Play Nursing: The Creepy Breastfeeding Doll
If you have kids and you’ve breastfed in front of them, chances are, your toddler mimics.
Now a Spanish doll, under the guise of teaching little ones that breastfeeding is normal, is trying to capitalize on lactivism.
Problem is, the Bebé Glotón makes breastfeeding seem more unnatural and strange than a natural human process. One commentator, MSNBC’s Dr. Nancy, went so far as to say it “set back feminism 150 years.”
Here’s how this little glutton feeds:
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- A girl, theoretically, puts on a halter top.
- The halter top–no joke–features pasties meant to represent nipples.
- The gluttonous baby cries when it’s hungry.
- Girl puts baby to “breast” to feed it. Glutton baby sucks loudly while she nurses.
- Once baby is full and you pat its back, it lets out a large, disgusting belch.
Here’s my problem with the doll: putting on a special shirt hardly teaches a kid about breastfeeding. No, I don’t think it sexualizes breastfeeding any more than a poster featuring a toddler pretend breastfeeding does. (Stop sexualizing natural processes, and you won’t see it this way, folks!)
I also don’t believe it sets back feminism. Encouraging natural processes, no matter how weird the campaign may be, isn’t anti-woman or anti-feminist. If our progress as women is so fragile that it could be shattered by some freakish toy, we’re in big trouble, ladies.
However, wearing a halter top with pasties is not natural. It’s not the normal way to feed a hungry infant. The doll’s sounds, the pasties, the age group targeted in the commercial? All wrong.
And the silly doll is simply encouraging parents to buy more “stuff”, and plastic stuff at that.
Let your kid put her own favorite baby doll up her shirt and “breastfeed”. The mimicry–the interest–that is normal.
Hat tip: I first saw this on Thingamababy, and was reminded of it when a horrified friend sent me a link to Jezebel’s story.
I thought I did comment that I wouldn’t buy it because I believe less is more…so I am in agreement with you on that. and my daughter does do this on her own, but I do like the idea of this option being out there for breastfeeding families.
regarding Terry’s comment about it being too much to put on a little girl, I doubt anyone would buy this for their child unless they already had interest in breastfeeding their other dolls and such.
This is bazare, and not age apporpirate! I have a child that age, and it is sad what we will do in America to sell,sell,sell!! This doll is crazy, and I laugh at the people who are actually going to purchase it.
One of my sisters sent me this link to your article which also prompted me to write one of my own for my column.
This doll and what it’s simulating is not creepy. Women breast feed their infants all the time and older siblings observe and mock behavior. That’s a natural part of the learning process. The doll’s design is not overly detailed which makes it fine for a child to have in my opinion. Stop the shame on breast feeding!
Ife,
Did you read my blog? I’m not against it for any other purpose besides that the doll itself IS creepy. It’s a crap toy. It’s more “stuff”.
I don’t think is sexualizes breastfeeding. I don’t think it’s bad for girls. I just think it’s a POC toy.
Let your children pretend to breastfeed on their own, without more plastic electronic stuff!
I am a lactivist, as you would see if you read my blog history. (Or follow me on Twitter, which has been wonderfully fun in the lactivism dept this week.)
Ife, I could direct you to someone truly in need of “shaming breastfeeding” help, but I won’t post that link here, because there would be some serious head/desk action going on, and I don’t want to cause injuries. (Seriously!)
[...] a self-professed lactivist who writes at Eco Child’s Play, says she doesn’t believe that “setting aside creative, imaginative free play for an [...]
[...] taken off into controversy land and Jezebel’s covered it, as has Fox News, the Daily Mail, EcoChild’s Play and a host of others, including an update from Thingamababy who had to close comments the first [...]
So if they can make a buck they will sell anything with no thought about being right or wrong…
the BEBE GLOTON ( BREASTFEEDING DOLL ) is available on eBay, Amazon or http://www.bebegloton.us
bad news BEBE GLOTON the breastfeeding doll is almost sold out there are a few left on eBay and Amazon but the manufacturer said that sells went through the roof this month and he won’t have more available until February.