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The
Nature of
Birth, Gift Breastfeeding, Bond Babywearing, The
of
The
of
or all of the above.
MamAmor Dolls are handcrafted birthing, breastfeeding and babywearing dolls. These works of love are crafted with the highest quality materials available. They have soft, fair trade, organic cotton skin, hand spun wool hair, embroidered faces, and one of a kind clothes. The dolls teach children the basics of childbirth and breastfeeding without giving too many details. They demonstrate births (including Cesarean births), breastfeeding and babywearing. All ethnicities are represented and the dolls are adaptable to suit the diversity of a wide range of families. They are an excellent tool to prepare siblings for the arrival of a new family member, for professionals to teach about birth, breastfeeding and/or babywearing, or for healing from a traumatic birth. Capture a moment in time, or prepare for an exciting future with a MamAmor Doll today.
Adriana Guerra 13912 109A Avenue Edmonton, AB T5M 2K3 Canada 780-716-4457 info@mamamordolls.com MamAmor Mini Magazine was created for MamAmor Dolls Š 2014 Graphic design and Layout: Heather Pinay Cover Image: Adam Pinay Photography credits: Rebecca Lippiatt Illustrations: Soledad Voulgaris
www.MamAmorDolls.com
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The Birth of MamAmor
From My Heart, to Yours In 2007 I was expecting my third child while studying to be a Birth Doula. In one of my classes I came across a handmade birthing doll. I was so taken with it that I decided to create my own. It was such a useful tool in preparing my two older children for my own upcoming birth that I made more to use in my Doula practice. In 2008, after many changes were made to my original pattern and hours were invested dreaming about the dolls and their name, MamAmor Dolls was officially born. I began to bring the dolls to parenting, birthing and breastfeeding events and conferences and my business began to grow. I share my passion for birth by accompanying parents through the process of giving birth and by creating these amazing dolls. I believe that birth is a normal life event, that breastfeeding is a human right, and that bonding early with your child is the foundation of a lifelong loving and trusting relationship. My desire is to share these beliefs with families and soonto-be parents through education and play with MamAmor Dolls.
As a Doula, I was able to reach local families and touch their lives by supporting them in the arrivals of their children. Now, as a dollmaker and advocate for women, birth, and breastfeeding I have been honoured to touch the lives of thousands around the globe; we are in over 30 countries. My dolls educate, normalize, and help women prepare for birth and breastfeeding. They also help women heal “I believe that birth is a normal f rom bir t hs that did not go as planned.
life event, that breastfeeding is a human right, and that bonding
early with your child is the In addition I h a v e the foundation of a lifelong loving great joy to and trusting relationship.� provide jobs for women in Nicaragua, Uruguay, and Canada. It is with pride that I can say MamAmor Dolls supports women and Fairtrade practices. I am so thankful for the love and support of my family and friends and of my loyal customers. With your support, I am able to continue to make a difference.
Adriana OwnerGuerra & Creator
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Handcrafted Dolls
Craftsmanship & Care
MamAmor Dolls are made with the highest quality materials, and the main ingredient is love (A little thing we like to call “Vitamin L”). Aside from that really important ingredient, here is what is in your doll and how to care for it.
Fabric
The fabric we use for our dolls is organic cotton interlock coming from Weir Crafts in US. We have tried cotton interlock from several providers in the past but the cotton from Weir Crafts has the best quality so far.
Fiberfill
After many trials of fiberfill for filling we have chosen fiber from Nusso Textiles in Toronto, Ontario. They know our product and make sure they send their best fiber to us. For customers that request different types of fillings for their custom dolls, we use bamboo and kapok.
Hair (our favorite!)
If you appreciate good quality wool, you’ll love the hair of our dolls! It is pure handspun wool from Manos del Uruguay - organic and fair trade. 90% of the wool is from Manos, but occasionally, when we don’t have the colors or textures requested for our custom dolls, we purchase other types of wool locally, or at Michaels.
Clothing
The majority of the dolls’ clothes are made with cotton and flannels, but sometimes we try other fabrics and textures, depending on availability and requests. Cardigans and shoes are made with cotton and wool, and slings and rebozos with a combination of fabrics of different origins.
MamAmor Supports Fairtrade
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In Nicaragua, Uruguay, and Canada Our beautiful handcrafted dolls are made by women, at a fair price, with love. The majority of dolls bodies and dolls clothing are sewn by women f rom Z ona Franca Masili, a Fairtrade C o op e r at ive of s e wers located in Nicaragua. The gorgeous wool used for hair is spun by local craftswomen in Uruguay, purchased Fair Trade, from Manos Del Uruguay.
T he re st of t he de t ai ls; face, hair, accessories and finishing touches, are sewn by women in Edmonton, Alberta. These women are often the only breadwinners in their respective families; MamAmor supports both women and Fairtrade practices.
Adriana and the ladies from Zona Franca Masili together, we are happy to bring to life all these mamas and babies for you to enjoy; we are very proud of what we do. Missing from the photo are Anne and Nancy who have been an integral part of making our dolls come to life in Canada.
To Clean a MamAmor Doll
NEVER wash your MamAmor Dolls in a washing machine. NEVER dry your MamAmor Dolls in the dryer. 1.
Wet a clean cloth in warm soapy water and spot wash your doll. Use neutral soap or a natural soap without color or fragrance
2.
If your doll needs a full wash, submerge her body, arms and legs in a pail full of warm soapy water and let her soak for about an hour. Spot wash if needed.
3.
Pull out and gently squeeze the water off the doll’s body, arms and legs. Avoiding washing the wool from the hair is best, but if you can’t, submerge the hair as well.
4.
Air dry on top of a clean and dry towel. It might take a day or two to dry completely, depending on where you live (dry or humid climate)
5.
Wash clothes, cardigans and shoes by hand, and air dry.
6.
Follow the same instructions for babies, toddlers, children, and PapAmor dolls.
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MamAmor Dolls
A Variety of Dolls to Love MamAmor Dolls are created individually, carefully handcrafted one by one. There are unique, one of a kind pieces of art, reflecting the skill and spirit of the makers in the overall product. There are a variety of options available to suit your family or business from Birthing and Breastfeeding to Babywearing Only. Each doll has a unique character and is between 18-20 inches in height. MamAmor Dolls are ethnically diverse and skin tones range from peach, blush, tan or brown. Their soft woolen hand spun hair can be short, shoulder length, or long and worn in a variety of styles.
Birthing and Breastfeeding Dolls
MamAmor Dolls give birth through an elastic opening and can breastfeed with snaps on both the mama’s nipple and the baby’s mouth.
The Original Design • • •
VBAC Dolls
Demonstrate vaginal birth (including breech and posterior presentation births). Breastfeed their newborns and demonstrate several breastfeeding positions. Carry their babies in a sling, or any other baby carrier.
MamAmor VBAC (Vaginal Birth after Cesarean) Dolls are the perfect tool to demonstrate different ways babies can be born, and the differences between Cesarean Section and VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean). These dolls explain the procedure of Cesarean section through Velcro, a zipper, or an embroidered incision.
Another Type of Birth
• • • •
Demonstrate VBAC, (including breech and posterior presentation VBAC). Demonstrate Cesarean Birth (Velcro or zipper opens) or have a closed embroidered scar. Breastfeed their newborns and demonstrate breastfeeding positions. Carry their babies in a sling or other baby carrier.
Breastfeeding Dolls
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MamAmor Breastfeeding Only Dolls demonstrate breastfeeding only and do not have an elastic opening.
Nourishing a Child • •
Demonstrate breastfeeding in all positions. Carry their babies in a sling or other baby carrier.
•
These dolls do not demonstrate pregnancy or birth.
Babywearing Only Dolls
MamAmor Babywearing Only Dolls are perfect for demonstrating babywearing. They do not have an elastic opening and they do not have a snap for the nipple. In place of the snap, Babywearing Only Dolls’ babies have embroidered smiles.
Focused on Bonding
• •
Carry their babies in a sling or other baby carrier. Simulate breastfeeding by placing the baby closer to the mama doll’s breast.
•
These dolls do not demonstrate pregnancy or birth.
Tell Your Own Story
Complete your MamAmor Family MamAmor Dolls creates PapAmor Dolls, additional
babies, toddlers, nursing toddlers, and children. Capture a moment in time by personalizing your family shopping at MamAmor.com or by making a custom order.
“My custom MamAmor family helped me to move past the emotional pain I had surrounding my three Cesarean births and to celebrate the way I was able to give birth .”
Feeling the Love
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What our Customers are Saying:
MamAmor Dolls started out of Adriana Guerra’s heart to educate about birth in 2008. Now they are played with by children, they comfort mothers through loss and traumatic births, and they are a symbol of triumph. They are tools for doulas, midwives, childbirth educators, and lactation consultants. They are used for sibling preparation, demonstrating birthing, breastfeeding and babywearing, and representing women of diverse ethnicities. We are now reaching the hearts and homes of thousands globally. We have you, our loyal customers, to thank for this success. “Adriana, I cannot stop crying. Everything is perfect. She is exquisite. The babies are darling. Every detail is wondrous and magnificent. Each picture is captivating. Everything... oh, it’s all just perfect. Thank you, so much, thank you, for your commitment and tremendous giftings. I cannot wait to share these photos and I cannot wait to hold them. “ Heidi Faith Stillbirthday Doula “My children ADORE our dolls and still play with them (even after nearly 3 years!). One of their favorite activities is to play ‘Mama dolls’. I am proud to teach my children about birth and breastfeeding. It is my hope that, when grown, they believe in their own body’s ability to give birth and nourish their children, and that they are not fearful of the process.” Mother, MamAmor Owner As a Doula, Childbirth Educator and Student Midwife, I have found these dolls to be quite useful in my practice. Some of my clients have used the dolls to explain the birth process to their children and to share the story of their child’s/children’s birth with them. I’ve used the dolls to demonstrate what position their baby is in, and each of my clients have enjoyed holding the dolls and playing with their hair. MamAmor Doll Owner Doula, Childbirth Educator, Student Midwife “MamAmor Dolls are exquisitely handcrafted works of art. Pictures do them no justice, as they are much lovelier in person than any photograph can capture. These dolls are heirloom quality, sure to hold up for generations if treated with care.” MamAmor Doll Owner “ I actually think it’s kind of fabulous, especially if your mommy is going to have a baby and you’re wondering what’s going to happen’ says therapist Jennifer Kolari of Connected Parenting in Toronto...For parents who are happy to talk with their children about childbirth, Kolari says ‘it’s a simple way of allowing them to learn about real-life experiences through play’.” Jennifer Kolari Therapist for Connected Parenting, TO as quoted in the Toronto Star