Birthing Dolls – Educational or Weird?
I think this doll may scare people out of giving birth. Childbirth Education Birthing Doll Pattern available via Etsy.
Explaining how babies are made to my children has been a challenge but work in progress for me and my husband.
After the “how they were made” conversation is understood, the next step is explaining how the baby gets out of the belly.
While I am ALL for explaining how, what, when, where and why – via educational tools such as appropriate books, videos and conversation. I’m just not sure my daughter needs a toy to play “giving birth”.
Maybe for demonstration purposes? But to play with? Would you let your kids play with these? Maybe I’m just too late 90′s and haven’t summoned to the modernism of birthing babies being a thing kids play like kitchen, or school.
Not really our style. (but hey, if it’s your cup of tea – drink up!)
Check out these Birthing Dolls:
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Yes, that doll is giving birth.
This birthing doll is available at A Toy Garden. Get it for $89.95.
What Are Your Thoughts? Are Birthing Dolls Educational or Weird?
Preparing young siblings for a new baby? Fear not — there are less-creepy ways.
That is disturbing.
Totally weird.
These might be a little much, but my 5 year old daughter plays “baby in the tummy” ALL the time. And she did it two years ago when I was pregnant before. Sometimes she wants to be the baby in my tummy, but a lot of the time she walks around with a doll in her shirt until it “comes out” (she doesn’t know the exact method yet). She also has a pregnant Barbie, that I guess gives birth via C-section (the tummy just comes off). Once she asks about WHERE the baby comes out when it’s not a C-section I think she would love these dolls. Though I’m sure some people would be pretty shocked!
I remember a friend of mine having something like that when I was little and it seriously freaked me out.
weird… But albertamom I remember when I was a little girl shoving a pillow or a baby doll up my shirt to pretend that I was pregnant and had a baby. And my “baby” would be born when ever I got sick of having the thing up my shirt! (sometimes I wish it was that easy!) But I will say I never ever had anything like these in my house and now I am pregnant with my 2nd baby so obviously my parents didn’t need them to teach me about the birds and the bees! I think leave it to the schools, at the appropriate age to get all graphic! Its up to us as parents to help their confusion and answer questions, but with how little kids are anymore when they start asking questions, I don’t think its necessary to give them these images!
Yeah it’s stupid…there’s always a corrupted person out there that wants to educate the innocent. What they should do is check out the person who came up with this idea and see if this person’s a pedifile…that’s what I think. How ridiculous!
Not sure these need to be so literal. The crocheted one is kind of gross.
Eeww!
That is just wrong and creepy. There are some things that are better learned first hand. Like, after a marriage when your over 20 years old and can really understand what’s about to happen.
This is just plaing weird… I dont think i would ever get my kids something like that.
no, DON’T leave it up to the schools “at the appropriate age!!!!!” The parents should be the ones teaching our children about the birds and the bees! I have 3 children and they learned from us. I had a book they explained everything for my older children as the next one came along. The book explained things from the Judeo/Christian perspective. Wonderful!
TMI for a kid little enough to play with dolls!!! Too literal!
TMI for a kid little enough to play with dolls!!!
I think it’s fine if you want to use them to explain birth to your children and it’s fine if you don’t. And, honestly, I think that people who are skeeved out by them need to be more comfortable with their own bodies and the process of birth. I wouldn’t be opposed to my children playing with them and learning about birth. In fact, I would think they would be very useful to a parent who was planning a homebirth while a sibling was there to explain to the sibling what to expect when mommy has the new baby at home.
I agree w/Jan. Parents are the best eduacators for their children especially in the sexuality dept. where we can teach morality along with the facts of life. Can you please mention the Christian book you used?
that’s down right disturbing.
Absolutely NOT! My daughter may not be old enough at 12 months to ask but I still am not for it. I will explain that when the time comes!
Kid play patterns are time honored, intuitive and damn near architypical. grown ups need to know when to butt out of this.
This concept (which is not new to toy design) is well intentioned, but ultimately ‘trying too hard’ and creepy as a result. A bit of a stretch, which never appeals to more than a few individuals.
IMHO I find the mix of anatomical correctness and crochet an ‘ick’
Too weird.
No No No, I can teach my kids when ready the appropiate way
Ban these things, just plain weird, sick dolls give me creeps
ok maybe as a gagg gift to an adult.. sold in a Spencers or Adult store but if this ended up in my kids hands you can count on a law suit! That is rediculous to even consider something like that educational. This is definitely considered taking it WAY TOO FAR!
ditto jan at amanda: if you wait for the schools to teach your children the things you should be teaching at them at home, i suspect you’ll be in for a few surprises.
we’ve always been open with our son about birth and breastfeeding. he’s fascinated by it. my daughter still asks for my breast when she’s playing “baby.” and she also nurses her babydolls. but she also gives them formula and throws them down the stairs. we also use the proper names for the parts of our bodies: breasts, vagina, penis, etc. if we use euphemisms or cutesy names, i think it just contributes to shaming ourselves about our bodies. i don’t consider this kind of parenting choice to be particularly radical either.
in the end: your kids are going to learn about sex and all sorts of other things. who would you rather they heard it from? you or a friend or a health teacher?
Why have we made birthing babies something complicated. There are tribes in Africa where a woman squats and drops the baby…with all the women and the girls from the tribe gathered around to celebrate. When did we decide it was complicated. That area of our bodies was designed by God for the purpose of enjoying intimacy with our spouse and giving birth…why can’t we tell our little girls that. Tell them that the want to wait for the man God has planned for them…tell them that they will share something with that man that they’ll share with no one else…show them that the results will be a beautiful baby to love and hold and caress. Sex is a gift from God. Birthing a baby is a miracle. While I agree the dolls are a little creepy to look at…I see potential value in them.
Creeppyyyyy…whats next…”educational” masturbation dolls?? My opinion, keep it simple & traditional, parents birds & bees talk, nothing more, nothing less. Those dolls are one step above the scar you for life Chuckie dolls..just sayin..
I think that is an awesome idea and id use this as a visual method to explain to my kids…but i already have so meh its strange to me to hide something natural as child birth and things they may exp. and if they ask i say it like it is thoroughly id rather it be me then someone else who is not going to explain it correctly due to feeling awkward my mom explained it to me then next day had to sit throuigh it in school and instead of teaching us at school they showed us a cartoon full of porn i think it was a britsh cartoon or canadian cant remember ….I will never leave anything up for a school to teach my children after my exps growing up schools today suck and teachers dont have the heart for it anymore to be enthusiastic and compassionate or proffesional anymore plus all the male and female pedos praying on yound children becausee they are dysfunctional and inept NO THANKYOU.!!!!
Ewww this is just weird. No thanks., I will expalain in my own way along with the schools help.
I actually just purchased a Mamamor doll. She is a beautiful doll, sewn by hand and very high quality. I adore that she can be pregnant or nursing her baby, and if you are going to make a doll pregnant you might as well put the hole for removing the baby in the correct spot. It’s not like she has an anatomically correct vagina or pubic hair, just a pocket to stuff the baby in. The baby has a snap on umbilical cord and placenta, and it’s little snap mouth connects to the mama dolls little snap nipples. We are planning a home birth later this summer and I think this is a wonderful way to talk to my 2 year old about birth and babies.
Is this hysterically funny? Or have I just had an extra-big glass of Merlot?
I think these dolls are awesome. You wouldn’t believe how many women are uneducated, weirdly freaked out about the very normal process of giving birth. Young girls, especially, need to just know that birth is normal from the beginning. We used the mama amor doll when I was having my third and it was really helpful to explain to my two boys how their baby sister would arrive.
You know what I think is weird? A plastic doll filled with harmful toxins with muted body parts.
We should probably stop making normal biology “weird”.
This is to weird. Not appropriate at all for a child!!!!
This won’t scare me out of having kids, I never wanted them in the first place.
Hear hear hillary
As a doula and birth educator as well as a homebirther, I think they are great! My children have all been present when their siblings were born and don’t think that childbirth is anything to bat an eyelash at. Breastfeeding, totally normal. Children learn what they live. If we, as a society, continue to treat pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding as a taboo subject….then what will be the ultimate outcome? It’s really no wonder teen pregnancy is such an epidemic. And the number of womyn that are totally afraid of birth and often opt for scheduled abdominal surgery because that fear has such a strangle-hold on their psyche…..just sad really! I think that the general reaction to these dolls is reflective of how people view the very normal acts of sex, pregnancy and birth. I, personally, would LOVE to see a change to these attitudes. I would certainly have dolls such as these over Brats and Barbies for my 5 girls, any day!!
Sarita: childbirth and masturbating…. NOT the same thing!
I think the crocheted one is a little creepy looking. But I checked out the mamamor website and it actually looked like a beautiful way to teach your children how babies come into this world. The dolls and very beautiful.
Ok this is disturbing! A friend posted it on facebook and I jumped when I saw it. This is not appropriate for children and its disgusting!
If the dolls werent so disturbing looking then I think it would be ok, but not to play with. If a child asked how it happens, then go get the doll, explain and then put it away untill someone needs it. Its not a toy, but its a good aid.