'Reborn dolls' used by some women to cope with grief of losing child

Many girls played with dolls when they were young, pretending to be a mother to a baby.

Some real-life moms are going back to this practice, getting "reborn dolls" to cope with the grief of losing a child.

Reborn dolls have physical attributes of a newborn, allowing mothers to take a small comfort in having a "child" to hold.

"Alam mo 'yung feeling na nanganak ka tapos hindi mo na-experience si Baby," said 37-year-old Jennifer Domasian in an episode of "Dapat Alam Mo."

("You know the feeling of giving birth and you haven't experienced the baby.")

According to Mariz Umali's report, Jennifer gave birth to Trese prematurely because of her Hellp Syndrome. She lost the child after a month.

"Masakit pero 'yon 'yung first time na na-hug ko 'yung baby ko, 'yon 'yung first time na nakarga namin siya," she said. "Sad lang kasi hinawakan ko siya, hindi na siya gumagalaw."

("It hurt but that was the first time I got to hug my baby, that's the first time I carried her. It's sad because when I touched her, she's no longer moving.")

Jennifer said she hasn't moved on from her child's passing, but having the reborn doll is a great help to her.

"Mafi-feel mo, mamimiss mo kasi 'yung baby, parang gusto mo mahawakan so naisip ko na somehow, comfort 'yon para sa 'kin," she said.

"Sa tingin ko creepy yata 'yon sa iba, baka isipin nila na nawawala ako sa sarili ko pero sa totoo lang, alam ko naman na doll lang 'yon. Hindi siya pwedeng replacement ni baby," she added.

("You'll feel it, because you will miss your baby, it's like you want to touch them so I thought that somehow, that's a comfort for me. I think others see that as creepy, they might be thinking that I'm losing my mind. But the truth is I know it's just a doll. It cannot be a replacement for my baby.")

A reborn doll costs around P6,000 to P50,000 per piece, according to artist Angelica Isip.

Reborn dolls play a part in a parent's healing, said counselor Jeannette Naval. She warned viewers, however, that this may also cause abnormal behavior when abused.

"Usually, these dolls are used to manage anxiety, depression, and even grief from a loss of their child habang wala pa sila sa stage na [while they're not yet at the stage that] they're already coping up with their grief," she said.

"It's considered abnormal kung nai-impede na 'yung mga dapat niyang ginagawa or nag-iinterfere na siya sa everyday life niya."

("It's considered abnormal if it impedes the what she has to do or it interferes with her everyday life.")

—Franchesca Viernes/MGP, GMA News