birth mother

noun

: the mother of a child when the child is born

specifically : a woman who gave birth to a child who has been adopted

They had turned to an open adoption after pursuing infertility treatments for 18 years, and the birth mother had agreed to relinquish custody at the hospital.

—Emily Nussbaum

Examples of birth mother in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bryson allegedly posted in a Facebook group where birth mothers connect with families interested in adoption, claiming that she was located in Houston but was willing to travel to hand over the baby, authorities said in the charging documents. —Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024

Kathleen Casey, McNulty’s birth mother, was now living in a small trailer in South Carolina. —Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 17 Oct. 2024

Unclear why that was hidden before, but Ruby is just happy to learn that her birth mother named her. —Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 21 June 2024

Soon after, Chelsea went to live with her birth mother in Wisconsin. —Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

birth mother

noun

birth moth·​er

: the woman who gave birth to a child especially as distinguished from the child's adoptive mother