Recommend a non-pinkified baby doll for DD to prepare for new baby?

[EastBeast]

I'm 26 weeks pregnant with my second child, who we know will be DS . I'm beginning to think through how we can make the upheaval easier for DD, who will be 18 months old when DS is born. I'd like to get her a baby doll to play with, but I'm struggling to find a nice one & wondered if anyone has any recommendations?

It sounds a bit fussy but I'm really against gender colour-stereotyping & almost all baby dolls are girls & dressed head to toe in pink. Even the odd boy doll in blue only comes with the option to buy a pink bath, pram, bottles, etc. I'd really like to find one with white or multicoloured clothes & accessories, not only because we haven't told anyone else that we're having a boy, but also because I really don't want DD thinking boys can only wear blue & girls pink. Not the most serious thing to worry about at the moment I know, but I'm feeling cross that this branding starts so young!

I think we had a Tiny Tears that had a white outfit although it was lined along the edges with pink stitching.

We got one of these: www.amazon.co.uk/Early-Moments-White-Boy-Doll/dp/B000RPDNIO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1386940551&sr=8-2&keywords=anatomically+correct+doll for DS1 when pregnant with DS2. We dressed the doll in tiny newborn clothes from when DS1 was born.

Totally understand - I hate the blue/pink thing too. Hate it! Grrr. Try telling the grannies though.

Ikea do a soft toy/baby that you can get clothes, a bed, bath set etc for. They also come in different skin colours. m.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/art/40196298/

Ok, admittedly they have a boy toy that wears blue and a girl wears pink, which I didn't realise til I looked it up there, but you can get different clothes.

A slightly different choice to consider?

Just looked up that doll on amazon - looks like a really good idea!

I'm having DS2 in 5 weeks when DS1 will be 20m

We got him a doll and then I bought a blue hand knitted cardigan off ebay and a white babygro off ebay. Both sold as premature baby clothes for a 3-5 pound baby.

They fit fine, and the pink clothes are history. DS loves taking baby in the toy pushchair (blue) and feeding it the bottle (pink)

Thanks ladies, that's a great help, these dolls look lovely! It turns out my mum has hoarded some of our old wooden doll cots in the loft which will be far nicer than pink plastic, so I'm going to see which of these dolls fits those. & a great idea to use real tiny baby clothes, can't believe I didn't think of that!

Glad to see I'm not alone in disliking the pink / blue divide, I did mistakenly go into ELC & felt rather ill. Girls can aspire to be so much more than just a passive pink princess waiting to be rescued! Thanks again.

Real baby clothes are a genius idea.

I was going to suggest knitting.

Don't bother buying baby doll clothes for it, keep some of the clothes DD had as a newborn, look in charity shops/sales in shops for generic baby clothes 0-3 months tend to work fine on average sized dolls, and they are sooooo much cheaper than 'doll clothes'. Pick up a pack of 3 white babygrows for nothing these days, for example.

DD puts her and her brother's old clothes on her dolls. She currently has a 'girl' doll which wears whatever she happens to have to hand at the time, and she is not hugely bothered if it's a bit big. Both her and DS want boy babies now, but not for clothes, but because they are recognising the anatomy differences DS in particular wants one, because he is a boy, but they will still be dressed in dresses and jeans, whatever's around.

sorry x-posted majorly about real baby clothes. Oh well, least it's a good idea

I love the silver cross dolls. John Lewis are doing a gorgeous Christmas one. Jojo maman bebe also have some on their website

I got DS this when I had DD when he was 20 months old.
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0036AWTDM/ref=mp_s_a_1_17?qid=1387146993&sr=8-17&pi=AC_SX110_SY165
It's fab soft bodied doll and has fingers, toes, belly button, very sweet little bottom and a nappy you can change!!
They do come in girlie versions if you wanted

I got DS this when I had DD when he was 20 months old.
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0036AWTDM/ref=mp_s_a_1_17?qid=1387146993&sr=8-17&pi=AC_SX110_SY165
It's fab soft bodied doll and has fingers, toes, belly button, very sweet little bottom and a nappy you can change!!
They do come in girlie versions if you wanted

Oh that posted twice!! How bizarre!! Sorry :)