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Jane Berry, 39, entered the stage of menopause when she was only 22 years old. Due to her rare condition, Berry can never have kids anymore. That’s why she bought three dolls named Amy, Ashley, and Chloe, the Mirror reports.
Berry and her partner Peter Marflee, who’s 51 years old, saw the dolls as their own babies. They would feed them, walk them around, and have their families meet them.
According to Mirror, Berry said, "I've had mixed reactions but a lot of people think I'm bonkers. Someone once told me 'go and have a real baby' and I said 'I can't, I'm infertile'. When we first got Amy, people would leave me nasty messages and calling me crazy or mad.
"I was petrified to take her out at first but now I am not ashamed. I'm not afraid to take them out. It's a bit out of my comfort zone to take them out somewhere that I've never been before. I've had a few people who are scared of me and the babies.
"They see them as dead babies. People have jumped off the kerb before once I have told them. I never really understood that.I never tell people that they're real. I'm always open about them being reborn dolls but people always react differently."
When Berry’s mom, Margaret, died at the age of 62 years old, she wasn’t able to handle the grief on her own. So, she got the lifelike dolls which provided her with a strong source of comfort.
Berry said, “After a few weeks of having Amy I felt my maternal instinct kick in. When I started my reborn journey, I didn't expect it to affect me as much. It was quite a shock. We had an instant bond. It was love at first sight. It helped with my grief from my mum's death.
"It makes us feel like a little family and more complete. I haven't been this happy in a long time. My friends and family are so happy for me - they see them as my babies. It makes you feel like you're a mum. It's the same emotional connection and I love them.”
Berry added, "However, it's not easy. People do say nasty things to you and might not be supportive and it will hurt at times but people have reborn babies for so many different reasons.”
She continued, "Some are like me who can't have children, some have had their children taken away by social services or some have died. You don't always know the stories behind why people choose to have reborns."
When Berry discovered that she was never going to have a baby in her own uterus. To make matters worse, Berry also discovered that she wasn’t in a stable condition in terms of her physical health to adopt.
Berry developed osteoporosis as a result of her early menopause. She also obtained arthritis and cerebal palsy, which weakened her bones and health even more.
Berry said, "When I found out I couldn't have children it was like my world was turned upside down. I felt like I had been punched. I was so upset. I couldn't get my words out. I had to see people my age with babies, I was really jealous. You have to be happy for them but you're hurting.
"When we got Amy, it was like I was a different person it made me feel like a mum even though she's a reborn. They make me feel like a unit. Peter has accepted the reborn. He doesn't get involved as much as me but he will pick them up and he puts them to bed every night and he'll give them a kiss.”
"He was a bit embarrassed at first at how people would react but he is more comfortable with them now. It makes him happy and he has the same connection with them. He has more of a bond with Chloe because she is more realistic. His reaction was priceless when he met her for the first time.”
"I wasn't expecting it and was totally blown away. We only came out to our family on New Year's Eve but they opened their arms to us. They met Chloe on New Year's Day and were very supportive. They were cuddling her and they could understand."
