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Bitty Baby is a baby doll released by American Girl. Originally marketed as Our New Baby and designed to get children used to a new baby in the family, Bitty Baby was later modified into the current line and marketed as a infant girl of about one year in age that young children are "caring" for. She originally came with Bitty Bear until 2013, and a plush wishing star from 2013 to 2014; currently, a basic Bitty Baby does not come with any already bundled extras (though add-ons are available). The marketing of the line is similar to the way the Truly Me dolls are, in that Bitty Baby dolls do not come with names or set race and have varying, frequently updated clothing.

Bitty Baby Doll Anatomy[]

WhiteFloralSleeper

Bitty Baby in the White Floral Sleeper.

Bitty Baby dolls are 15" tall. In order to accommodate the lower age range suggested and play with younger children, they do not have rotating limbs like American Girl Dolls; the arms and legs are sewn and attached to the cloth body firmly.[1] The cloth body comes down past the shoulders and thighs. The hair is molded and painted directly onto the head. Bitty Babies have sleep eyes. The neck strings when present fastened on the left side of the neck; now this is where the zip-tie is closed and sewn closed.

History[]

Our New Baby[]

Main article: Our New Baby

Our New Baby was the predecessor to Bitty Baby and was marketed as a baby doll that could be a boy or girl. Clothes were sold for both presented genders, as well.

Bitty Baby[]

BittyMeet95

Bitty Baby in 1995.

With the release of Bitty Baby in 1995, gone was the marketing of the doll as being either gender. Bitty Baby was now marketed and displayed as a baby girl. She came with Bitty Bear, who starred in the small books that came with Bitty and her outfits. The racial designations were removed from the dolls; they were now marketed by their skin tones like the American Girl of Today.

In 2000 when Mattel took over, Bitty Babies received the harder eyelashes that became standard.

In 2007, extra items for Bitty Bear began to be phased out of the outfits. Outfits would come with toys or accessories, but not always items for Bitty Bear.

In 2011, three new dolls were introduced, a brown-haired, blue-eyed doll; a red-haired, blue/gray-eyed doll; and a blonde-haired, blue-eyed doll. The blonde-haired, grey-eyed doll was retired.

Bitty blondgreen

Bitty Baby in the Cuddly Star Sleeper with the Wishing Star and the white version of Bitty Baby and Me.

In 2013, the line was revamped; Bitty Bear was removed from the line and replaced with a plush "Wishing Star." Full picture books were released as separate purchases and dolls came with a copy of Bitty Baby and Me (which was also available separately). This led to a cost raise of $80, a significant price rise from the $55 the dolls had been previously.

The line was expanded to include eleven dolls in total (not including the retired doll), which were updated molds for older dolls. Added were a brown-haired, green-eyed doll; a blonde-haired, green-eyed doll; a blonde-haired, brown-eyed doll; and a medium skinned "African American" doll. Various soft, brightly colored stuffed animals for Bitty were released as well, essentially replacing Bitty Bear; the stuffed animals are targeted towards the purchaser and not the doll. Bitty Baby is also less of a character and more of a doll and companion to a younger child in the targeted age range.

Bitty Wish Star

Bitty Baby Wishing Star.

In 2015, Bitty Baby dolls no longer came with the book by default, although the book remained available. The plush wishing star was discontinued. The cost lowered back to $60 from $80 because of the removal of the book bundled with the doll[2].

Later that year, a change in meet outfits was made, offering three options; a new doll purchase also came with a song download. (The song download was later removed.) Six of the dolls were retired: dark brown hair with blue eyes; red hair with blue-grey eyes; the medium skinned "African American"; blonde hair with brown eyes; dark brown hair with green eyes; and blond hair with green eyes. A red-haired, hazel-eyed doll was released, leaving the available number at six.

In 2021, a revamp was done to the Bitty Baby line. Notably, the line's lowest recommended age was brought down to eighteen months, though some items remained at suggested for three years or older. The meet outfit was changed to selecting from a set of bodysuit-and-tights sleepers[3] in three available color options: Pretty Pink, Soft Blue, or Cloud Gray. Bitty Babies were given explicit numbers online (they had already been numbered at stores for some time). There is also the option of the Care and Play Set, which includes a choice of doll and items with the meet outfit as the Beautiful Blooms Pajamas.

In 2023 an all-vinyl version of Bitty Baby was released as part of the Flamingo Fun Play Set, called Bitty Baby Splash. The doll is thirteen inches tall and designed for water play, with a lowest recommended age of two years.

Visual Gallery of Bitty Babies[]

The following Bitty Baby dolls are retired:

Bitty Baby Twins[]

In 2021, an option was added for Bitty Baby Twins. For a cost of $120 (standard costs per doll), purchasers may select two Bitty Baby dolls in any combination with their selection of sleepers.

Bitty Baby Clothing and Accessories[]

See: List of Bitty Baby Clothing, List of Bitty Baby Accessories and Furniture

Bitty Baby clothing helps market Bitty Baby as an infant. Most outfits come with soft soled shoes and fit over the diaper.

From 1995 to 2007, outfits almost always came with additional components for Bitty Bear; from 1995 to 2013, outfits often came with a small activity book or story starring Bitty Bear. In 2013 outfits no longer came with books, as the separate picture books were available; some books were tied to outfits. Outfits that have a Dress Like Your Doll outfit will range in for Girls' sizes 3-7 and are generally modified to be less infantile.

Some Bitty Baby outfits will fit on 18" dolls. Pants are shorter and so appear as capri pants, and skirts can vary. Shoes may or may not fit, and tights or leggings are often too short.

Bitty Baby Meet Outfits[]

Bitty Babies were originally sold in a white print sleeper that was not available as a separate purchase. This was essentially the first Meet outfit and so all other meet outfits are numbered after this one. Bitty Baby meet outfits are always footed sleepers and come with a cloth diaper. Unlike Bitty Twins or My American Girls the outfits are not generally based on contemporary styles, but are still regularly updated.

With the revamp in 2013, outfits were not available for separate purchase and included a plush "wish star".

In 2015, three Meet outfits were released; only one can be picked at doll purchase, with all outfits available separately. In 2016 another option was offered, the Stripey Sleeper; the others remained available, and this continued in 2017 and 2019 with three sleepers available at purchase. Dolls also come in a diaper and a pink bodysuit.

Picture and Activity Books[]

There were seven Bitty Baby picture books from 2013 until about 2015. Unlike previous books that came with Bitty Baby Outfits, these focused on Bitty Baby as a doll to the child reading the book and a companion in creative, imaginative play.

Activity books were also available:

These books were later phased out with the only available book as Love from Morning to Night, a book of song lyrics and accompanying song CD. This was later retired in 2018.

In 2021 new books with plush companion characters were released:

Miniature Bitty Baby[]

The first miniature version of a Bitty Baby was released in 2005 with both the American Girl of Today Baby and Stroller Set and the historical character Felicity Merriman's Baby Polly and Cradle set; these were cloth bodied dolls with similar construction to full-sized Bitty dolls.

In 2021 the Caring for Baby Set was released (with a later dark skinned version in 2022); the sets, along with the accessories, included an all vinyl 8" baby doll. However, these were considered accessory sets and not advertised as miniature Bitty Baby items.

The first item marketed as related to Bitty Baby was with the 2023 release of Little Bitty Baby Doll for the Truly Me line. The doll comes in both dark skinned and light skinned versions (which are the exact same versions included with the Caring for Baby set) with a headband, sleeper, and diaper for $26.

Three items for use with Little Bitty Baby were also released:

See Also[]

  • Our New Baby, the predecessor of the line
  • Bitty Twins, a retired line of initially young toddler and later preschool twins

References and Footnotes[]

  1. Doll Features, American Girl Site.
  2. Official Twitter, accessed 2015-1-14.
  3. The outfit has no formal name and is not available separately.
  4. This doll has "textured" hair and can be seen as closest to African-American.
  5. Clarified to "dark" in 2013.
  6. This doll can be seen as Asian.
  7. This doll can be seen as Latina or any other brown-toned child.
  8. This doll has "textured" hair and can be seen as closest to biracially or light-skinned African-American.
  9. The outfit has no formal name and is not available separately.
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