Human Model – Delivery Doll

Quick Answer: The human model delivery doll is a fetal doll used in midwifery and nursing education to demonstrate how a baby passes through the birth canal. Used with a pelvis model, it helps students learn fetal skull landmarks, presentation and position, and the sequence of movements during labour.

Reading the Fetal Skull on the Doll

The most important teaching feature of this doll is the head. Midwives determine a baby’s position during labour by feeling the sutures and fontanelles of the skull, and the doll lets students practise identifying them by sight and touch. The anterior fontanelle is the larger, diamond-shaped soft spot where four sutures meet; the posterior fontanelle is smaller and triangular, where three sutures meet. Finding the posterior fontanelle and its direction tells the examiner which way the back of the baby’s head, the occiput, is facing.

With the doll and a pelvis, the cardinal movements of labour can be shown step by step: engagement, descent, flexion, internal rotation, extension as the head is born, then restitution and external rotation before the shoulders and body follow. Tutors also use the doll to explain presentations other than head-first, such as breech, and why they change how labour is managed.

Delivery dolls are sold in different forms, sometimes with a placenta and umbilical cord and sometimes as the doll alone, and in different materials, so the contents and size of this listing should be confirmed before ordering. A pelvis is needed to demonstrate the passage through the birth canal, and the pelvis with baby model combines the two in one set.

Specifications

Applications

• Teaching fetal skull landmarks and how position is identified in labour
• Demonstrating the cardinal movements of labour with a pelvis model
• Explaining breech and other presentations in midwifery courses
• Antenatal education sessions for expectant parents run by health workers

Care & Handling

• Wash the doll with mild soap and water after practical sessions and let it dry fully before storage, especially if it has soft joints or cloth parts.
• Avoid powders on vinyl or rubber surfaces unless the maker recommends them, as residue attracts dirt.
• Store it flat or seated in a box, not squeezed among other equipment, so the head and limbs keep their shape.

Why Choose LabEquip

Midwifery schools, nursing colleges and skills labs buy fetal dolls like this one to accompany their pelvis models and birthing simulators. This doll appears in LabEquip’s biology lab products; use the LabEquip contact page to check what the set includes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the anterior and posterior fontanelles?

The anterior fontanelle is larger and diamond-shaped, where four sutures meet on the top of the head. The posterior fontanelle is small and triangular, where three sutures meet at the back.

Why do midwives feel for the fontanelles?

The position of the posterior fontanelle shows which way the back of the baby’s head is facing. That tells the midwife the baby’s position and helps judge whether labour is progressing normally.

What are the cardinal movements of labour?

Engagement, descent, flexion, internal rotation, extension, restitution, external rotation and expulsion. They describe how the baby’s head and body turn to fit through the pelvis.

Does the delivery doll come with a placenta?

Some delivery dolls are supplied with a placenta and umbilical cord and others are sold alone. Check what this listing includes when enquiring, as it affects whether third-stage teaching is possible.

Can the doll be used without a pelvis model?

It can be used on its own to teach skull landmarks and presentations. To show how the baby rotates through the birth canal, it should be used with a pelvis model or simulator.

What does breech presentation mean?

The baby’s buttocks or feet come first instead of the head. It is less common than a head-first presentation and is managed differently, so students practise recognising it on the doll.

Last Updated: September 2026