Soph has always loved dolls and it was top of the list for her first birthday as she loved cuddling them, pretending to feed them and giving them kisses as soon as she was able to sit up and play. Lately, she's been asking a LOT for a baby sister which is just not going to happen, so when we were asked to review a Baby Born doll that she has wanted for absolutely ages, I jumped at the chance to perhaps give her a taste of little 'sisterness', without me having to actually produce one, magic! With 9 life like functions and plenty of extras, this was going to be fun!
I kept the arrival of our Baby Born doll a secret, so it was a huge surprise for Soph after school one day and she was absolutely bouncing with excitement and immediately knew who she was from the TV ads she's stalked for a while.
Until now, I've always favoured soft bodied dolls for Soph and she's never really had one that has real functions like this one, so I was excited to see how she'd get on, what she'd make of real tears from her doll and if she'd enjoy making it wee or pass it to me to sort the nappies! If you didn't already know, this particular doll is super clever as she can cry real tears from her eyes, pass water through her body to wee into a potty and even poop actual porridge - Ooh! This is next level to any of her other dolls and came with a number of summer time accessories included to explore, including the tiniest sandals you've ever seen, a drinking bottle, food mix and summer outfit. The products all together are a real treat for any little child that loves dolls and much more of an authentic mothering/fathering experience than just a regular doll in a pram.
The full set of products (including some extra accessories) we were sent included;
- Baby Born doll
- Hat
- Sleep suit
- Feeding bottle
- Food mix
- Instructions
- Bowl & spoon
- Birth certificate
- Matching bracelets for mummy & baby
- Summer romper
- Extra food stash
- Potty (doll size)
- Summer sandals with embellishments
- Nappy
Soph is SO lucky to get the chance to review this set, especially a month before her birthday and it was really nice for me to see the pure joy on her face and see her instantly bond with this new 'baby' and handle her delicately giving her cuddles and kisses (oh my ovaries) straight away. Soph immediately wanted to get her changed into her summery romper and of course put a nappy on baby, which is something so exciting for them, but less so for us old folks after several thousand nappy changes!
Soph was interested to see how to make Baby Born cry, which sounds mean but I think she actually wanted to play Mama and comfort her baby. The water bottle can be filled and fed to their baby, who then stores the water inside to either cry or 'wee' the water out. To make BB cry, you have to squeeze her arm which makes the tears come out. Soph felt this was a bit mean, so made me do it like some evil grandmother, so that she could comfort the baby and make her feel better. I initially thought that maybe a child with a real baby sibling may get ideas from this which wouldn't be great, but at least it's true to life, as I imagine squeezing a baby's arm like that would make them cry and maybe it's a good way of teaching them what can happen and why not to do it in real life? You can make her wee easily by pressing her belly button in either the nappy or potty that comes in the box.
Either way, the kids (and I) were really impressed to see Baby Born and her actual real tears, which instantly make you feel sad for her and want to give her cuddles. Although Soph has always been cuddly and loving with her dolls, I have noticed that she seems particularly caring for BB and treats her more like a real baby. I had thought being a hard bodied (although totally movable) doll that maybe she wouldn't be as cuddly with her but this wasn't the case.
The accessories are all pretty adorable too and there's nothing quite like tiny shoes to get you excited about a baby (or doll), as well as the teeny romper and bottle. There's also a clip on dummy that can be attached to the doll. Soph like most kids has always been obsessed with dummies and although we never needed to use them, she is fascinated and sees it as a vital part in her care routine with her baby doll. The dummy pops in so it won't fall out easily and the clip means it's less likely to get lost during play, win win.
This doll with all the extras in the box retails at £32 which I think is pretty good value considering there's lots of accessories, a gorgeous bracelet and a great quality, functioning doll that will be enjoyed for years and years. As a parent, I was pretty thankful that BB doesn't make noises or need batteries and think any little doll fans would adore Baby Born. She's also easy to clean (inside and out!) which makes her perfect for taking on any day out. (Please note that Soph insisted on a warm onesie on this trip out that isn't Baby Born branded).
In the box was the full catalogue and the range of products available are incredible! Needless to say, Soph has her eye on pretty much everything and we will be sure to add some new accessories to her birthday list.
Soph's doll has been a welcome addition, we've taken her on picnics, on the school run and she's put her to sleep every night. Having had lots of cheaper dolls in the past few years, I can see why these are a little more to buy and I think the cost is very reasonable as the quality is brilliant and it has a lot of play value. The only function we haven't yet tried is the pooing part, but it all seems pretty straight forward and the doll is pretty easy to clean. Here's a few more pictures from one of our Summer adventures with Baby Born;
