Pregnancy and Birth

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Word Menu > Domestic Life > The Family > Parents and Children > Pregnancy and Birth

abortion - spontaneous or induced expulsion of fetus early in gestation period, usu. before twelfth week
accouchement - act of giving birth
afterbirth - placenta and fetal membranes expelled from uterus in parturition
artificial insemination - introduction of semen into uterus by other than sexual means
barren - (adj) unable to conceive or produce offspring
bar sinister - proof, condition, or stigma of illegitimacy
bastard - illegitimate child
beget - (vb) conceive and bear child
biological clock - woman’s natural life cycle that controls ability to conceive and bear children
biological parent - parent who has conceived or sired child, though not always legal parent or guardian
birth - act or process of bringing forth child from mother’s womb; parturition
birth certificate - official hospital record of birth
birth control - devices and methods used to prevent conception and reduce number of children born by woman
birthday - date of birth, celebrated annually
birth defect - physical defect present at birth that may be inherited or environmentally induced during pregnancy
birthing - art and practice of giving birth
carry - (vb) be pregnant
Cesarean section - delivery of child by surgical incision through walls of abdomen into uterus; C-section
childbearing - act of carrying and giving birth to children
childbirth - parturition; birth
conception - act of becoming pregnant, in which sperm fertilizes ovum and embryo begins growth in woman’s uterus
confinement - period of lying-in immediately preceding birth of child
congenital - (adj) describing trait derived or inherited from parents through genes
contraception - devices and methods used to prevent pregnancy
contraceptive - device used to prevent pregnancy; (adj) tending to prevent conception
couvade - practice among some peoples in which husband enacts birth experience in his bed immediately preceding birth of his child
C-section - Cesarean section
delivery - act of giving birth to a child; assistance given to mother during childbirth
embryo - unborn child developing in mother’s womb
expecting - (adj) pregnant
false pregnancy - signs of pregnancy, esp. absence of menstruation, without presence of embryo, due to psychological or glandular disturbance or tumor
family planning - use of birth control to limit number of children in family
family way - pregnant
fertile - (adj) able to conceive children
fertility - capability of reproducing; ability to conceive
fertility drug - medication used to enhance ability to conceive
fetus - embryo from three months after conception to birth
fraternal twins - twins of either sex, developed from separately fertilized ova, therefore not identical
full term - pregnancy lasting nine months
gestation - period of embryonic growth from conception to birth
gravid - (adj) heavy with child; pregnant
identical twins - twins of same sex, developed from single fertilized ovum, very similar in appearance
illegitimate - (adj) born out of wedlock; misbegotten
inbreeding - conception of children among closely related individuals
in utero - conception in uterus of woman; unborn
in vitro - fertilization and conception outside living body, in artificial environment
knock up - (vb) Slang. make pregnant
labor - painful physical activities and sensations involved in giving birth
Lamaze method - system of special exercises and breathing used in childbirth
legitimate - (adj) lawfully begotten and born in wedlock
love child - illegitimate child
lying-in - confinement; period immediately preceding childbirth
maternity - motherhood; hospital ward for childbirth and care of newborn infants
midwife - woman who assists mother during childbirth
midwifery - practice of being a midwife
misbegotten - (adj) illegitimate
miscarriage - expulsion of underdeveloped fetus, usu. between twelfth and twenty-eighth weeks of pregnancy
miscarry - (vb) have miscarriage
morning sickness - nausea associated with first months of pregnancy
natal - (adj) relating to or associated with birth
natal mother - biological mother
nativity - birth
natural childbirth - birth in which mother does not use anaesthesia
out of wedlock - illegitimate
ovum - female germ cell that, when fertilized, develops into embryo
parturition - process of giving birth
paternity - fatherhood
paternity test - test to determine biological father of child by comparison of genetic traits
placenta - structure within uterus connected to umbilical cord through which fetus receives nourishment and eliminates feces
Planned Parenthood - Trademark. family planning organization that disseminates information and offers advice on birth control and sexually transmitted diseases
preggers - Brit. informal. pregnant
pregnancy - state of being with child
pregnant - (adj) having unborn child in one’s body; expecting; gravid; with child
premature birth - birth occurring after a gestation period of less than thirty-seven weeks
prenatal - (adj) before birth
primipara - woman bearing a first child
pro-choice - (adj) advocating legalized abortion
procreation - reproduction; act of begetting and bringing forth young
pro-life - (adj) opposing legalized abortion
quadruplets - birth of four children from one pregnancy
quintuplets - birth of five children from one pregnancy
sextuplets - birth of six children from one pregnancy
sire - (vb) beget as father
spawn - (vb) reproduce, esp. in large numbers
spermatozoon - male germ cell in semen that fertilizes ovum to produce embryo
sperm bank - supply of spermatozoon used for artificial insemination
sterile - incapable of producing offspring; barren
stillborn - (adj) describing infant dead at birth
stork - bird that in legend brings babies to parents
term - nine months of normal pregnancy
test-tube baby - embryo produced by laboratory fertilization and surgical implantation in uterus
thalidomide baby - child with birth defect caused by mother’s use of drug thalidomide during pregnancy
trimester - one of three three-month periods during pregnancy
triplets - birth of three children from one pregnancy
twins - birth of two children from one pregnancy
umbilical cord - structure connecting navel of fetus with mother’s placenta; emotional connection of mother and child
unfertile - (adj) physiologically unable to conceive and reproduce
unwed mother - woman bearing child out of wedlock
uterus - womb
war baby - child conceived during war, often born when father is absent
whelp - (vb) give birth to or bring forth young, usu. said of animals
with child - pregnant
womb - female uterus where embryo develops