X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Mum creates breastfeeding Barbie dolls and they’re awesome

3 min read

Breastfeeding advocates and organisations have long been espousing the benefits of breastfeeding, and yet there is still a lot of stigma and ignorance around the practice. That’s why Betty Strachan’s dolls are so great—they normalise breastfeeding and educate young girls at the same time.

Betty Strachan is an artist who creates custom dolls by painting Barbies. The 28-year-old mother of two started customising dolls after she had her kids and started thinking about toys’ effects on children.

“Growing up, it always struck me as odd that there wasn't as much diversity in the doll world as there could or should be. Not every child is born with blonde hair and blue eyes. Some have freckles, some have gaps in their teeth,” Strachan told Independent.

"Educating children is the way to erase the stigma behind it"

www.instagram.com/p/BL-OhZEDRE1/?taken-by=allthelittledolls

“I noticed that the lack of diversity could be potentially damaging psychologically. 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,” she continued.

She calls her new breastfeeding doll the “Mamas Worldwide Barbie”. Unlike generic Barbie dolls, Strachan hand-paints each face to give them a unique character. Her breastfeeding dolls show how positive is a breastfeeding yet exhausting experience—each doll is shown smiling serenely, but not without puffy and tired eyes. Talk about realism!

On the next page: read more about why Strachan decided to make a breastfeeding doll.

“The decision to make a breastfeeding doll didn’t come consciously,” Strachan told 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.”

www.instagram.com/p/BL-O69jDFC3/?taken-by=allthelittledolls

In the past, she also made pregnant dolls. The response to her dolls was overwhelmingly positive, and the first batch sold out quickly on her Etsy shop.

"Everyone in my mother’s group thought it was great, so I posted [Mamas Worldwide Barbie] on my Instagram page," she said. "After that, I received a few requests to make more, and I realised 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.”

www.instagram.com/p/BLdDK-wDoHu/?taken-by=allthelittledolls

 

Be sure to check out theAsianparent Community for more insightful stories, questions, and answers from parents and experts alike. If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below. 

Partner Stories
Great ideas for gifts for Chinese New Year 2023!
Great ideas for gifts for Chinese New Year 2023!
Learn Tech and Media Skills, Gain Industry Exposure and Build a Portfolio. Here’s How Your Child Can Benefit from an Infocomm or Media CCA!
Learn Tech and Media Skills, Gain Industry Exposure and Build a Portfolio. Here’s How Your Child Can Benefit from an Infocomm or Media CCA!
Korean Stars Take Center Stage at Disney Content Showcase in Singapore
Korean Stars Take Center Stage at Disney Content Showcase in Singapore
Health is Your Greatest Wealth. Learn How Your CPF Savings Can Safeguard Your Healthcare Needs and Provide Peace of Mind
Health is Your Greatest Wealth. Learn How Your CPF Savings Can Safeguard Your Healthcare Needs and Provide Peace of Mind

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Cristina Morales

  • Home
  • /
  • Lifestyle
  • /
  • Mum creates breastfeeding Barbie dolls and they’re awesome
Share:
  • Barbie dolls may make your daughter want a thin body, says report!

    Barbie dolls may make your daughter want a thin body, says report!

  • Here’s How To Submit Your Own Breastfeeding Art On Viral Campaign!

    Here’s How To Submit Your Own Breastfeeding Art On Viral Campaign!

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • Barbie dolls may make your daughter want a thin body, says report!

    Barbie dolls may make your daughter want a thin body, says report!

  • Here’s How To Submit Your Own Breastfeeding Art On Viral Campaign!

    Here’s How To Submit Your Own Breastfeeding Art On Viral Campaign!

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.