Baby Glutton the breastfeeding doll. A 'sucky' idea?

by Eric Ruhalter

For the child who has everything... A Breastfeeding Doll?!?!? Spanish toymaker Berjuan is proud to present (against their better judgment, I hope) Bebe Gloton, the first-ever breastfeeding doll. First-ever! I bet that's true. Because it's a bad idea. If I invented the combination Baby-Changing Table/Table Saw it would be the "first-ever." But that doesn't make it a good idea. I could easily be the first to market the "Shotgun-Rattle," too. Or the "Rooftop car seat." Am I digressing? I always do that!

The purpose of Bebe Gloton (Spanish for, roughly, "Gluttonous Baby",) is allegedly to promote breastfeeding. Reaching children early with the idea that breastfeeding is natural. However, of course it's natural!!! I don't think any mom (pre-teen or otherwise) is contesting the fact that breastfeeding is healthy and natural. I think it's the clogged ducts and the cracked nipples that put them off.

I'm all for breastfeeding. But, as a man, I'm quite certain no one cares what I think about it. My very courageous and unselfish wife breast fed our children for over a year apiece (including a set of twins.) I think it was great, and they grew strong and healthy, without costing us a nickel on baby formula.

To "play" with this toy, the young girl (or boy I suppose?) puts on a halter/bra type vestment and Bebe Gloton suckles on it around the nipple area. Weird. And I'm not sure that as elementary-school-aged children we need to be plugging anything too specific in terms of baby rearing.

Especially right before they hit puberty and we start beating it into their heads that it'd better be a loooooong time before they get pregnant. Let's find a way to market the notion of breastfeeding to people who are approaching that stage in their life. I'd like to think that there's a less creepy way to instill the notion of breastfeeding in the minds of children if that's something we need to do.

It's no worse than changing Betsy Wetsy's diapers. Children imitate their parents and this just gives them a little something extra when they're imitating Mom breastfeeding a sibling. It's play time rehearsing something most of them will do in real life.

I don't think it will be a big seller in the US, though, where breasts are so sexualized to be men's playthings that people object to mothers breastfeeding anywhere but behind a locked door on a toilet.

How do they get it to suck? I think this is kind of on the sick side of toys.

n/t

like that . If they see their mom or another family or friend breastfeeding and imitate it that is fine . I had five children and I breast fed three of them.

TV and the media glorifies multiple births and women as objects and it is WRONG

- and without the special vests, etc. My daughter was 4 when my son was born. She would sit next to me and breast feed her doll as I fed her brother. It's one of my sweetest memories.