Culture in Italy: What Italians Feed Their Babies
Find out what constitutes baby food in Italy and how it is different from what Americans feed their children.
Italians feeding their babies is more art than science. Trust me. I learned the hard way. My husband, a native Italian, and I brought our son to Italy for long stretches at a time starting when he was 6 months old.
I’m Italian American, and I have been visiting the homeland since I was a baby myself. Americans who know me would consider my upbringing distinctly Italian. But I grew up in the United States, and many of the traditions surrounding baby’s feedings were news to me.
What Do Italians Feed Newborns?
The pressure is on for Italian mammas to exclusively breastfeed in the beginning of baby’s life. Italians believe mamma’s milk is best, and they recognize the benefits to immunity and nutrition that come from breast milk.
This is all true. In an ideal world, every mother would be able to breastfeed. Unfortunately, however, some women just can’t do it. I know people who never had enough of a milk supply. Another woman I know had too much salt in her breastmilk and could have killed her child if she didn’t turn to formula.
