Five things they don’t tell you about... babies in France
From maternal diets to confusing names, there are many cultural differences to keep an eye out for...
Some funny French descriptions for babies include 'little bits of cabbage' and 'fleas'
Ekaterina Pokrovsky/Shutterstock
Le bout de chou
Babies are often referred to as little bits of cabbage, perhaps referring to the traditional tale that the stork brings babies, leaving girls under a rose bush and boys under a cabbage plant. They are also commonly called fleas, perhaps because they feed from their mother. Mon ange!
La naissance?
Old ladies in supermarkets often ask mothers whether their newborns are sage, although it is never specified what heinous crimes a newborn baby might commit. They also feel free to ask about the birth. C'est bien passé? Feel free to describe the experience in gory detail. Je dois dire…
Read more: Five things they don't tell you about… guichets in France
Le langage enfantin
Bébé wants his bibi (biberon/bottle). Tata (auntie) and tonton (uncle) went in la toto (car) with the dog (toutou). Learn the difference between coco (coquille/shell), coucou (coo-ee) and caca (poo). Also avoid confusing papa, pipi and popo (poo again) and be careful around the kiki and the zizi (they both mean willy)... D'accord!
Le jouet
Sophie the Giraffe is an iconic squeaky teething chew for babies, which has been manufactured in France for more than 60 years. Made from natural rubber, the best part of a million of them are sold every year in France, making them an essential element of every French nursery. C'est comme ça!
L'alimentation
There are whole shelves of French books devoted to the maternal diet; when pregnant, after giving birth, during and after breastfeeding. Depending on which you read, you could be scoffing yoghurt, nuts, avocado, or beef. It does not really matter, since everyone agrees that new mothers must eat well. Il faut manger!
