My Mummy's Pennies: A breastfeeding doll – Inappropriate or just a waste of money?

Image from http://thebreastmilkbaby.com/

Over the last few days I have seen numerous headlines in papers and online about a new breastfeeding doll available in the UK for Christmas. The Breast Milk baby doll is supossedly set to hit the UK shelves by Christmas (I say ‘supposedly’ as I have yet been able to find it for sale on any UK websites) and it has been grabbing quite a few headlines and provoking some severe reactions.

I’ve found myself commenting on and responding to quite a few ‘debates’ about this and am surprised to find my opinion seems to be in the minority, so I thought i’d share my thoughts here and see if I am still alone.

I keep reading that this doll is disgusting and Inappropriate and the phrase ‘sexualising children‘ is popping up a lot too, Is breastfeeding disgusting? It’s certainly not sexual! Breastfeeding is a natural act and one that I think it is important for young children to be aware of even if they don’t fully understand it. 

When my daughter was born, my son Ben was three and like any other three year old was very curious and full of questions, which I was happy to answer. Inevitably he asked what his sister was doing (while she was feeding) and I explained that this was how she got nutrition so she could grow to be big enough to play with him and it was just like him having his dinner. He interpreted this into his three year old world and it became ‘eating Mummy’s tummy’ there was no need to correct him and label it ‘breastfeeding’. He soon started holding his igglepiggle toy to his chest and saying that it was ‘eating his tummy’ so it could grow up to be big and strong. Now my daughter is almost two she also holds her dollies to her to ‘play feeding’ also.

So what’s so bad about this doll then? Some say it is the bib that comes with it for the child to wear that has two strategically placed flowers. I have heard these flowers be referred to as nipples, but why? If I show the image to my 5 year old he would not call them nipples, just flowers. In a child’s eyes why do they have to be anything more? 

For me personally the main negative is the price. I can’t see myself spending £60 on many toys for my children, especially not on a doll when I can buy a lovely rag dolly for a lot less that will engage my children’s imagination without the need for batteries or a ‘floral bib’. 

As I mention above both my son and daughter ‘breastfeed’ their toys by holding them to their chest and copying mummy. I don’t feel that this ‘branded’ breastfeeding doll would offe

Contrary to many mothers though, I DO like the fact that this option is on the market to compete with the various dolls available that come with bottles. It’s a personal choice but I wouldn’t buy a doll with a bottle for my child as I don’t want to teach them that that is how babies get their nutrition. Now I am NOT saying that toy bottles should be banned and I’m sure that my daughter will probably play with them at nursery which I don’t have a problem with but I think it is important to shape a child’s attitude to breastfeeding from an early age. I’m not suggesting that we should turn children against bottlefeeding, when they become a parent it should be their decision to make an informed choice about how to feed their baby. But one of the main issues that breastfeeding mothers in this country come up against is the attitude of others in society, I have experienced this personally and barely a month goes buy without a controversial headline appearing involving a nursing mother being asked to stop or leave a public area. 

If we show our children from a young age that holding a baby to their chest to feed it is perfectly natural I hope that they will find it normal to see a women breastfeeding her child in public and that in their generation mums feeding their babies wont be asked to do so in a public toilet.

So No I won’t be rushing out to buy this doll for £60, but nor do I believe there is anything wrong with it.