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

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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
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 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
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
  • The crucible of childbirth is often spoken of as transformative, the self-sacrifice of pregnancy as part of becoming a parent.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Catholic doctrine holds that Mary’s virginity was preserved before, during, and after childbirth.
    Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • On Thursday, July 30, Cooper revealed in an Instagram post that she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes amid her first pregnancy.
    Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Research shows a potential link between mental health status and gestational diabetes risk.
    Carina Heckert, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
Adjective
  • The committee priced the new maternity codes on twelve prenatal visits.
    Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In the fourth century, Oribasius, the Roman emperor Julian the Apostate’s personal physician, in a set of guidelines for prenatal care, recommended long walks, fragrant white wine, and, occasionally, mustard.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The findings, published in 2014, found a dramatic drop in a mouse’s ability to become pregnant and successfully carry a fetus to term.
    Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Shams – pregnant, isolated, yet unbroken – carries the weight of all this, and the fragile possibility of something new.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Childbearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childbearing. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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