Somebody hide my credit cards.

Oh, these are cute.  I just found these felted nursing dolls on etsy.com, thanks to another blog.  My only hesitation is that they look exactly like something my cat would love to attack.  That and I've spent my budget for breastfeeding ephemera through 2012. 

Baby Milk Action sells nursing dolls for a great cause, and there are Waldorf nursing dolls, too.  But these nursing moms and mermaids are my favorite.  Etsy.com also has some very funny breast earrings by another artist.

Looking at all of these dolls makes me think how unheard of it would be to find a doll with any reference to breastfeeding in, say, a Walmart.  Most dolls come with bottles and pacifiers, right?  And don't even think about suggesting that babies are a result of (gasp) pregnancy.  Remember what happened to the pregnant Barbie, Midge?  In cultures where breastfeeding is the norm you find lots of nursing mother/baby dolls.

Earlier this month we were in the Atlanta airport on our way back from California, and I saw a family of five eating at the food court.  There was one daughter, maybe 6 or 7 years old, who had a doll.  The daughter went up to her mother and tried to put the doll in a nursing position.  The mother, looking annoyed and embarrassed, grabbed the doll and stuck a little bottle in its mouth.  I thought about this a lot afterwards.  Does this mean that we can't even pretend to nurse in public?

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Comments

[Angela]

What neat dolls! My kids would totally love them and they solve the dilemma I was having about baby dolls and their baby bottles--I talked about it in this post:

http://www.breastfeeding123.com/baby-dolls-with-baby-bottles/

[Beth]

Oh, how cute! I think I'm going to add these dolls to my ever-growing breastfeeding "wish list"! Thanks for sharing this link!

[Sinead]

Oh I just love these! And my daughters would go silly for them being big mermaid fans!

[Julie]

oh, you are so kind to post my dolls! Thanks ever so much!
Julie

[Tanya Lieberman]

My pleasure! They're so cute.

[Jillah]

Tanya, your observation on the little girl putting the doll up to her Mommy to nurse, is so sad! I keep thinking about the innocence of a child, doing something that she knows as normal and natural. So sad that her mother didn't respond differently, and see how precious and innocent it was. We have the opportunity to raise our children into a generation who don't view breasts as pornographic and something that must be kept hidden away, but rather as an amazing natural body part that was designed specifically for sustaining a new precious life in our world.

[Tanya Lieberman]

Jill - I felt the same way when I saw that. The funny thing is that, since it was a doll, there was no question of "exposure." I have a feeling that this mom had in fact breastfed (which is why her daughter even thought to put the baby up to her in a nursing position), but that the mother was too embarrassed to even indicate that she had once nursed. It was a brief moment that said so much about our culture, and an opportunity lost.

[Sarah]

Those dolls are so cute. Growing up my Mom nursed all six of us and we would often "nurse" our dolls, even my brothers. My youngest sister would even have my Dad nurse her doll with his "hairy milks". My daughter was very facinated with nursing when my son was born and started nursing her dolls too.

[Tanya Lieberman]

Sarah,

Love that story! Talk about nursing being viewed as normal.

My son nurses his dolls, too, and is also often 'pregnant' with babies named after his preschool teachers!

Tanya

[onetinkerbell]

My daughter, Maeve, has several 'babies' (aka dolls) that alternate between bottle and 'nursing'. When she was little she used to lift up her entire dress or shirt and stick the doll under it. I thought it was cute because my mom never tires of telling the story of how, when I was about 2 or 3, we were in a restaurant and I told her to nurse my brother because he was crying, since I was going to nurse my doll. Apparently I proceeded to lift my shirt up and stick the doll to my breast.

Anyway, as my daughter has gotten older her "technique" for nursing her dolls has improved - now she only unbuttons her dress or shirt a little way. And while she used to loudly announce her intention to 'nurse' her doll, she now doesn't say a word, just does it. Even funnier, she's taken to having her doll sleep in a cradle next to her bed. Her reason? "If she wants to nurse at night that way I can get to her." I'd like to think that this is all due to me nursing her sister, but since this all happened prior to Gwyneth's birth I think she just has a healthy outlook on nursing and sees it as natural. And I think that's great.

[toothpick_tp]

Yesterday I saw such dolls while shopping... Well, I can say that they are widespread. As for situation with the girl, I must admit that they are not rare. Children repeat actions they observe in everyday life.

[Susan]

Cute dolls! I would like to have one. And one more thing. I think it is beautiful when a mother nurses her baby, even in public!

[Pip Wheelwright]

Hello There Ladies .I am a Mum of two Great Boys 9 yrs and 2 yrs, both bf at one stage or another ! (youngest still nursing for bedtime) I visit this site sometimes (not for a while though sadly as busy with Our sons & my new venture this past year , not sure if i'm allowed to add my link ? a friend put this link to this discussion here . I had been searching for an appropriate Breastfeeding doll for my sons and Bf friends children to play with, I could not find the exact thing I wanted so I designed and made my own..now being made with the help of a Canadian and American long established toy manufacturer to my registered design through the UK patent office check out my site for more details stock due in soon..photos to follow shortly, as the site is a work in progress its basic but gives you the general idea but gives more details on the doll sets themselves...any more info needed just contact me details on site with other important Breastfeeding links Thanks very Much in advance Pip Wheelwright x Happy Feeding ! http://boobiebuddiesbfdolls.co.uk