Did you notice your vocabulary changing the moment you became a mum?
Many parents adapt their lexicon to their new role, and that's reflected in the latest update to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). From 'diaper cakes' to 'pump and dump', we can't wait to pick up the new edition!
A blog post by OED Senior Editor Fi Mooring explores these words in-depth. First off, let's start with one close to our hearts: 'mommy blogger'!
'Mommy blogger' is the youngest of the added parental terms. The expression dates back to 2005, with its predecessor 'mom blogger' being used in 2004.
One of the additions that felt 'overdue', Fi said, is 'breech birth', referring to the position of a foetus in the womb. Their first evidence of the term comes from 1842!
Another medical term added is biliblanket, a term first used in 1990 that refers to 'a phototherapy device for treating jaundice in newborns'.
On a slightly more exciting note, there are several words related to children's entertainment that have been added: 'balance bike', 'board book', 'comfort object', and 'baby gym'.
And, of course, there's fun for parents, too! 'Babymoon', that beautiful holiday taken by parents-to-be before their little one's arrival, was added as an extra definition of the term.
Originally 'babymoon' was used to describe the period of time after a baby's birth when parents focus on bonding with their precious bundle of joy, but that use has been eclipsed by the new meaning.
Some parent slang made its way into the latest OED update, including 'pump and dump', meaning, of course, to express one's breast milk and throw it out instead of giving it to your child.
The OED team also included 'too posh to push', a derisive British phrase referring to women who have elective c-sections. Apparently, the term was coined by the Daily Mail in the late 1990s.
And in case you were still wondering what a 'diaper cake' is, it's the term for a gift given to expecting parents (usually at a baby shower), with nappies and other baby gifts arranged like a tiered cake.
The term 'nappy cake' exists too but isn't as widely used or included in the update.
That's us just scratching the surface of OED's new parenting-related terms! A full list of words that will be added in April, pertaining to parenting and other subjects, can be found here.
Do any of the additions surprise you, mums? What's your favourite mum-related word?
