Jess Ellis is a mom of 13 toy babies who loves to share her life and hobby with her TikTok fans. Some people think her hobby of collecting and caring for reborn dolls is too much, but Ellis and her partner think it helps them get ready for real parenthood. Ellis’s collection of realistic dolls cost her a whopping $7.5K, but she says her hobby has many benefits.
Jess Ellis started her collection of reborn dolls, which are toys that look like real babies, in May 2020, when she felt lonely. Ellis, who lives in East London, said she had a strong love for babies and felt calm when she held one. She bought her first doll, Rebecca, a one-month-old girl, for about $300. That was the start of her passion for reborn dolls.
Following Rebecca, Ellis expanded her doll collection further. In November 2020, she welcomed Sam, a ‘newborn’. Subsequently, she acquired June, another one-month-old, followed by Brooklyn, an eight-month-old. Then came Manuela, Zain, Lilly, Annalese, and Aria, all in newborn sizes, along with Cookie, resembling a ‘premature’ baby. Additionally, she obtained Charlie and Pippa, both one-year-olds. Another doll, also named June but aged four years old, joined the collection as well.
Jess Ellis spent about $7.5K on her special collection of 13 dolls. Her most expensive doll was Cookie, who looked like a premature baby girl, and cost more than $2K.
Jess Ellis’s fiancé, Avery Raassen, a 33-year-old pastry chef, supports her hobby and joins her in taking care of the 13 ‘babies’. He helps her dress them up and change their diapers. Ellis said that even though Raassen didn’t know how to do those things at first, he learned quickly by playing with the dolls.
But Ellis knows that the dolls are not the same as real babies. She said, “I also know that these are not real babies and I sometimes leave them in places you should never leave a real baby – like a table or sofa.”
Jess Ellis turned her hobby into a part-time business that helps the reborn doll community. She started making and selling reborn dolls online four months ago, because she was interested in the craft. Jess said that it usually takes her three weeks to make one doll, working on and off, and she has made a few thousand dollars so far.
She said, “I started making them four months ago, I had been thinking about it for a while. I wanted to see if I could make them look very real – I got a kit that had everything I needed to make one doll.” She found it hard at first, but she enjoyed it a lot, and she even stripped and repainted the first doll she made.
Jess Ellis and her partner have a dream of having a baby someday, but they know that parenthood is a big responsibility and they are not ready for it yet. The reborn mom said that the reborn dolls are like a substitute for her baby cravings. She loves to take care of them and dress them up, which makes her feel closer to them. She and her fiancé also think that looking after the doll babies helps them practice for when they will have real kids.
They like to take one of their doll kids out for a walk, a date, or a grocery run. They use a pram or a carrier like they would with a real baby. The doll mom also shared her stories of walking with her realistic dolls. Sometimes, people think they are real babies and stop to look at them. She likes to explain that they are actually dolls, and she enjoys talking to people who are curious and friendly.
She mentioned that walking around with her realistic dolls eased her anxiety, but experts point out that caring for reborn dolls can offer various other benefits too. Research indicates that cuddling a real baby triggers the release of hormones associated with feeling good, and some psychologists suggest that similar effects might occur with lifelike dolls.
Dr. Raj Persaud, a psychiatrist, speculates that tending to a real newborn prompts the production of oxytocin in mothers, raising questions about whether “reborn mothers” experience a similar bond with their lifelike baby dolls.
Dr. Gail Saltz, a psychiatrist at New York Presbyterian Hospital, advocates for the use of reborn dolls among individuals not ready for parenthood or grieving the loss of a child. She believes these dolls can provide a helpful outlet for processing emotions.
On the other hand, Dr. Ian James, a doctor at the Centre for the Health of the Elderly in the UK, notes that holding reborn dolls can have a calming effect on older individuals, promoting feelings of tranquility and peace.
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