I found one at a large US toy store chain. It's about 19" long. The brand
is "True To Life". It comes in a horizontal box with the doll lying down on
its back - complete with mouth plug which I quickly made to disappear. The
result is a partially open mouth with tongue over the gum line touching the
lower lip. I show this as the "bottle mouth" which is NOT open wide enough
to breastfeed - so don't try to stuff the nipple into it! The long sleeved,
long legged one piece outfit used to have A B C appliques on it. It also
has a matching cap. Now, however, it comes with some kind of "mama" or
"giggle" noisemaker in its chest, but I'm sure a little "surgery" would
remedy that problem. Price is about $25. "True To Life" even made twins
that were small enough to be similar to preemies. The head, lower arms &
lower legs are pre-formed plastic, but the body is soft.

The nurses yelled at me for my "baby's" bare feet and gave me sox for it.
The Resident Pedi uses my "baby" to demo how to take a temp during
discharge classes. Removing it's clothing revealed another deficiency.
That's when another nurse gathered a little fabric into an umbilicus clip.
Now it's a "real newborn".

No, I have no financial interest of any kind in the doll. I just own and
use one to demo positioning.

It's helpful when I try to suggest that mom move baby around her midriff,
towards baby's feet, so he can "look up" at the breast, or his face will be
in "sniffing position" at the breast. But mom won't release her grip on her
baby, doesn't understand what I'm trying to describe, and moves her whole
body in that direction. Baby's head is still jammed up against her upper
arm and approaching her breast not only nose first, but forehead first.
I'll put the doll in that position, then holding the head that way, lift
the doll up in the air so everyone can see how twisted and contorted the
baby is. You can see the realization in their faces of why their baby
"doesn't want the breast" and cries when she tries to latch him on.

I can also clearly demo bringing baby straight onto the breast with hand
pressure behind the shoulders which brings baby's jaw & cheeks to breast
first, as opposed to flexing the wrist which bends the neck and forces
baby's nose into the breast first.

Phyllis


--- Phyllis Adamson, IBCLC
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