postpartum

See also: post-partum

English

Alternative forms

• post-partum

Etymology

1844, from Latin post (“after”) + partum (“giving birth”), form of partus, from pariō (“I give birth”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to bring forth”).

Adjective

postpartum (not comparable)

1. Of a mother: after giving birth (often defined as within 30 days after childbirth).

   Synonyms: (archaic) childing, (of a mother) postnatal, postpartal, post-partural

   Antonyms: antepartum, prepartum, (of a child) postnatal

   Hypernym: peripartum

Usage notes

While postpartum narrowly refers to a mother after giving birth, the similar term postnatal maybe be used either to contrast, referring to the baby after being born, or may be used synonymously, also referring to the mother.

Derived terms

• postpartum depression
• postpartum hemorrhage

Related terms

• intrapartum
• parous
• puerperal
• puerperium

Translations

after giving birth

• Czech: poporodní (cs), postnatální
• Finnish: synnytyksen jälkeinen
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: poporodowy (pl)
• Russian: послеродово́й (ru) (poslerodovój)

Noun

postpartum (uncountable)

1. The period immediately following childbirth.
   • 2019, Maranda Bower, Supported in Postpartum: Stories of Rejuvenating Wisdom (page 54)

     Postpartum was hard. When I first thought about having a baby, postpartum wasn't on my mind at all. I was just excited to have a brand-new baby that I could call mine.