It's no secret that being a breastfeeding mom is a tough gig. Despite all the benefits, there's still tons of social stigma, sexual hang-ups, and simple logistical battles that have to be handled on a daily (hourly?) basis just for moms to be able to feed their babies. Sure, there are plenty of people out there trying to change things and normalize breastfeeding, which sounds ridiculous when you think about literally the most natural, human act having to be normalized, but you know, boobs. So one Australian mom made a breastfeeding mother doll to help show kids it's natural, and it's amazing.
Betty Strachan is a mom of two kids, 3 and 5 years old, and is a member of a mothers group she loves, according to the Huffington Post. She also happens to create dolls and sell them on her Etsy shop, All The Little Dolls. The mothers in her group have become the latest inspiration for a breastfeeding mom doll, which according to her shop, has already sold out.
"She reminded me of a bunch of supportive ladies I know from the mum's group I'm in so I decided to pay homage to them and make her a kickass mum and breastfeeding advocate," Strachan wrote on Instagram unveiling her creation. Take a look.
”The decision to make a breastfeeding doll didn’t come consciously," Strachan told The Huffington Post. "I’m a member of a mothers’ group that’s comprised of very lovely and supportive women. I remember one day, I was drawing the new face on a Barbie doll, and she just seemed to be the embodiment of the entire group."
She calls the breastfeeding dolls "Mamas Worldwide Barbie," according to the Huffington Post.
Here's another breastfeeding doll. Notice the yoga pants and messy bun! It's the go-to uniform for tired moms the world over.
Here's another fierce breastfeeding mom doll she made. Yoga pants again! Dying.
And here's a pregnant doll she made that's pretty great too.
And although only moms who have been there could truly appreciate how spot-on Strachan's depiction of motherhood really is, she said it's kids she's really trying to reach with her creations. "I realized that it was really something that should be available ― because, like most things that society deems unacceptable, educating children is the way to erase the stigma behind it." she told Metro.
She added that both the breastfeeding and pregnancy dolls are hot sellers for her shop, according to Metro. She strives, she said, to present kids will all sorts of diversity with her dolls.
"When I became a mother, seeing the effect of the toys children are exposed to first hand, I noticed that the lack of diversity could be potentially damaging psychologically," she wrote about the motivation behind her doll creations on Etsy. "A girl with brown skin and dark eyes may look at a light skinned doll and wonder why it's classed as beautiful and she is not."
Now breastfeeding moms and their kids have somewhere they can go to find a doll that reflects their reality. And that's an important step in the fight to help de-stigmatize breastfeeding for every mother. Let's just hope Strachan is able to keep up with demand.
