To think reborn dolls are disturbing?

Not my thing at all, I don't find them remotely appealing. Having said that, I still enjoy the odd cuddle with Norman Monkey, he's lovely! Is fluffy Norm really so different to one of these dolls? Live and let live, as long as nobody is being hurt, where's the harm?

BTW, if you have children yourself, you've absolutely no business banging on about the ecological implications of these dolls.

Exactly what I wanted to say but wasn't sure how to say it without offending anyone. There is a biological want after losing your baby that no amount of counselling can stop. I can't explain the emptiness that I will forever feel in my arms and if someone needs a reborn doll then I certainly wouldn't deny them.

They aren't safe for children though. Adults only.

I've seen quite a lot on TikTok. There was this young woman with a much older Husband and they had two.

Indeed.

I can't quite get over the arrogance of op thinking she can grieve 'better' than those of us who have actually been through it.

I very much doubt op will ever admit ignorance, the type of person who would start this thread isn't the type of person who would ever say they were wrong.

I mean it's not vastly different to children who have teddy bears or soft toys. My dd is 12, she's had the same favourite teddy since she was a baby.

The issues I have with them is that some of these dolls are horrific, they look - I can’t even begin to say it, let’s just say they don’t have the (mainly) pleasant skin tone of a small living baby. I am on one of the FB groups, I don’t have a ‘reborn’ but did fancy one. I’ve been well and truly put off.

Why is a life like newborn doll any different to a normal doll? Things always evolve and get better so one could argue these are just more advanced dolls.

I’m not really sure but the little toy dogs were very obviously fake to us but to the patients they were absolutely real so it must be the same!

Thanks for explaining.

Aww. I think they're extremely cute. I wouldn't buy one but I can see the appeal in dressing and cuddling one. Every book its reader and all.

But how do you know how you'd feel if you lost a baby if you haven't lost one? You don't know what might help you grieve. And, these dolls can help psychologically. Losing a husband vs losing a child you've carried for x amount of months and planned and longed for is different (not minimising anyone's grief regarding losing a partner or parent or anything). Everyone grieves differently and different things help different people.

The clothes would be available if the people bought them or not. People may also buy second hand sometimes.

I personally like these dolls but I've always liked dolls if all sorts (not sex dolls though lol).

@TheoTheopolis23 I worked on a dementia ward for a while, they didn’t really have dolls but a few had those toy cuddly dogs that move like they can breathe, I think they were called pet alive or something like that. But the difference in mood when they had one on their lap. They genuinely thought it was their pet and would sit really happy with them when they might have been lashing out hitting minutes before in an awful temper. I guess those dolls maybe do similar? I’m not really sure but the little toy dogs were very obviously fake to us but to the patients they were absolutely real so it must be the same! I suppose the feel of the doll maybe brings them back to happier times and relaxes them.

Well I like them. I haven't lost a baby and I dont have one myself but they are quite popular with little girls and we have two in the family.
They are certainly marmite tho, some of the family are freaked out by them and others, like me are happy to sit and hold them.
And it's much cheaper to buy them clothes, believe it or not real baby clothes are cheaper than all that Baby Alive stuff.

Can't see it's any different to any other pretend toy personally.

@HowDoYouDoWhatYouDoToMeIWishIKnew

Some people (the OP) are lucky to live in blissful ignorance.
It would be nice though if, when they are educated about what others are going through, they are gracious enough to admit their ignorance wouldn't it?

It's much more disturbing, creepy and weird that there are people who actually abuse and murder their own actual, real babies...

People holding dolls as a form of comfort is incredibly harmless

As others have said similar if it helps someone and they get comfort from it that all that matters. Just because we don’t necessarily understand it doesn’t make it creepy or weird.

I thought this.

Right. I’m off to find this pronto.

I think they can be a bit uncanny valley but I'm not surprised they're good for dementia. My grandfather had a little scottie dog Teddy that brought him so much joy and stopped him pining for a real dog he could never have cared for.

Ok, I see, thanks for answering.

They are not for me but there are many reasons why someone might like them. I have heard of autistic ladies who collect them, older girls who still like dolls and have a special one and some nursing homes find them helpful for ladies with dementia. I once saw a very realistic one in a pram in town; so much so that I thought at first glance it was a real baby and complimented the mother on her baby. She told me it was a reborn doll, which is how I knew but she obviously had her reasons for having one, which were none of my business. Live and let live.

Two of my children have died.

You, clearly, have no idea how empty your arms feel after you leave the hospital without your baby.

It's an agonising, physical pain.

If a reborn doll can help someone, even 1%, through the very worst grief a person can ever suffer, then who are you to come on, declare it weird, and start calling people odd.

It weirder to presume you would know exactly how you would feel if your child died tbh, you haven't a clue.

I don't like seeing them either, I always feel a bit sad for the people carrying them but I don't think just because you've not experienced baby loss you should be judging others on how they deal with it.
You don't like them, that is absolutely fine, but you don't need to judge those that do

It's really harmless. If it makes people happy,I just can't see what's wrong with it. I find them quite cute actually. I absolutely adore babies...I once saw a reborn doll that really looked like my DD when she was a baby...I would have bought it but it costs thousands of pounds!

Do you know what dementia is ?

Dementia is really serious. People who are severely affected might indeed not notice that the ‘baby’ is a doll. I used to work in care and one old lady repeatedly mistook me for her daughter, asking me questions about school etc. Her daughter visited frequently and was old enough to be my mum! At no time did the lady ‘notice’ that I was not a schoolgirl, looked nothing like her daughter, and was the same carer she’d known for months.