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Alternatives to Baby Annabel?

9 replies

Lovage · 08/07/2008 19:37

I want to buy DS a doll for when his new baby brother arrives. In the hope that it'll help him understand about the new baby and be 'his' baby that he can cart around, change nappy, 'bf' etc. when I'm doing those things for his brother. He'll be 2 and 3 months by then.

I don't want anything fancy (no peeing, bottle feeding, crying etc.) Eyes shutting when they lie down is about the limit of fancyness, and I don't mind if it doesn't do that. All the dolls I've seen are dressed in pink, and I'd rather it wasn't.

Anyone know any alternatives to pastel pink Baby Annabel? I'm not sure whether it needs to be a realistic baby doll (e.g. plastic type) or whether a baby-looking rag doll would also work as a baby substitute. Absolutely ideally, it would be wearing a cloth nappy that you can change, as that's what he wears and what the baby will be wearing. But I guess I could always make something that looked like a nappy. In my copious spare time, oh yes.

Experiences of giving an older child a baby doll and whether it helped also very welcome.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
iamdingdong · 08/07/2008 19:46

elc do a boy doll I think

greenelizabeth · 08/07/2008 19:48

I got a baby boy in a car seat from Woolies. REally cheap. Chad Valley I think, but it was definitely a boy. It didn't wee or pee or sing or dance though.

Also there is baby Roby. Or Robby?

greenelizabeth · 08/07/2008 19:49

awww!

Nappyzoneneedsanewname · 08/07/2008 19:50

a boy cabbage patch doll - they smell so gooooooooooooooooood

Seona1973 · 08/07/2008 19:54

ELC has a selection of boy baby dolls:

cheapest at £8

£30 baby max

midprice little luke

We got the cheap one for ds (he had just turned 1) along with the blue my first stroller which is also from ELC:

stroller

Argos currently have the Baby born Boy doll at half price:

baby born

They have a blue doll buggy for £20:

buggy

christywhisty · 08/07/2008 20:31

chou chou baby

more Chou Chou feels just like a real baby. You can get more fancy versions but the basic one has a bean bag body and is weighted to feel just like you are cuddling a real baby.

Also there is a big range of accessories

Curlygirly · 08/07/2008 20:35

Ds2 was desperate for a dolly when dd was born. I bought one in Tesco for about £4. It has a normal hard plastic head and a soft body that is in blue. Bit grim really but he loves it, much to ds1's amusement!

amidaiwish · 08/07/2008 20:35

i got DD1 this when DD2 was born, really lovely baby stella

Maenad · 08/07/2008 20:44

Have you seen the Corolle dolls? A bit pricier but I think they are less alarming looking than most dolls... and you can get nice non-pink outfits for them. DD's one has a fabric nappy with velcro tabs. She adores it. (they smell of vanilla, too!)

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