The most controversial American toy: pregnant Barbie

Technically, the name of the toy is “Midge Hadley”, but everyone knows the doll as “Pregnant Barbie”. The doll was first released in 1963 by Mattel. Midge was released at the same time as “Skipper” to avoid criticism. Midge Hadley is Barbie’s best friend (as advertised by Mattel). Due to the controversy, Mattel stopped making the pregnant Barbie after the 1960s until 1988 when Midge was released again in the “happy family line” where she has a boyfriend, Alan Sherwood, and three children: 3-year-old Ryan, Newborn Nikki and (age unknown) Casandra. Midge Hadley came loaded with a magnetic belly and a baby Nikki that could be inserted into her stomach. Because Alan was not packaged with Midge and she did not have a ring, this “Happy Family Line” again received criticism that it promoted teen pregnancy, was inappropriate for children, and promoted the birth of children out of wedlock. Parents criticized the toy saying it “looked too young to have children”, causing retail stores to pull the Happy Family Line from shelves.

Not everything is negative. Midge was later packaged with a picture of Alan and Ryan on the packaging. Midge was also redesigned with a ring! However, Mattel cashed in on production once again, only releasing a special edition of the old version of Midge in 1993 and 1998. Mattel decided to reintroduce Midge in 2013 as Barbie’s best friend, but single with no children. Midge Hadley is one of the most controversial toys.

Now, at present, the only thing close to finding a toy like Midge is buying a generic or finding the vintage doll online. The average price of a vintage Midge Hadley is hundreds of euros. The doll is a classic and is steeped in years of controversial history. The generic version of Midge Hadley usually comes with a shirt/dress, shoes, removable pregnant belly, baby, and doll. You can sometimes find a stroller and crib with the generic version of the doll depending on where you look for the doll. The generic pregnant doll comes with a detailed face and the same hair material that Mattel uses. The generic version can be a “quick fix” for finding a pregnant doll worthy of your child’s playtime. The doll is educational and could promote children’s learning experience. Arguably, these pregnant dolls can be a great educational tool for children with a pregnant mother expecting a new child.