Reborn dolls: fascinating and heart-breaking.

One thing that noone has mentioned when you lose a baby is the dreadful physical pain and anguish of not having a physical baby to hold in your hands. When I lost one of my babies to stillbirth, the yearning I had to hold him was just unbearable, especially in the weeks immediately following the loss. I didn't want to believe he was gone, and in fact the counsellor said that it is a common coping mechanism to allow yourself the fantasy that the baby is still alive. I think that is the need these dolls are addressing.
While there is no way I would have got around holding a doll like this in public, or pushing one in a pram, I don't judge those who do. It is not at all uncommon that grieving parents do hold their deceased babies for days. One of the ways I comforted myself was by holding my older kids' teddy bears, in private, and weeping into the baby blankets.
Losing a baby is a terrible, primal grief, there is nothing like it because your whole body and mind is primed to be mothering that newborn. I think it is not uncommon that women become very disturbed and distressed when they have suffered this loss, and if holding a dolly relieves them of that pain, well live and let live I say.
These dolls are not to my taste but I don't judge any therapy that can help someone who has suffered this most painful loss.

Reminds me of something that happened to me the other day ... went to a client's home to cut her hair (first time) and I had only been in the door a matter of minutes and she says "come and look at my baby". At first glance I thought it was real and then realized as she picked it up that it was unnaturally still. She talked about this reborn doll like it was a real baby. I thought it was a bit creepy but thought "each to his own" until later when she started telling me what she was going to get "Imogen" for Christmas .....