The Breast Milk Baby – Not Going to Be In My Daughters Christmas Stocking

Shai, my four-year-old daughter is at the stage toy companies drool over. It doesn't matter what the toy is, if they spend a few bucks, make a commercial, and put it on my TV, she wants it badly. So of course when we saw the The Breast Milk Baby on TV the other night, Shai said she wanted it... Sorry, not happening!

It wasn't actually a commercial we saw for this new toy, it was a segment on the local news, but the baby still caught her eye.

A Spanish toy company created the doll designed to suckle from a specially made halter top to be worn by young girls. The Breast Milk Baby doll, made by Berjuan Toys, is designed to teach young girls about breastfeeding and comes with a halter top the child wears that contains sensors sewn into the nipples. The doll is not available in U.S. stores, but can be purchased online.

Many proponents, namely Bill O’Reilly, say the doll can over-sexualize young girls or force them to grow up too quickly.

Others like the idea. Author of The Complete Book of Breastfeeding Sally Wendkos Olds said, “I think it’s a very cute toy. I think it’s just crazy what Bill O’Reilly was saying that it’s sexualizing little girls. The whole point is that so many people in our society persist in sexualizing breastfeeding, where in so many other countries around the world they don’t think anything of it.”

I could be in the wrong because I see both points, but as the father of a 4-year-old I don't see many advantages to the doll. I am all for explaining the breastfeeding process, and why it's important, but to practice at 4-years-old seems a little over the top to me.

Needless to say, Santa will not be bringing Shai The Breast Milk Baby this Christmas. Plus, for $89 I think an Easy Bake Oven is going to be more of a hit on Christmas morning anyways (shhhhhhhhh, don't spoil her surprise).