Meaning & use
postnatal
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Meaning
adjectivebefore a noun
Relating to the time just after a baby is born, especially the health of the mother and baby.
Grammar: Used before a noun, e.g. 'postnatal care'; not usually after a verb.
Patterns
- postnatal care
- postnatal depression
- postnatal check-up
- postnatal period
She received excellent postnatal care in the hospital.
Postnatal depression can affect both mothers and fathers.
The clinic offers postnatal check-ups for new mothers.
Common combinations
- postnatal depression
- Many women experience postnatal depression after giving birth.
- postnatal care
- Good postnatal care includes support with breastfeeding and mental health.
- postnatal check-up
- She had a postnatal check-up six weeks after the delivery.
- postnatal period
- The postnatal period is often defined as the first six weeks after birth.
Synonyms and how they differ
- postpartum
- The preferred term in American English, especially for the mother's recovery and mental health.
- after birth
- A general phrase, not a medical adjective; less formal and not used before nouns like 'care'.
Opposites
Word family
- postnatally adverb
- In a manner relating to the period after birth.
Commonly confused: postnatal or prenatal? postnatal or perinatal?
postnatal vs prenatal
Prenatal means before birth; postnatal means after birth. They are opposites.
postnatal vs perinatal
Perinatal refers to the period around the time of birth (shortly before and after), not just after.
Practice
The hospital provides special ___ care for mothers and newborns in the weeks after delivery.
Choose one answer.
Postnatal means after birth, which fits the context of care after delivery. Prenatal means before birth, perinatal means around birth, and postnasal refers to the nose.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “postnatal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.