afterpains

1 9.3

Pain a woman feels after childbirth when the womb tightens and gets smaller

noun
/ˈæftərˌpeɪnz/

Specialized

: dolores postparto

Many women experience afterpains as their uterus returns to its pre-pregnancy size.

Examples

Nurses advised her that afterpains are a normal part of the postpartum recovery process.
She felt intense afterpains following the delivery.
The afterpains were mild compared to the labor pains, but still noticeable.
Many women experience afterpains during the postpartum period.
Many women experience afterpains as their uterus returns to its pre-pregnancy size.
Nurses advised her that afterpains are a normal part of the postpartum recovery process.
The afterpains were mild compared to the labor pains, but still noticeable.

How Painful

afterpains

Specialized

1 9.3

cramp

85 2.1

ache

86 1.3

twinge

18 4.9

discomfort

118 3.2

Surface Forms

afterpains plural

afterpain singular

Morphology

afterpains = pain (transparent) = after + pain + s

The compound 'after' + 'pain' yields a straightforward meaning 'pains occurring after (childbirth)'; the plural '-s' is a regular inflection. [Postprocessing: moved 'after' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

Afterpains is built from after- ('after') and pains ('pain'), so it simply means pains that come after childbirth. Think of them like 'aftershocks' after an earthquake, when the womb tightens and returns to its normal size.