Women struggling with infertility have found a way to love and care for a little bundle of joy — a lifelike baby doll that can cost thousands. These creations — called Reborn dolls — are hand-painted with details like freckles, rosy cheeks, specific facial expressions, skin textures, and even birthmarks. New mothers can choose extra features, like battery-operated “breathing machines,” human hair, or a scent that blends baby powder and infant laundry detergent. Women have given these dolls names and personalities, dressing them in the latest fashions. While outsiders may be perplexed by this unique collection, a growing community of women have “adopted” these almost real-looking babies and claim the new addition to the family has improved their lives. Doll therapy has been around for a long time to treat patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s, and now it’s being used to help childless women cope with the grief of miscarriages, hysterectomies, and infertility. There’s a price for this kind of parenthood, though, and it’s not cheap. Although you can purchase a Reborn doll for under $50, most cost a few thousand. The most expensive doll currently costs $22,000. The reason they cost so much is because of the extreme attention to detail that requires months of manual labor from the artist. This includes sculpting expressions and fingernails from silicone or vinyl, hand-painting skin textures, and "rooting" each strand of real human hair into the scalp. As for how the public reacts to the dolls, most women say they are willing to take criticism in stride if someone isn’t willing to understand. They say they’re not hurting anyone, and if it helps them move beyond the pain of a miscarriage or not being able to have children, why not take advantage of it?
