," they're feeding their baby doll! It's no different than if you gave them a bottle to feed the baby with.

We wonder how we get to a place where nurse ins and debates about BFing making people uncomfortable are happening. Maybe if kids were taught from a young age that breasts make milk and are used for feeding babies, we wouldn't have all of this discomfort and stigma regarding BFing. If we start teaching kids from the get go that breasts aren't sexual when they're used for nursing and that there's nothing wrong with or to be ashamed about when breastfeeding, it will help reverse this cycle of thinking that's going on nowadays.

kelsea1031 · September 2013

cece2682 said:

kelsea1031 said:

cece2682 said:

Ummm...NO. This is ridiculous and inappropriate. I'm all for age appropriate conversations with your daughter about how mommies feed their babies, but a little girl should not be playing with her "ninnies" (private parts) I feel it opens doors for confusion on what should be private.

But they're not playing with their "ninnies," they're feeding their baby doll! It's no different than if you gave them a bottle to feed the baby with.

We wonder how we get to a place where nurse ins and debates about BFing making people uncomfortable are happening. Maybe if kids were taught from a young age that breasts make milk and are used for feeding babies, we wouldn't have all of this discomfort and stigma regarding BFing. If we start teaching kids from the get go that breasts aren't sexual when they're used for nursing and that there's nothing wrong with or to be ashamed about when breastfeeding, it will help reverse this cycle of thinking that's going on nowadays.

Yes breasts serve that purpose but you seem to be forgetting that they ARE also sexual. So I guess if you support this doll, you would also need to explain to your child that although breast feeding is natural, breast are not a part you show. I think at young ages, that's confusing for a little girl to distinguish between the two. And I don't know about you, but I do not want to have that talk too early on and expose my child to topics that can wait until they are older.

Breasts are not inherently sexual, they are not sex organs, they are not part of the reproductive system. Breasts are sexual because we make them sexual, the same can be said about mouths, necks, and even feet for some people. But their physical purpose is not sexual in nature, and that rings especially true with toddlers and small children who haven't yet learned the sexual association of breasts. My point was just that I think a BFing doll can be a wonderful learning tool for kids and could help pre-empt so much of the stigma that comes with nursing. A simple "mommies use their breasts to feed babies but we put them away when baby is not hungry" would suffice as an explanation.

ClandestineX · September 2013

Breasts may not be inherently sexual but they are sexual because they are in the erogenous zone, when you (generally speaking) touch them in a flirting/sexual way you will get aroused. Even some men do as well. One may even say they are helpful in reproduction because some women may have orgasms that way... which does help (not necessary but does help) in creating a baby.

Yes, in western societies breasts are put off as a sex part first before a nurturing part... which I disagree with myself.. but we do live in a society where kids cartoons are becoming increasingly more suggestive and not enough people care enough to change those ways.

ClandestineX · September 2013

Okay, a good way of putting this is:

Breasts are sexual, but doesn't mean breastfeeding is sexual. Same as vagina is sexual, but giving birth isn't sexual. Or a penis is sexual, doesn't mean peeing is sexual. Stimulating breasts actually increases hormones that help your sexual organs.

bibliophileemily · September 2013

I'm kind of in the same boat as @superToots; I don't dislike the idea and I'm all for encouraging children to know about breastfeeding (it starts at home), but...why the special shirt? Why flowers? Why is she wearing that OVER her shirt when in reality, trying to breastfeed through your shirt is just going to make a mess and make your baby cry? I'd rather just get my daughter a regular baby doll, and let her decide how she's going to pretend to feed it.

@Debbie0580: I think that's adorable that your son tries to breastfeed. I used to do that when I was a kid, except that I was much rougher about it. No pillows or anything--I just shoved my doll up my shirt and figured that would get the job done.

)

pinottoparenthood · September 2013

I sort of agree that maybe if breastfeeding were more mainstream from an early age, it wouldn't be such a big deal as kids got older. However, let's be realistic, mostly girls are going to play with this (makes sense, guys can't breastfeed, and a lot of parents aren't going to buy dolls for their sons although I don't think there's inherently anything wrong with a boy playing with a doll.) I honestly think that as we get older and our kids become adults, some opinions towards breastfeeding are going to change anyway because it's way more prevalent in our generation than it was in the our parents'. Now it's widely accepted as the best food for your baby and women are really encouraged to do it.

What is a little weird to me is that it seems so grown-up, so adult, to be breastfeeding a child. But I get what people are saying, that technically it's the same thing as giving baby a bottle. I kind of agree with @Debbie0580 and @bibliophileemily that maybe we should just let our children play with dolls and/or stuffed animals and decide how they want to feed them. And if they "breastfeed" their dolls or animals, cool... we can continue to let them know that it's a normal and healthy way to feed a baby. I'm not sure that we need to TEACH a 3-year-old how to breastfeed ("place your baby's mouth next to the flowers... If your baby is still hungry, you can give him the other breast") so much as just let them be aware about it and accepting of it, and let them imitate it if they so choose.

CoachAP · September 2013

I think the girls should be old enough to have boobs and not a freaking flower before they understand breastfeeding. I didn't know about it until i was older and made out just fine. I guess I agree with PP who said to give the kid a doll and let them decide how to feed it. Don't force things on your child. Let them figure it out. Meanwhile, SO happy i have a boy LOL.

FutureMrsCAF · September 2013

The only thing that's strange to me about this doll is the little bra that comes with it. I remember breastfeeding my baby dolls. I saw my mom breastfeed my little sister all the time, so I imitated. There's nothing wrong with the concept of this doll. I think a lot of us need to unclench and realize how innocent and natural it is for a little girl or boy to "breastfeed" a toy (or kitty

)

Kate_C · September 2013

My 2 year old son points to my breasts and says "baby" now because he's seen me nurse and pump regularly. I agree it is important to expose kids to BF as a natural process. Not sure if a doll is the best means to accomplish that, but to each their own.

kelsea1031 · September 2013

cece2682 said:

cece2682 said:

Ummm...NO. This is ridiculous and inappropriate. I'm all for age appropriate conversations with your daughter about how mommies feed their babies, but a little girl should not be playing with her "ninnies" (private parts) I feel it opens doors for confusion on what should be private.

But they're not playing with their "ninnies," they're feeding their baby doll! It's no different than if you gave them a bottle to feed the baby with.

We wonder how we get to a place where nurse ins and debates about BFing making people uncomfortable are happening. Maybe if kids were taught from a young age that breasts make milk and are used for feeding babies, we wouldn't have all of this discomfort and stigma regarding BFing. If we start teaching kids from the get go that breasts aren't sexual when they're used for nursing and that there's nothing wrong with or to be ashamed about when breastfeeding, it will help reverse this cycle of thinking that's going on nowadays.
Yes breasts serve that purpose but you seem to be forgetting that they ARE also sexual. So I guess if you support this doll, you would also need to explain to your child that although breast feeding is natural, breast are not a part you show. I think at young ages, that's confusing for a little girl to distinguish between the two. And I don't know about you, but I do not want to have that talk too early on and expose my child to topics that can wait until they are older.
Breasts are not inherently sexual, they are not sex organs, they are not part of the reproductive system. Breasts are sexual because we make them sexual, the same can be said about mouths, necks, and even feet for some people. But their physical purpose is not sexual in nature, and that rings especially true with toddlers and small children who haven't yet learned the sexual association of breasts. My point was just that I think a BFing doll can be a wonderful learning tool for kids and could help pre-empt so much of the stigma that comes with nursing. A simple "mommies use their breasts to feed babies but we put them away when baby is not hungry" would suffice as an explanation.
C'mon-breasts are not the same as feet. As much as you want to say breasts are not sexual- they are. There is a reason why its ok to wear open toed shoes but not to leave the house without a shirt on. All I'm saying is that I would prefer my (imaginary) daughter to not be the little girl in preschool pulling up her shirt to feed a baby doll lol not to mention, I think this doll is a bit weird for the fact that its a shirt w flowers on. Like I said before, if I child mimics what mommy is doing- that's NATURAL. We don't need a breast feeding doll and a shirt with flowers.

If you'll go back and read what I wrote, I never said breasts aren't sexual. I was simply saying that breasts are not biologically sexual like so many seem to think. Breasts are sexual because they have been sexualized by our society. As @letranger said, not every country sexualizes breasts. And in some places, women can't wear open toed shoes, so there's that.

I'm not worried about confusing my kids by being open about BFing with them. DD1 pretends to nurse her doll every time I sit down to nurse DD2. It is my hope that my children will learn what ALL of their body parts, not just breasts, are intended for first, long before they learn the sexual associations. If I had a son, he'd be learning that his penis was for urinating right now. The sexual function aspect of it would come later. Same with breasts. Again, my point was simply that I see nothing wrong with a healthy introduction of breasts and breastfeeding for my children.

But I will agree that we don't necessarily need a special doll for youngsters to understand BFing. And the flowers are strange

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