Afterpains

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of painful contraction occurring in the uterus following childbirth
2. Discomfort that results from the body adjusting after the expulsion of the placenta
3. Sensations of pain or cramping felt in the abdomen post-delivery as the uterus returns to its pre-pregnancy state

Etymology: "Afterpains" is the plural of "afterpain," a compound of "after" and "pain." The first part is the familiar Old English word meaning "later" or "behind," and it survives in English as a prefix meaning something follows or comes subsequently. The second part is the ordinary noun "pain," which came into English from Old French and originally carried the sense of punishment or suffering. Put together, the word describes pain that comes after something else, which in this case means the cramping of the uterus that follows childbirth as it contracts back toward its normal size.

Synonyms: afterbirth pains, postpartum pains