childbirth

noun

ˈchī(-ə)l(d)-ˌbərth How to pronounce childbirth (audio)
Definition of childbirthnext
as in pregnancy
the act or process of giving birth to children women who choose to undergo childbirth without the use of anesthetics and other drugs

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of childbirth Charo urged the government to ensure that hospitals are well-equipped to handle complications during childbirth, and to not leave frantic families waiting for information. — ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026 The Clancy case has prompted some mothers to share their own stories on social media of hallucinations, paranoia and suicidal thoughts after childbirth. — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 This has led to higher average childbirth ages and record-low fertility rates. — Mimi Montgomery, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026 Blood pressure problems can persist or worsen in the initial days and weeks after childbirth, and preeclampsia can first appear during the postpartum period. — Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for childbirth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childbirth
  1. pregnancy
  2. childbearing
  3. delivery
  4. labor
  5. pains
  6. parturition
  7. contraction
Noun
  • They’re born before antibodies – protective proteins that recognize incoming germs – can be transferred from mother to baby during the later stages of pregnancy.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • During pregnancy and breastfeeding, there’s a little more nuance.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of pregnancy
Noun
  • Not least because the hips—or rather, a wide pelvis—are considered a symbol of femininity, fertility, and childbearing capacity, both from a cultural-historical and an evolutionary-biology perspective.
    — Kelly Niesen, Glamour, 24 July 2026
  • In fact, for millennia the role of mothers has included not only childbearing and education but also protection over the community as a whole, especially through advocacy for peace.
    — Marie-Claire Beaulieu, The Conversation, 5 May 2026
Definition of childbearing
Noun
  • Babar looked to pull Archer but, too late, tried to fend off a 91 mph (147 kph) delivery that ricocheted off his glove and helmet and ballooned to Jordan Cox at third slip.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
  • How can patients and communities have a say in the future of healthcare delivery?
    — Lisa Fitzpatrick, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of delivery
Noun
  • Assertive Mars clashes with your ruler Saturn, highlighting tension around your home, family, or the amount of emotional labor each person carries.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Shipbuilding used to mean months of labor, custom wooden frames, and massive upfront tooling costs.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of labor
Noun
  • In cases that are considered to be too severe — such as when a pregnant woman at the center began experiencing labor pains — those individuals are airlifted to a nearby hospital.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • California has taken pains to eliminate coal as a source of electricity, and this would be the first coal export terminal in California — or anywhere on the West Coast.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of pains
Noun
  • This pattern spans over a decade, indicating a remarkable fidelity to the Ashburton River and its surrounding creeks as critical parturition sites.
    — Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
  • His mother paced the spacious birthing stall, working off the pains of parturition, with half the placenta, neatly tied up by an attending stable hand, still hanging out of her.
    — William Finnegan, The New Yorker, 15 May 2021
Definition of parturition
Noun
  • The dip over the past few years was driven primarily by a major contraction of the offshore wind industry.
    — Eugenia Perozo, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • With basic cable on the decline and HBO Max pulling away from kids and family original programming, Register’s domain has undergone contraction since Warner Bros Animation’s heyday.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of contraction

Browse Nearby Words

childbeds
childbirth
childbirths
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Cite this Entry

“Childbirth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childbirth. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on childbirth

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about childbirth

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