Wow, I like it. I breastfed both of my girls and they always put their baby dolls to their chests to mimic feeding them, it's totally natural. Would I have bought a toy like this? no, but i would'nt have bought a pooping, electronic peeing doll either. The bra with the daisy's is kind of strange, but over all I think its fine.
I do think it will freak out the large percentage of grown ups that do not accept breastfeeding still. So on second thought, maybe I would let my kid have one, just to freak out the uptight parents that may be offended!

I like the idea. I don't think it will promote children wanting to have babies, just like traditional baby dolls do not promote it. If a parent thinks it's okay, why should I stop them? It's definitely not a gift idea though!

I think it's kind of silly and a perhaps a waste of money but then again many children's toys could be argued to be as such. Pretty much every kid I knew who was exposed to breastfeeding as a child pretended to anyway with their dolls, I did as a kid, and both my kids (boy and girl) have done the same. If there's anything offensive about this toy is that it's another "girl" toy training little girls to be good wives and mothers.

I was breastfeeding my second daughter at a local baseball game. A ten-year-old boy who's family was sitting next to ours watched me for a few seconds, then said excitedly, "I know why your covering up with a blanket! It's 'cause the boob is where the milk comes out."

I grew up seeing my mother breastfeed my siblings and now my three-year-old, who also imitates breastfeeding, has the opportunity to see breastfeeding as a natural and healthy part of life. Not all children get that chance, and this toy could be used to change that for some of them.

I want my daughter to be comfortable with the natural things her body does, especially when it comes to something as special as taking care of children. If some people think this toy sexualizes children and seems pornographic it's because those people aren't comfortable with the natural things their bodies do.

I think it's a little odd - not wrong, but just weird. The daisy nipples especially freak me out. Why not just let a little girl mimic her mother on her own with a regular baby doll if she so desires, rather than make a doll specifically for the purpose?

I LOVE this doll and would definitely buy it for my daughters. It's not a bit offensive to me-like the bottle-fed dolls are. Promoting teen pregnancy? Really? Let's give our daughters some credit here. If a doll that mimics breast feeding makes girls go out and get pregnant then we have a much bigger issue here than just a piece of plastic. Why does society think that girls are just stupid, reckless human beings that want nothing more than to please men and carry their offspring?

I think you are all missing one big issue with this doll. Finally, many parents now think its ok to give a doll to their son. Men need to be taught from an early age the importance of being nurturing. A doll like this excludes boys and essentially says that caring for a baby is a mommy thing.

If the time ever comes when baby dolls for boys become socially acceptable, I will rejoice.

Wait, why can't you give this doll to a little boy? I mean, it's (obviously) not a requirement to use the doll that you are lactating. It's make-be-freakin-lieve! If crochet nipples aren't too silly to for a little girl to play with, they're not too silly for a little boy, either.

nothing makes people comfortable with their natural bodily functions like learning to nurse with your shirt on through you 'dasies'

i breast fed my baby dolls too, but i was able to use my imagination when it came to sucking noises, and i at least had the sense to pull my shirt up

I don't know that there's anything specifically WRONG with it. I just find it creepy.

Ditto that, Emma and Liza. And Debra, why would you find bottle-fed dolls offensive? Some people choose to breast-feed, some people choose to bottle-feed. Nothing offensive about that.

This is not the first of its kind. My nephew is 11 and they had dolls like this in Japan 11 yrs ago. Rather than have a halter top the doll came with an actual boob, singular yes, one boob. The goal of the doll was to help wean kids. Nearly every child in Japan is breastfed unless the mother is unable to do so. Then again this a country that has breastfeeding rooms in every dept store.

We will most likely never see anything like this in America. Americans are way too uptight.

I like it, great idea. Wish I would have had this doll when my girls were younger. I like what Andrea said about what they do in Japan.

um, yeah, let's prepare little girls for motherhood before they even reach puberty.

In my not so humble opinion ANYTHING that normalizes breastfeeding is awesome. Yeah, sure, people choose to bottle feed and maybe that decision is made easier for them because they are inundated from day one with images that link infants and bottles. How often do you see a doll for sale that comes with a boppy pillow for easier nursing as opposed to a little bottle? Bottle feeding and breastfeeding are separate but they are not equal and I, for one, am happy to think that more little girls will be acclimating themselves with the idea of nursing their babies. Plus, today's kids are very much into interactive toys that make sounds and respond so I think this doll's ability to make the nursing sounds will make it even more appealing that just holding a baby up to their chests.

I've have four children, all of whom I breastfed. This is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard of. This promotes nothing of reality. It's a doll and can't be compared to a baby. They're promoting mature responsibilities in a brain that is not even near mature enough to grasp the meaning of caring for a real baby. I'm 46 and have children ranging in age from two to sixteen. I'll fathom to guess most of the opinions above stated above are from very young woman who still have some maturing to do. I can't even believe anyone would think this is a good idea!

Well it makes sense from the stand point not every baby is bottle fed so why shouldn't a doll show a very natural thing.

Sex is natural too. So, why stop there? Why not make the sexually-active doll?!

...and that's sarcasm in case anyone didn't get it!

Playing with baby dolls should be discouraged. Yes, women sometimes decide to have children. As do men -- yet parents generally do not encourage their sons to spend their playtime pretending to care for babies.

Encourage your daughters to read, play sports, dance, enjoy music,conduct science experiments and engage in aspirational fantasy play that involves more than just motherhood. That's what boys do.

Hmmm ~ I loved reading all of the thoughts on this. I am laughing and so happy that breastfeeding is the topic of conversation! I'm not sure about the doll myself, it does promote breastfeeding which is AWESOME!!! I LOVE THAT!! But would the parents that need to promote breastfeeding buy this doll for their child? Probably not. SO I think we need some more ways to promote breastfeeding. Teen pregnancy?! Naw - I don't think so. I do agree with the gender thing too..I have 3 boys and have always had trouble finding a doll that wasn't covered with pink and purple. ANYHOW I think maybe this could be a step in the right direction as far as the women's movement. Empower little girls? Okay maybe the doll wouldn't really do that..

Kids should play with dolls. It's normal and natural for them to mimic adult behaviors, especially ones they see their parents do. I am not a fan of the daisy tank top, but otherwise I think this doll is pretty cool. Our society bombards us with images of bottle-feeding babies, but we rarely see breastfeeding portrayed as natural or desirable. So if a toy will help children understand what breasts are really for, well cool. I'm all for it.

People who worry about kids being sexualized by a breastfeeding-related toy, are the people sexualizing breastfeeding. Generally they are people who have no experience with breastfeeding, so they only have the viewpoint of the larger society which views everything related to a breast as sexual.

I am a mother of a little boy who nursed until he was 18 months old. So I have some personal experience to draw from here.

auntie nene, i must respectfully disagree. as a kid, i played soccer, piano, voraciously devoured books, built furniture with my dad, and did weird science in the kitchen with my mom. And, until the age of about 10, did it all accompanied by a much loved babydoll. I dont think we should discourage little girls from aspiring to motherhood - as long as they know its not *required*, and as long as they know they have the option to do just about anything they want instead or at the same time.

This is great. With all the negative over sexed branding that girls are subjected to this should be the least of parents worries (Please see Bratz dolls or sweat pants with Angel printed on the butt in kids sizes). Now Daisey Pasties hmmmmmmmm? No, I still love it! What, we would rather our daughters sexualize their breast buds in a Hanna Montana halter top but not pretend to use them for what they are designed for? Nurse on kiddos!

I don't know about this one... to me it does seem a bit creepy, suckling at prepubescent nipples. It's one thing to mimic mum by putting the doll up to your chest, but wouldn't we be pretty mortified if there was some sort of "safe sex" doll we also introduced to our children? Teaching them the value of retaining virginity for someone they love rather than peer pressure? Maybe it can even show them how to put on a condom - you can never start too early - lots of younger and younger teen pregnancies these days. Anyway, of course I'm exaggerating, but it does seem to prepare children for parenthood logistics a bit soon. Let's stick to the EZ Bake Oven.

Sorry, boys, breastfeeding IS only for the girls. Babies are MEANT TO be primarily tended to by their mothers. That's why we have the lactating breasts and you don't. GET OVER IT.

In all seriousness, I agree with the commenters who've said "anything that NORMALIZES breastfeeding is a good thing". IMHO if you have to be against this item because "omg think of the men!" then you are sexist beyond belief.

Only in America does this discussion have to happen at all. Whether or not a child should mimic the action of breastfeeding should be a topic of discussion as much as a child mimicing the act of, say, dressing or eating - that is, not at all.
The only thing disturbing about any of this is that some people - women, no less - are STILL sexualizing the act. Grow up, people.
Thank gawd I live in a country in which breastfeeding is my right, 100%, anytime, anywhere.

As a proud lactivist, I agree with all that say that anything promoting the normalization of breastfeeding is a good idea. It's sad to me that we live in an age and time where nursing women are sometimes made to feel like freaks for feeding their children, where airlines kick off nursing moms for refusing to cover up and where restruants stipulate that women nurse in bathrooms. My daughter, two and half, nurses her dolls and other toys and is extremely inquisitive about nursing babies. I dont know that I need to buy a doll like this, but I generally like the idea of it.

I hope that Auntie Nene (and others) will be pleased to hear that some of us DO "encourage [our] sons to spend their playtime pretending to care for babies." From the time he was about one year old, my son played with baby dolls, feeding them and pretending to diaper them (with his own diapers). And when he climbed up into the rocking chair where I breastfed him, he always had his baby in his arms.

He's eleven now and loves to play with younger kids as well as to "read, play sports, enjoy music,conduct science experiments and engage in aspirational fantasy play". When he outgrows old toys, he chooses some of his favorite to save in the attic for his own future kids.

I breastfed all 3 of my kids and I love this idea! I throw out bottles and binkies that come with most dolls, but some toys make sucking noises when fed a specific bottle or pacifier, so in my opinion pairing a doll with a special tank top is much cooler!

Oh my. There should be a forum post up on this one...

yeah i don't think breastfeeding s sexual so if someone SEES this as sexualizing it then they thought that perverted mess already. it's stupid ideas like that, that shame new mothers into not breastfeeding in public or even at all, as for it promoting teen pregnancy, it's no different than any OTHER baby doll. and most kids (yes even boys) want to play at being a parent because they idolize their parents and parenting is so important to a child.

Gross! I'm 35 and about to give birth to my first child and I don't even want to breast feed. I'm only doing it because I feel like I'll be the worst mother ever if I don't. In all fairness, I was an only child from a very small family and didn't grow up around any babies or nursing mothers so there's probably a reason the whole process freaks me out (maybe I needed a doll like that).

I wouldn't say the doll is offensive. I mean it's no weirder than any other doll on the market. The only doll I ever had as a kid was one of the peeing ones. Kids are curious and there's nothing wrong with that. I agree that the North American market (I'm from Alberta, Canada so I can just hear the neo-cons freaking out now) probably isn't ready for such an interesting toy.

I wouldn't buy the doll, mostly because it's over the top and unnecessary. As pointed out above, little girls will nurse their baby dolls, and you don't need a special one with a halter top to facilitate that. Now that I have seen a video of this doll, the halter top seems even more over the top. There's nothing to latch onto!

The funniest thing about this to me is that some people are debating whether there is a certain age that children are "too young" to be exposed to breastfeeding. Hello, it's the first thing babies do after they are born! And for those of us who breastfeed our children and allow them to wean naturally or at an older age, breastfeeding is a part of family life. If children don't remember their own breastfeeding, they will remember seeing their brothers or sisters breastfed if they have any. Breastfeeding is normal. It's not weird or sexual, it's just a part of life.

Breastfeeding does not sexualize anyone, least of all a little girl. But why are the gender lines continually and so strongly enforced by the toys we give to our children? My five-year-old told me recently that she saw a girl older than her playing with a baby doll and thought it was boring. Motherhood is hard. Joyful, but very hard. Why can't girls just be girls until they are ready to be real mothers?

allison, i think you're completely missing the point here. likening a doll that normalizes breastfeeding to a doll that has sex infers that there's something sexual about breastfeeding and the bottom line, 100%, is that there IS NOTHING SEXUAL ABOUT IT. it's a natural, healthy human process and SHOULD be seen by children as being so. there's nothing wrong with breastfeeding, and there's also nothing wrong with children seeing women doing it. your mentioning a doll that has sex is a manipulative way to package breastfeeding in the same not-family-friendly way it's always been presented. it's a shame so many people fall for the same line of thinking because it hinders any progress this country will make as far as the messages it sends women, men, and children about their bodies.

Men should be able to brestfeed too. I loved the first moments with my daughter http://www.flickr.com/photos/d...3086331777

I was 3 when my brother was born and my parents bought be a doll baby so I didn't feel left out. I used to mimic everything with my doll that my mom did with my brother, feeding, bathing, dressing and changing its diaper. I'd even stuff nursing pads up my shirt and whip them out in the middle of the supermarket, lift my shirt up and clamp my doll to my chest, much to everyone's amusement. I don't think it did me any harm. Nursing babies is a natural thing and it's wrong to sexualize it. It didn't programme me to pop out babies (I'm 28 with no plans for kids) so the feminist arguement doesn't wash with me. However, don't even get me started on military dolls for little boys...

It's just creepy to see a young female child to breastfeed to a baby doll that actually moves it's mouth and suckles. Frankly, young girls can pretend to breastfeed without a doll actually moving. I don't care what other people say, it's just disturbing to see.
Btw, I am an RN and hands down I promote breastfeeding, just not like this.

I luvvit!

That picture is adorable Wayan! Congrats! I was a preschool teacher for a couple of years (sadly it didn't pay the bills) and saw many children, boys and girl, pretend to breastfeed the dolls and I always loved the caring way they'd hold the baby and talk to it while they were "feeding." This doll is not a big deal, I don't think it helps children act out about breastfeeding any more than playing with a regular doll. And conversely I don't believe it's harmful either. To suggest this promotes teen pregnancy is astoundingly ignorant, especially when our culture is surrounded by sexual images 24/7. Let's stop being so afraid of new things, shall we? This toy is not as powerful as some of you have made it out to be.

I breast fed my son and daughter for a long time, and I'm a total proponent of breast feeding. But I find this doll creepy and strange -- as I find many dolls. I think it's the halter top and fake nipples, although those certainly aren't the only thing that make dolls creepy, IMHO. One time I was walking thru the doll aisle at Target and they all started waving, talking and cooing in electronic voices -- that was a VERY freaky experience! Both my kids have dolls, and neither one is all that interested.

I wouldn't buy it for my daughter because I think there are are cooler toys out there but why would anybody find this doll "freaky?" I truly don't understand and think that it's sad the amount of people w/ issues in this country.

I have to say that I really respect Miss Catherine's post about her boy learning to nurture with a doll at an early age. If we truly intend or want to de-sexualize the breast and the female body in general, then early introductions to reproductive and child-raising processes *must* occur regardless of gender. This toy can be used as a very important tool in that regard, and to combat the 100s of negative, sexual images girls get every day about the female body.

In a society with television shows like "Toddlers and Tiaras" (*shiver*) and, it is essential to be proactive for little girls. Actually, I think the doll could help bring many adults into the 21st century as well with regard to all these issues!

Teen pregnancy?? I think this toy might be one of the best ways I have seen yet. Adolescents of both genders need to know what human bodies are capable of and what ALL the parts can do. By including honest Anatomy lessons with lessons on ethics and morality, and lessons on the fact that reproductive choices (including the choice not to reproduce at all) are available to all free people, young adults are more likely to make informed, rational, inclusive decisions with their families and partners. There is a reason Homo sapiens take decades to raise and care for their offspring: It takes a very long time, a lifetime if we are lucky, to learn everything we can from our family and community!

One thing I gotta say, though: Flower Nipples!?? *ah-hem* How Victorian is that??! O, well -- small steps are better than being at a complete stand-still!!

My son already pretends to breastfeed from watching me. I don't correct him, I think it's great that he wants to nurture. I'm sure he will know that he's to use a bottle to participate in the feeding process by the time he has his own kids.

It's a curious world that finds breastfeeding pornographic and apt to sexualize children. The female body has been so objectified that when something comes along that celebrates the very essence of its being, people are uncomfortable and judgment rears its nasty head. Perhaps we'd live in a much healthier society if Bebe Gloton were on the top of children's wish lists and not plasticized fantasy versions of what womanhood is suppose to represent. Our children are watching us and even if they had no toys they'd figure out how to have fun; HOWEVER if they're going to be placated with incessant adverts for toys they have to have, why not one that celebrates nurturing, caring and loving?

Ok,

Aside from the fact that the doll itself just sounds plain creepy (with the sucking sounds etc..), my real issue with the doll is not it's supposed message, but that it encourages a behavior that is NOT normal or natural among the PREPUBESCENT CHILDREN at which it is aimed.

I want to make it very clear that I DO NOT believe that breastfeeding is "sexual" in the sense that it is innapropriate or should be censored, to the contrary. I think breastfeeding women SHOULD be allowed to nurse their children wherever they need to and not be made to feel bad about it, BUT... I also feel the need to point out that breast feeding IS sexual in the sense that women have to be SEXUALLY MATURE in order to do it. I'm sorry, can you breast feed if you've never had sex? Exactly.

You can, however, realistically help change a diaper or feed a baby without being old enough to have one yourself, which is what separates this doll from the other "baby" dolls used in comparison in terms of why I don't like it (not to say that these are a particularly amazing idea either, but that's another story).

Seriously, Some people on here have talked about this doll as though the child using it already has breasts that they should be proud to use naturally or something. Female children do not have breasts, they are children! Though children will always imitate what they see, I am under the impression that this doll is very misguided in it's attempts to normalize and/or encourage breast feeding. If parents can't properly explain breast feeding to their children, this doll isn't going to help anyone except the people cashing in on it.

Breast feeding is not sex but the nipple is also about sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is not a bad thing either but that is probably why some people feel it's creepy. I don't see anything wrong with children pretending to breast feed their doll. But I wouldn't buy a weird bikini with daisies that look like those no slip things from 1970's bathtubs and tie that around them and say, "Practive Breast Feeding, darlings."

If my child wanted a doll I would get them one and let them play with the doll the way they would naturally. I think that's enough. I don't think we need to encourage children about breast feeding with a doll. They will see bottles and breast feeding mothers and ask about it. Parents can tell them what they think is appropriate. I think if breast feeing advocates are concerned about their daughters seeing too many dolly bottles they need not worry. Your example and lifestyle is enough information. But do they really need to be encouraged to consider these personal adult scenereos as children? Children are very observant imitators naturally.

I think this toy is creepy not because I am American or have breast feeding issues but because my personal instincts tell me the toy is totally unnecessary, overt and draws attentions to sexual organs in a bizarre way that I feel children should come to on their own not with the help of a daisy breast feeding bikini (or some fake breasts). And if my friend bought that toy for her child I would know that her intentions were good but think that it was like something out of "Meet the Parents Two." : unnecessary, creepy and slightly humorous. If I had that toy as a child I might be laughing about it with my therapist right now saying, "What were they thinking?"

If you think your child will benefit from this toy I guess you should purchase it. But ask yourself if you are buying it for them or for your own women's rights issues and feelings and if that isn't something they will pick up on from your example and then make their own decisions when they are adults and these issues mean something to them.

I'm curious if a child will take the doll, enjoy the experience, and then play make believe later on with an actual playmate. When we were kids we played like one was the Mommy, one was Daddy, and the rest were children. How awkward - Mommy trying to breast feed one of her "kids" just like she does with her dolly.

At first i balked at the idea but honestly, this is no more over-the-line than those dolls that poop and pee. I hope it will encourage girls to see understand the functionality of breasts instead of just seeing them sexualized all the time. And kudos for teaching little girls that it isn't "yucky" to breastfeed!

I am most definitely NOT a young woman with a lot of maturing to do and I would like to respond to the comments that this doll promotes a behavior that children could not grasp or that we are somehow initiating girls into motherhood before they reach puberty or even that playing with dolls should not be encouraged. Exactly when is the right time to begin teaching our children how to be nurturing, with babies or anyone else for that matter? How about from day one? In our society, our children are bombarded with sexualized and violent images everyday. If we began encouraging play that involved active and nurturing connections to each other, we would all be in a better place. Why wait? Would we all sit around, refusing to walk until a baby was ready to walk with us? Would we wait to feed a baby until they could do it themselves? Why wait to should a child how to care for others? Just because I played with trucks when I was a child doesn’t mean I thought I should be a truck driver. Just because children play with dolls, doesn’t mean we are encouraging them to have children, only that they have learned ways to love, connect and nurture those children if and when they are ready. Since we no longer live in close community with others where these behaviors are a daily part of life, it seems this is the next step in “normalizing” these behaviors for our own children.

In response to Auntie Nene - you think it's wrong to teach our children to love and nurture? Even if it is with a doll? My son is two and has a "baby" doll(a cabbage patch baby). He likes to have his baby "drink" milk from mommy. I think that children that are not allowed to play with and "nurture" dolls are going to have some emotional issues. How will they learn compassion and caring if not through mimicking how they were treated as babies? Oh, and Heidi, did you know that breasts are supposed to be for breastfeeding children? They are NOT sexual organs!

Laurie's comments were the best, I'd buy this doll for my grand kids just to freak out the uptight aholes of the world

A few thoughts on this since most here have said exactly what I was thinking, but to clarify: Dan, it *is* a mommy thing to literally breast feed until men can figure out a way to lactate, not trying to exclude boys or be gender-biased, just realistic. Maybe if this doll takes off the company can create one where there's a pump involved so that the little boys can also "breast" feed.
For the objectors that say why bother, kids mimic their parents anyways? Why bother making fake tools, kitchens, purses, cell phones, or virtually any other thing a child will see their parents do and mimic? Because kids like to mimic with their own things, just like their parents things but only theirs.
Promoting early pregnancy? I doubt it, if the dolls that have been on the market for all of time haven't done this, where is the lure in the breast feeding doll? Far-reaching.

Personally, I'm glad others besides midwives, lactation consultants, and good ol' mom aren't the only ones promoting breast feeding, and I think if this does nothing else, it's getting the word out there that it is normal and acceptable to do so!

My issue with this is that toys seem way too complicated! What happened to some wooden blocks and a rag doll with yarn hair? (wow, when did I start talking like a grandma? ...back in my day...) It seems like we want to tell children how to play. They will think of it on their own--let them use their own imaginations. I'm not offended by the toy, but the daisy nipples are kind of strange.

I am 23 years old. Have never had a child in my life. I ALWAYS played with baby dolls and Barbie dolls growing up. Until I was about 18. In fact, I still have most of my doll! I also ALWAYS wanted children. I asked my mother at the age of two why I couldn't have a child at the age of sixteen. I NEVER thought about having sex until AFTER I was forced to have it at, coincidently, 16. Just before my 17th birthday. I still want to have children, but not until I feel I am ready for them.
I do not feel that girls should be discouraged from learning how to breastfeed. I breastfed my dolls all the time. The daisies are a bit awekward, but if it works, then so-be-it.
Breastfeeding is a closeness thing. It's a connection between mother and child. If a mother takes that away from their child, what are they going to expect? I didn't get breastfed, and my mother and I have NEVER gotten along! Now if a mother CANNOT breastfeed, that's a completely different story.
I do not feel we should exclude boys from playing w/ dolls. Children live a better life (for the most part) if they have the influence of both parents. And by the by... MEN CAN BREASTFEED!!! haven't you ever hewed of hormones?
I believe society is too much into protecting our children rather then teaching our children. If you keep telling your child not to do something, they are going to do it anyway. But of you teach your child WHY they shouldn't do something. And/ or how to do it properly, there is that bigger chance they will actually listen. I think most the women that cmented on here are WAY too uptight about society.

i'm just glad someone else commented about the angel-printed-on-the-butt sweatpants in kids' sizes. (or better yet "Daddy's Girl!") i have always thought those pants were soooo disturbing. those kinds of things sexualize young girls way more than pretend breast-feeding, i think.

I'm sorry, but I have to point out that breasts are NOT sexual organs; they are mammary glands. Sexual organs are organs required for reproduction.

I was so excited when I heard about this doll on the news the other night. I am a breastfeeding mother of a 19 month old daughter. She is just starting to play with dolls and she does like to hold them up to breastfeed them. Breastfeeding is the most natural, healthy, and loving way to feed, nurture, and care for your child - so of course my daughter should be able to care for her dolls the same way! She's never used a bottle, so I'm sure not going to hand her a doll and bottle - she wouldn't even know what to do with it!
It's baby steps like this that will eventually get breastfeeding into mainstream America. Let's desensitize the freaks that are offended by breastfeeding. Breast are mammary glands and that is what they are made for. I think the issue that some people have with this doll simply points out their issues with breastfeeding itself. Once you accept breastfeeding as the normal, natural, healthiest way to raise a baby - then this doll will not be a debate. The only discussion will be where to get new outfits for the doll.
I know what my daughter's getting for Christmas!

Betti and Amy: Your insistence that breasts are not sexual organs in any way is misguided. A more accurate statement is "breasts are not JUST sexual organs." Personally, I find sex without breast contact hugely unsatisfying, as do most women.

The thing to remember here is that children don't see a naked body as sexual, they simply see it as a curiosity. You have a bum, I have a bum, everybody has a bum, and it's interesting because we don't normally see them. So seeing nudity is purely a novelty for kids. Only a child who has already been exposed to sexual things (abuse, pornographic images) would see some kind of sexuality or taboo in breastfeeding. Shame is learned. This toy, while a bit strange and probably unnecessary, is harmless as far as I'm concerned. I'd just rather save a bunch of money and buy a doll that doesn't make sucking noises, or whatever other non-violent toy s/he particularly wanted.

I have a relative that grew up in a working class southern town and believed breastfeeding was what you did if you were too poor to buy formula. Since she was no longer poor when she had children and didn't want some child 'all over her all the time' she didn't breastfeed.

Another relative grew up in a more affluent northern city. Her parents had advanced education and more disposable income. She considered breastfeeding to be a way to give her child an educational advantage so she could get in the right schools. I think they both missed the nurture factor in their decision making process.

I had dolls that peed, grew hair, walked, talked, grew taller, grew breasts, giggled and cried. My favorites didn't do anything. Doing nothing made them more versatile for my imagination. I've never been a fan of toys that do stuff and I don't think this doll is necessary for children of breastfeeding women because they are already advocating breastfeeding in their family and community by word and deed.

I think the concept of this doll is more important for adults because it touches a raw nerve in U.S. society. That hypocritical, prudish, over sexualized, moralistically superior nerve that makes people ashamed of and creeped out by their beautifully designed body, its gender specific functions, purposes and role in society.

I don't have children so if I bought this doll, it would be a gift for the child of a parent that gets creeped out about this kind of thing.

Ali- I agree that breast contact is pleasant during sex, but so are foot and back rubs. If I went to a fertility clinic, I would not expect the doctor to examine or pleasure my breasts, back, hands or feet. I would expect the doc to deal only with the parts required to make and grow the baby ... commonly referred to as the sexual organs but maybe they should only be referred to as reproductive organs since we have sex with so many more organs and parts than the reproductive organs.

I am most inclined to agree with Angela, Heidi and Chantelle on this one.

First, I'm sorry that Chantelle feels bullied into breastfeeding her child. I understand that it's natural and I understand the benefits but it just ISN'T for everyone. And as women, we should support each others' CHOICES.

Second, children see their mommies nurturing and breastfeeding and they imitate them -- and I get that. But I hope that these same children also see their mommies running companies, making beautiful art and earning a living doing what they love. How much better would we all be as a society if children imitated these activities instead of breastfeeding?

I know I'm being pretty harsh here, but that is what we all owe to our daughters and sons. Without a critical mass of women who aspire to be more than just mommies and to raise their daughters/sons to live that principle, women who want more than motherhood will continue to be handicapped by old-fashioned stereotypes and prejudiced.

Pretend bottlefeeding is "cute" but pretend breastfeeding is "sexual" and "pornographic"? Teen pregnancy will increase if kids pretend-nurse their dolls rather than pretend-bottlefeeding them? Nonsense. Sheer nonsense.

All dolls "downplay the realities of motherhood" and no doll is really "necessary," but this doll fills a gap in the market, a gap that exists because of the prevalence of breastfeeding taboos.

Even if you don't have strong feelings in favor of breastfeeding, there is no logical reason why this particular doll should be seen as "weird," "creepy" or "sexual" by those of us who actually have breasts. What's truly weird is that previously, dolls have done everything BUT breastfeed.

The only thing that's truly silly about this doll is the accompanying daisy shirt. Do we really need to train girls to cover their nipples while feeding baby? Is "discreet breastfeeding" the real object of this doll's lesson? Sorry to disappoint the modesty police, but aereolas and nipples are not obscene in my book, and shame is not a lesson I'm interested in teaching.

As for the boys, let them play at nursing and/or bottlefeeding all they want when they're little. Even with all the technologies currently available, men can still only co-parent as much as their bodies allow; they can't co-pregnant, co-birth, or co-nurse, no matter how much we might wish they could.

I have a little boy who I breastfed. When I was a little girl I had dolls, building blocks, tinker toys, legos, cars (and not just Barbie's) and I played with them all. I think kids should play with toys that use the imagination; Some electronic toys are good and so are those that are "kid powered" for encouraging those inquisitive minds. However, I really just don't like this doll--of course I don't like the ones that talk, eat, drink or have other bodily functions except for use in those "Life" classes they have now... much better than an egg or sack of flour. I don't believe I'd buy it or any other doll than a regular doll for my child....especially those baby bratz dolls. But he doesn't care for dolls, he does like my penguin collection. Also, he has always liked anything with wheels but so did I at that age and I wanted to know why the engine made the car go.

I am a lactation consultant and I don't like this toy at all.
I really don't like any toys with bells and whistles. Children need only the simplest toys and their imagination takes over from there. My daughter who is now five went through a phase of pretending to breastfeed her doll. She was breastfed and sees all my friends doing it. She knows all about it and just naturally integrates into her play. She lifts her shirt just like we do and holds the doll against her. I'm not sure if she ever made the sucking noises, but any child may well do that.
There is no need for a special doll. The daisies are silly and completely irrelevant! It's not authentic and perpetuates the idea that the breast and nipples are sexual, taboo and should not be seen! I think it actually works against advocating the idea that breastfeeding is natural and healthy. I think it's sad!

children play with dolls but i don't think it needs to be future-mommy/daddy-training. when i was younger i did it for fun and don't recall ever pretending to breastfeed. teaching children that it's non-sexual and natural is great but i don't think it needs to be promoted at that age. when the children get older, if they decide to have kids of their own, they'll form their own opinions about the matter either way.

i don't think there's actually something wrong with it but the nipple shirt does kinda creep me out. i think my concern wouldn't be that little girls are going to play with it and become warped, but more that drawing attention to a young child's breasts is probably not a good idea. unfortunately, there are pedophiles and perverts in our world and this seems like the kind of thing that would make a child seem more sexualized to sick people.

i could also forsee problems if girls are playing with toy in the company of boys. children are curious and this kind of playing could potentially open up the possibility of sexual exploring which i hope everyone would agree is not a good idea for 8 year olds.

SO maybe just not let kids play with it in public? i support breast feeding and breast feeding awareness but i think this might have gone a little overboard. i recognize the good intentions, though.

omg wats next... dolls that have safe sex, they've gone to far breast feeding is a beautiful thing between mom child and nature, not little girl and doll, only a sick perv came up with this, hope this is not in america!

is this toy a bit odd? yes. however, i don't believe that justifies it as being 'wrong' for this toy to be given to a child. breastfeeding is the norm in many countries, &while it isn't as widely promoted in the US, this shouldn't mean that it can't be promoted as being a natural &normal thing. if dolls that pee, poop, burp, cry, &feed from bottles are ok, why not breastfed dolls? like some commenters have said, their little girls often mimicked breastfeeding with their dolls, even though their dolls didn't make a 'sucking' noise like this doll. in no way will this doll promote 'prepubescent sexuality' or send the message to little girls that they need to go out &have a real baby. those issues need to be discussed &explained by the parents! baby dolls have been played with by children for centuries, so this baby doll is really nothing different, except for the breastfeeding issue. face it, the REAL problem people have with this doll is that it brings breastfeeding out into the spotlight, which is an uncomfortable subject for many people in the US who see it as being dirty or somehow erotic (come on now!). it's a natural extension of pregnancy.

&for those who think this toy excludes boys, i'll say it again: come on!! boys &men are not excluded from child-rearing, as they can certainly hold, nurture, feed, &care for real babies. &those boys who want to play with this doll still can! sheesh! isn't the point of this doll to pretend, anyway?

Uh, yeah, noooooo! While there may be nothing wrong with it, I won't be standing in any lines to buy one for my daughter. As a mother who tried and failed at breastfeeding, I found the societal bias towards breastfeeding offensive. How a mother chooses to feed her children is her business, period. My kiddo is as healthy and smart as any other breastfed kid and as both I and my bottle fed brother were. I encourage women to choose what works for them and to quit making other women feel inadequate just because they chose a different path.

Add these to the product list:

Kid sized empathy bellies. Training bras with fake milk producing falsies. There are dolls that pee, even some that poop... what about menstruate? Little Bonnie Bleeds-a-lot. Barbie has a salon, but where is the waxing station? Combine that with the playdough barber shop for Brazilian fun and leg shaving excitement.

All in good clean fun. Ack.

I think breast feeding is one of the most feminist things a mother can do. What kind of society do we live in where the act of feeding your child is sexualized? Unfortunately, not enough young people actually see their mothers nursing children (hardly all the fault of mothers) and if this is what it takes, so be it!

In response to artgirl68. I don't really see how a doll is encroaching on your right to bottle feed. Breast-feeding mothers, in my opinion, are far more looked down upon in society. The act of feeding your child in the most natural way possible should not be looked down upon as gross, or in your case elitest.
live and let live.