Toys change over the course of time - the material used, the effects, the overall look... Regardless of how many variations, one toy that has always prevailed with little girls is the traditional baby doll. My daughters had their very own baby dolls as did I and my mother. Today there are a thousand accessories available for the baby doll from strollers to cribs, bottles to bibs, and everything in between!

As parents, it is inevitable that we will at one time or another purchase a baby doll for our daughters. Aside from being a cute toy, we enjoy seeing our daughters love and nurture their "baby" the way that we do them. In many stages of life - primarily the early ones - our children want to do everything that we do. They want to be just like us. After all, our children are the blueprints of us, right?



Is there a new baby doll product that is taking this whole theory a little too far though? A company is Spain manufactured and launched Bebé Glotón, a breastfeeding baby doll. As a matter of fact, it has already hit shelves here in the United States. The purpose behind the manufacturing and creation of this baby doll is to promote breastfeeding at an early age and teach our daughters the importance of it. Each package includes a halter that is to be worn by the little girl while playing with Bebé Glotón. There are two flowers on the halter which are to represent nipples. When the baby doll is brought in towards the chest and near the flower, a sensor in the doll's mouth goes off and a sucking noise is released from the doll to simulate breastfeeding.
The doll even cries when "hungry" and burps after their feeding.



I do not knock breastfeeding in any way, shape or form. Infact, I am a former breastfeeding mom. With two daughters, I elected to bottle feed my first and breastfeed my second so I am versed on the pros and cons of each. I have never been one to push my thoughts or opinions on another nor have I ever looked down upon someone for doing something that I wouldn't necessarily agree with or do myself. To each is own, in my opinion. What works for someone may not work as well for another.

So, as thrilled as I am that the importance of breastfeeding is trying to be taught to our children at an early age, does that mean that I am thrilled with this practice being conducted by a three or four year old child? No, I'm sorry to say that I'm not. As I said before, I do not disagree that breastfeeding is natural and important but I also don't feel as though a little girl should be pretending to supply her baby doll with breast milk when she otherwise wouldn't even know yet that milk comes from her breast. All the talk has been on the little girl but let's address the little boy who is playing alongside this little girl with her Bebé Glotón. What is he seeing and learning from this? Is he able to understand the reasoning behind this doll and the promotion it's designed to do ... or is he just seeing that it's acceptable to latch on to a girl's breast? Certainly many questions are bound to be presented to us as parents.

Now, let's talk about an older girl, pre-teen perhaps. At this age and with a lot more education, I can find this doll to be acceptable. I can see the benefits of instilling the natural way of feeding and the teaching of feeding alternatives to bottles. If you are a nursing mother, of course you would want your daughter to understand the reasoning behind why and would want her to take that knowledge with her when she becomes a mother herself.  However, as I said earlier, I do not oppose to those that elect to formula feed though bottles. As a mother who has practiced both methods, I strongly feel as though the decision lies in your hands alone.

This product has certainly created a stir of mixed emotions as it's made its way into the U.S. and I would love to hear from our readers on this topic. Do you agree with this Spanish manufacturer and condone the Bebé Glotón for all of the valid promoting it is trying to accomplish or do you find it just plain old creepy and inappropriate for our youngest generation?