Birth-related vocabulary?

My announcement post got me thinking.
How many people have a lot of birth vocabulary in
their conlangs?  Things like:
contractions (I don't)
epidural (I'm not even sure this exists in my most
advanced conculture)
IV drip (no)
heart monitor (I have "heart" and "to watch/to keep")
foetus (or |fetus| if you insist.  Either way, I don't
have it)
to crown (ie for the baby's head to appear) (no)
placenta (no)
afterbirth (if this is even a separate word from
"placenta")
umbilical cord (no)
breech presentation (ie coming out bottom-first)
prenatal/antenatal (no)
neonatal (no)

A huge vocabulary hole, no?  Hey, I'm not even sure I
have "to push"!

And if your conSpeakers are not placental mammals, you
have a whole raft of other possibilities.  Anyone have
a word for an unhatched bird or reptile?  Is there a
special word for the neonate of a marsupial that isn't
really even a full infant yet?

Food for much thought...

Geoff


      ___________________________________________________________
Want ideas for reducing your carbon footprint? Visit Yahoo! For Good
http://uk.promotions.yahoo.com/forgood/environment.html

Reply