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
  • For Jill Little, the director of YPP, the program has been a steadying force in walking alongside the girls through the uncertainty of pregnancy, childbirth and raising a child.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
  • Both of their parents die—their father in a train accident and their mother in childbirth.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026
Adjective
  • Despite the long gestational period, the look felt fresh and full of élan.
    Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • The following week she was diagnosed with gestational hypertension.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
Adjective
  • When a routine prenatal test reveals an extra copy of DNA of uncertain meaning, families deserve a follow-up test capable of resolving what the duplication actually is.
    William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • There are over 75 classes available for all skill levels and even include prenatal courses.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
Adjective
  • The remains of a 10-week pregnant young woman were identified last month as 15-year-old Cheryl Lynn Edwards, who went missing about 50 years earlier, according to nonprofit DNA Doe Project.
    Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • Older adults, pregnant women and young children face greater risks and should take particular care to avoid infection, Chin-Hong said.
    Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 25 July 2026

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“Childbearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childbearing. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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