Breastfeeding Dolls Nature's Way?

When I was 16 years old I remember watching a video where a doctor and scientist discussed how there are over 10,000 vitamins and minerals in a single apple. We've only started to identify and document a few of those vitamins and their function. Clearly, it's more beneficial to eat an apple with over 10,000 natural vitamins that are perfectly balanced so that our body can absorb them, compared to swallowing a capsule with 20 or so vitamins and minerals which are usually in such high levels that most of them can't be absorbed. The point is, nature's product - the apple for example - is perfectly balanced and the best way to get those nutrients. Check out this chart that compiles only SOME of the known  vitamins / minerals/ hormones/ growth factors/ enzymes / live agents that have been discovered in breastmilk.

When it comes to chosing to eat an apple over swallowing a pill, the same theory is true for human breast milk. It's the perfectly proportioned diet for a human baby. It's how nature intended for a baby to be nurished. As a society, we've come to accept bottles and formula as the natural method to feeding babies, again, not bashing formula and bottles (I understand some of you have had to use or currently are using this alternative form of food) but this isn't how babies are suppose to be fed.

Interestingly enough, a toy company in Spain wanting to promote breastfeeding has created a baby that comes with a pretend nursing bra instead of a bottle. According to the link below, a child would wear this bra, hold the crying baby to a flower area on her pretend nursing bra and the baby makes a sucking sound.

Bye-Bye Bottle: Breastfeeding Baby Dolls Are Here!

Honestly, I was a little creeped out by the concept and some of the reviewers felt similarly. On the other hand, I think it's great that not all babies come with a bottle. A few of the moms who commented discussed how children learn from watching their parents, and the mothers who breastfeed didn't go out of their way to teach their child how to breastfeed, but found their child tucking their dolls or stuffed animals under their shirts. I think growing up around a nursing mother and having support from family to breastfeed is all we need in order to change the way our children's generation will understand how to feed their own babies.

On a personal note, one of my "breast friends" from NC had a 3 year old little girl when she had her second baby girl. Her 3 year old was very curious about not just watching her mommy breastfeed, but watching how I breastfed my son as well. I remember asking her mom when it came time to nurse my son, "Do you want me to go into another room?" and she answered, "Not unless you want privacy. I'm not shielding my daughter from how to feed a baby. I want her to know this is how it's done." At first it was a little uncomfortable to have someone elses little child approach me and watch me feed my first born, but then I understood how to the little girl, this wasn't something sexual or inappropriate. She'd watched her mother nurse so this was normal. My sister in law told me that her two daughters pretend to nurse their baby dolls after watching their mother nurse their baby brother. I think that's the perfect way to introduce and teach children about breastfeeding babies. Whenever I'm nursing my second son around my neice she is always curious to ask me if I'm feeding the baby and if he will go to sleep when he's done.

I don't think teaching children how to breastfeed is something that should be mandated in school or anything, but if you happen to have small children and are breastfeeding, I don't think there's anything wrong with explaining to a curious child that you are feeding the baby. If they get real close (as my neice tends to) know that you are demonstrating something that is natural, more natural than if you were to show a child how to bottle feed. It's not just about exposing your kids or relatives / close friend's children (with the parent's consent - obviously don't go dragging every child you get your hands on to show them how you can breastfeed) but it's important is to create a supportive, positive breastfeeding environment so that our children's generation will have more success then we did, so that they won't end up like the momma gorilla in my previous post (frustrated without any idea of how to nurse and what they are suppose to do with a new baby).  Our children aren't going to grow up learning how to breast feed or even have the desire to breastfeed by buying them a flower patterned bra and a doll. Let us teach our children by example!