Definition of childbearingnext
as in childbirth
the act or process of giving birth to children in olden days many women died in childbearing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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childbearing

2 of 2

adjective

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 childbearing
Noun
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 Poor women’s childbearing, particularly among Black and immigrant populations, was increasingly portrayed as a driver of intergenerational poverty and social disorder. Sonya Borrero, STAT, 1 May 2026 Though some countries have tried to slow or reverse the trend through pro-natal policies—including cash incentives and tax breaks for childbearing, affordable childcare, and longer parental leaves—their long-term success has not been definitively proved so far. Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Apr. 2026 Around the eleventh century, in Anglo‑Saxon England, instructions for an elaborate childbearing and mothering ritual were recorded by monks in the Lacnunga, a collection of medical texts and curative prayers. Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026 Cleghorn notes that many Minoan women died between the ages of twenty and twenty-five, indicating that childbearing was most likely the cause of death. Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026 Women past childbearing years often see OB-GYNs less frequently. Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 13 Jan. 2026 That's because their children, who largely fall within the millennial generation, might be in the midst of their childbearing years. Holly Garcia, Parents, 11 Jan. 2026 As many as 1 in 5 women may have uterine fibroids during their childbearing years — and those abnormal growths may have a connection not just to reproductive health but also to heart health. Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
In the United Kingdom, there is a midwife assigned to every childbearing individual, regardless of the risk status of the pregnancy. Deanna Taylor, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025 Many of them were young women, either pregnant or of childbearing age, when the bombs fell and have lived much of their lives under a heavy shadow of fear and stigma. Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childbearing
Noun
  • This typically lasts up to two weeks after delivery and can leave new moms feeling sad, moody, tearful, or emotionally sensitive due to the rapid hormonal changes that occur after childbirth.
    Isabel Lopez, Parents, 14 July 2026
  • Today that figure is closer to 79, thanks to improvements in sanitation, antibiotics, vaccines, safer childbirth and emergency care.
    Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026
Adjective
  • The following week she was diagnosed with gestational hypertension.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
  • By 2022, thanks to strong advocacy, the laws around gestational surrogacy had changed, and Cohen was able to welcome his daughter in New York.
    Morgan Mouchette, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Adjective
  • There are over 75 classes available for all skill levels and even include prenatal courses.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
  • Cooper's case and others against former prenatal care coordination company owners and associates come after a 2022 Journal Sentinel investigation into the industry.
    Mary Spicuzza, jsonline.com, 8 July 2026
Adjective
  • Smoke also harms pregnant women, increasing the risk of premature births and low-weight babies who could have breathing problems the rest of their lives, doctors and studies say.
    Seth Borenstein, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026
  • That perception has shifted, at least in part thanks to scientists who discovered that a nearby cove is frequented by dozens of pregnant blacktip sharks, prompting efforts to protect the area.
    ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Childbearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childbearing. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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