Be a new mom forever with a fake baby

by Sandy Maple (Subscribe to Sandy Maple's posts) Jan 7th 2008 4:02PM

Categories: Just For Moms, Just For Dads, Weird But True

I forget how I came across this video, but I am still scratching my head over it. Purporting to delve into the secret lives of women who purchase fake babies, the video features a married couple who, in order to maintain their unencumbered lifestyle, have chosen not to have children. However, they still want at least some of the perks that go along with having babies, so they bought a couple of fake ones. These custom-made fake babies, known as re-borns, are extremely lifelike and can be made with beating hearts and some sort of breathing mechanism. Creepy stuff.

What struck me most about the woman in the video is her admission that she doesn't particularly enjoy holding her fake babies, but does like making them pretty and "pushing a nice pram."

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Comments (12)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

WonderMom 1-07-2008 @ 5:03PM

That is just beyond strange. I think these women are mentally ill.

Kelsey 1-07-2008 @ 5:18PM

Creepy.

Sandyone 1-07-2008 @ 6:04PM

Ew. I'm quite certain that I won't be clicking on that link. Probably a good thing that these people don't have real kids.

Joy 1-07-2008 @ 5:44PM

I find this very “strange” as well.

Meagan 1-07-2008 @ 6:16PM

I agree that this is very creepy... BUT

I gotta give the woman featured some credit here. Here's a woman who's enchanted with the IDEA of a baby, but is mature/intelligent enough to recognize that she's not willing to make the necessary sacrifices to her own life style, that she doesn't actually want a baby. So many people have children when they don't really want them so creepy or not, I think this isn't a bad compromise. Is that mentally ill? I don't think so.

Cynthia 1-07-2008 @ 6:22PM

I don't know about the women "wanting the attention" and pushing the baby carriages with their dolls, but I have to say the artist is amazing. The realism is incredible.

Ethel 1-07-2008 @ 6:25PM

Watched 4 out of 5 of the videos so far. I personally think one woman is better off with the dolls then a real child, that is the world is better of that she sticks to dolls. The videos have some insights into being a mom, and then being alone - like the grandmother missing her grandson saying "When you walk down the street no one talks to you or stops. When you have a baby everyone stops to talk to you." True commentary on our world and society.

In itself the videos don't glorify what the women are doing, or answer anything or denigrate them either. But they do explore an aspect of us humans that we don't often think about. That babies, when they're not there, are often filled in with other things - like dogs, cats, and dolls. It also makes me think of other things, that we like dogs have instinctual behaviors for grooming, care taking that can be filled in with an object (some dogs adopt objects as babies). That dolls fill a space that is unoccupied and perhaps should remain unoccupied for some, and allow for expression of those needs to care for something. We humans are interesting mixes of brains, biology and situation.

Meagan 1-07-2008 @ 7:03PM

I just finished watching all five. I do feel awfully sorry for the grandmother. This sort of reminds me of the motorized sleeping cats... they were designed to let a woman in a nursing home have the illusion of a pet. You know, I think it's weird, but it's obviously making these people happy and it doesn't do any harm, does it?

Eva 1-07-2008 @ 10:14PM

I finally finished all five, too. Now I feel very sad, and very grateful for my own child.

Tamyu 1-07-2008 @ 11:44PM

If these had been around back when she was in her baby-collection stage, I have no doubt my grandmother would have bought one. She wasn`t "sick"... But just liked fake babies. She had two that were very very real looking, and one of them had a "beating heart" thing. She never held them, or did anything with them really. I think she dressed them up in sentimental baby clothes, then packed them away in their boxes... Occasionally taking them out and showing me "This is what a real newborn feels like." She most certainly never took them out of the house!

When she was approaching the end of her life, she asked if I would like to have them.

I passed.

Laura 1-09-2008 @ 4:02PM

Gosh you people are just cruel!!! I love reborns and I know that one day I'll want one, if only to remember how tiny and snuggly newborn babies are. I'm having our 2nd in June and I'm already sad knowing it will be my last. I loved baby dolls as a child, even as a preteen. I don't think I'd pretend it was a real baby or something or walk a stroller outside with it, but who am I to judge those who want to do that? And who are YOU to judge them for that either?

I am tired of the personal opinions of some of the writers here. You can report on something and be NEUTRAL when doing so can't you? Save the 'how creepy' and put it in the comments instead. It really isn't professional and I know you are all PAID for writing here... act professional!

Sheryl 1-10-2008 @ 6:01PM

I think it's a great idea for people wanting babies and for anyone who just wants a doll. The more realistic the better. People don't find it weird when they treat their pets like humans, so what's the big deal what a person does with their doll. I think they're beautiful. I have always been a lover of dolls all my life and collect them. Whenever I can find a way to order a Re-born, I will have one.