Pregnancy vocabulary

Pregnancy vocabulary with definitions and example sentences

The period of time that a woman is going to have a baby is called a pregnancy. If a woman has a baby in her uterus, she is pregnant with a baby.

See also: Baby vocabulary

Abort (v)

to medically or surgically end a pregnancy,  so that the unborn child is prevented from developing  and being born alive

• She decided to abort her pregnancy.

Abortion (n)

the medical or surgical ending of a pregnancy early

• Abortion is illegal in some countries.
• Dr. Ward performed 1000 abortions.
• Sophia will have/get an abortion next week.

Antenatal (adj)

related to the medical care received by a woman during her pregnancy

• antenatal care/classes/visits/diagnosis/exercises
• Pregnant women go to antenatal clinics for medical help.

Bear (v)

to give birth to a baby

• She has borne four children.
• His wife bore him a son.

Birth mother (n)

a natural mother of an adopted child

Carry (v)

to be pregnant with a baby

• She is carrying a baby boy.

Conceive (v)

to get pregnant with a baby

• She is still unable to conceive.
• She conceived three month ago.

Conception (n)

the process of becoming pregnant with a child

• What do you feel after conception?

Delivery (n)

the birth of a baby

• She had a difficulty delivery.
• a delivery room

Due (adj)

expected to be born at a certain time

• My baby is due in September.

Egg cell (or ovum) (n)

a cell that develops into a baby inside the female body after fertilization by a sperm

Embryo (n)

a tiny unborn child in the first eight weeks. Embryo begins to develop after fertilization. After eighth weeks, the unborn child is called a feotus (US fetus).

Expect (v)

to be pregnant

• Anwen is expecting again.

Expectant (adj)

soon to become a mother or father

• expectant mother/father/parents

Gestation

the period of development of a baby inside the mother’s womb before birth

• The gestation age of a baby

Labour (n)

the period of time when a woman gives birth

• to be in labour
• to go into labour

Impregnate (v)

to make a woman pregnant

Inseminate (v)

to inject sperm into a woman’s uterus in order to impregnate her

• She tried to inseminate her at home.
• To be artificially inseminated

Maternity leave (n)

a period of time in which a woman temporarily stops work in order to give birth and to care of her baby.

• Paid/unpaid maternal leave
• She is on six weeks maternal leave

Miscarriage (n)

the loss of a pregnancy before the child is born alive

• Smoking can cause miscarriage
• Bleeding and abdominal pain is the signs of miscarriage.

Midwife (n)

See: Professions

Morning sickness (n)

a feeling of tiredness and sickness (nausea) that some women may feel at the early stages of the pregnancy; vomiting during pregnancy

Mother-to-be (n)

a woman who is pregnant with her first child

Sperm (n)

a cell that is produced by a man and fertilizes the egg inside the body of a woman

• Man who has low/high sperm count

Stretch marks (n)

the reddish lines that are left on someone’s abdominal skin, particularly after they have been pregnant

Surrogacy (n)

an agreement in which a woman (a surrogate mother) gives birth to a baby for another parents

Terminate (v)

to end a pregnancy; to abort

• a woman who terminated her pregnancy

Womb (n)

the organ inside the body of a women in which fetus develops into a baby.  In medical contexts womb is called an uterus.