Weighted Doll
Professional-grade teaching tool for demonstrations
in perinatal care, pediatrics, and early childhood
What Is a Weighted Doll?
It’s a heavy doll that realistically replicates the weight and anatomical dimensions of a real baby.
An essential tool for teaching positioning or movements such as picking up a baby.
Enhancing the Value of Our Work Tools
At École Porter la Vie, we’ve chosen to make the most of our expertise by offering ourselves the best possible working tool.
One Doll per Student
As a result, every student in the instructor or consultant training program receives one as compulsory course material.
It will be the main tool for her learning period and then for all her workshops with new parents.
Non-Negotiable Quality
Anatomically realistic
Natural weight and dimensions. Unlike toy or reborn dolls, these are repositionable.
Articulated with a fabric body
They demonstrate precise positioning. Carefully padded and weighted with sand and synthetic fill.
Flexible plastic ends
Hands, feet and face are made of vinyl for pleasant handling.
Non-toxic
Dolls and components made in Germany. Vinyl and paint conform to European toy safety standards. BPA- and phthalate-free.
The Weight that Changes Everything!
"Because a realistic doll that elicits the right gestures is invaluable to the transmission of know-how through imitation.
Janie, pioneer of babywearing in Quebec
Appreciated for These Different Uses:
- Baby care
- Baby massage
- Breastfeeding
- Mother-baby dance or yoga
- Fitness with baby
- Early childhood education
- Health training: medicine, nursing, midwifery
- Pediatric physical therapy and occupational therapy exercises
- Etc.
For the Elderly and Children Too
They are also valued as empathy dolls, used therapeutically to improve the well-being of elderly people with Alzheimer’s or neurocognitive disorders.
Older siblings (aged six and above) are also very proud to handle a heavy doll that they have to pick up, hold, and put down just like their parents do with a real baby.
Supervision is necessary until the child can be trusted to handle the doll safely; these dolls are not toys, but educational tools.
Specialty store for demonstration dolls
Made in Quebec
One by one, with love and care, they are assembled and stuffed to give you the most realistic feel possible.
Custom manufacturing available
We can adapt our dolls to your specific needs. Contact us at info@porterlavie.com to discuss your project.
Eco-friendly materials and design
The various parts we use are manufactured in Germany and comply with European toy safety standards (BPA-free and phthalate-free). All weighting material comes from Canada.
All employees in the production chain are fairly compensated. When you purchase a doll from École Porter la vie, you can be sure that you are not encouraging human exploitation and that you are supporting a socially and environmentally conscious company.
We pay particular attention to waste reduction in both production and shipping. We prioritize the use of recycled materials and value fabric scraps from landfills.
Our Different Formats
Baby 0-6 months
This 55 cm, 3.2 kg size allows you to demonstrate the carrying positions specific to newborns and 6-month-olds: front, hip and back.
Low-weight babies
This 48 cm, 2.7 kg format better represents the smaller, lower-weight newborn baby.
Breast-feeding baby
This 55 cm, 1 kg size helps to demonstrate a good latch and to make the positioning of a baby during breastfeeding more concrete.
What Customers Say...
" Thanks for the doll, I'm really glad I made the choice to buy one, as it makes all the difference! "
" Thank you, I received it and it's beautiful! "
#poupeelestee
#ecoleporterlavie
Frequently Asked Questions
What's your favourite format?
The most popular dolls are the 55 cm and 3.2 kg sizes. The Lisa, Willi, Moritz and Julchen models are ideal for babies aged 0 to 6 months. This is the format we recommend for babywearing instructor training, as it allows you to demonstrate and practice both newborn and back-carry knots.
Is the weighted doll really heavy?
Baby 0-6 months weighs 3.2 kg or 7 lbs, the average weight of a newborn at birth. However, as the doll is lifeless and has little tone, it often appears heavier than a newborn baby. It’s not a toy. With children, it should be used under supervision, with guidance and education on the correct way to pick up and set down a baby.
Should I dress my doll? How?
Yes! Dressing the doll allows you to personalize it, make it even more realistic, and encourage more realistic movement of its articulated limbs. What’s more, you can wash the clothes from time to time and keep your doll clean.
Dress your doll in baby clothes (from the thrift store)
- For low-weight babies, choose clothing for premature or newborn babies.
- For babies aged 0-6 months, prefer 3 months (sometimes 6 months).
- For the Toddler, try 12 or 18 months.
Tip: choose an outfit that lets your feet out. For portage demonstrations, this is preferable. We’ll explain why in training.
Are these dolls easy to care for?
Yes.
Use a damp cloth with a mild soap (such as dishwashing soap) to clean the fabric or vinyl on your head, hands or feet. Don’t rub her face too hard, as her features are hand-painted and you could mute the color of her cheeks and lips.
NEVER immerse your doll in water.
When your little rascals attack your doll with crayons and markers while your back is turned, a magic eraser on vinyl can help, or, on fabric, an instant stain remover such as Tide to go crayon.
Do I have to hold my weighted doll in a particular way?
Yes, it’s very important to handle it like a real baby. Not only because it’s heavy and fabric and seams don’t last forever, but also becauseyou’ll be seen doing it!
The doll is realistic, so your example is all the more important . Becausewe learn by imitation.
Taking the doll by the head or by a limb, or letting it be taken by your customers or children in this way, greatly reduces its lifespan.
What is the expected lifespan of a doll?
This depends on how it is handled, transported, stored and how often it is used.
Personally, I, Janie, founder of the school, don’t want to have to change my doll before 10-15 years. So I take care of it!
It’s always dressed, and I always tell the people who are going to use it how to take it properly. It is never left unattended by children who have not passed my trust test.
Sitting on the shelf in my office, she smiles at everyone who visits.
What is the difference between a weighted demonstration doll and a reborn doll?
Our dolls are intentionally different from hyperrealistic reborn models: they have delicate features but a clearly educational aesthetic.
They maintain the necessary professional boundary between a learning tool and a real infant, while accurately reproducing the tactile sensations and biomechanics essential to training. Our dolls also offer exceptional accuracy in terms of weight, proportions, and handling.
They are not collectible dolls, but demonstration dolls, designed to be actively handled. These dolls are working tools for healthcare, early childhood, and perinatal professionals. They are sometimes used as empathy dolls for doll therapy.
Do I have to buy the weighted doll recommended by Porter la Vie to take the instructor training course?
No, this is not an obligation. On the other hand, it is a compulsory tool for following the course.
You can try to find a used doll, or weight one down yourself.
We recommend it after all the comments from our students.
To save time and be truly satisfied with your work tool, this is the doll for you.
It’s well-balanced, realistic, solid and beautiful. In short, it’s perfect for your professional activities and training.
What is your warranty?
We guarantee that you will receive your doll in perfect condition. In the event of a manufacturing defect that escaped our attention during handling, you may choose between a replacement or a discount proportional to the imperfection discovered, provided that you notify us within 10 days of receipt.
In accordance with Quebec’s Consumer Protection Act, our dolls are covered by a legal warranty against hidden defects and manufacturing defects that render them unfit for their intended use.
WARNING: Due to the substantial weight of our dolls, lifting them by their limbs or head will quickly cause premature wear or breakage of the joints. This type of damage is not covered by the warranty.
Expected lifespan: With proper professional use and regular maintenance according to our instructions, our demonstration dolls are designed to last for several years. As a guide, under normal professional use (2-4 demonstrations per week) and with proper handling, you can expect a minimum lifespan of 5 years. Your doll should still be usable beyond this period, but it may need to be re-weighted. The actual duration will vary depending on the intensity of use, storage conditions, and care taken with the product.
See our full policy here.
Where do you deliver? How long does it take?
We only ship to North America. Our online store is set up exclusively for sales in Canada. For shipping to the United States or Mexico, please contact us.
For the purchase of doll(s) without training:
When we have your model in stock, the average lead time is three business days for Purolator shipping in Quebec. This could take up to 7 to 10 days, depending on the region of Canada.
You will receive a Purolator tracking number by e-mail.
When we do not have your model in stock, please allow 3 to 4 weeks for delivery.
When will I receive the doll included in my training?
We send the doll and the carrying manuals to each student when a cohort is opened.
Depending on stock turnover and transport times, your favorite model may not be available in time for the start of your training session. In this case, we’ll contact you to evaluate the best solution; take your2nd choice of model or practice with a substitute for a few weeks while you wait to receive the one of your heart’s desire.
Where do dolls come from?
The weighted demonstration dolls used by École Porter la vie are manufactured in Quebec using parts sourced from Germany. All the weighting material is sourced in Canada.
What is the difference between a weighted demonstration doll and a reborn doll?
Our dolls are intentionally different from hyperrealistic reborn models: they have delicate features, but a clearly educational aesthetic.
They maintain the necessary professional boundary between the learning tool and the real infant, while accurately reproducing the tactile sensations and biomechanics essential to training. Our dolls also offer exceptional fidelity in terms of weight, proportions, and handling.
These are not collectible dolls, but demonstration dolls designed to be actively manipulated. These dolls are working tools for healthcare professionals, early childhood educators, and perinatal professionals. They are sometimes used as empathy dolls for doll therapy.
How much does a weighted demonstration doll cost?
Our most popular size, baby 0-6 months, retails for $248 (plus taxes and shipping).
A sustainable investment for your professional practice
Our weighted dolls are specially designed for intensive professional use. They offer:
- A lasting investment for your professional practice
- A sustainable investment for your professional practice
- A repair service to extend their lifespan
- Dedicated customer service
Visit our store to discover all our models and prices.