Birth is a special moment that marks the beginning of life. It’s something every person goes through. Because birth is so important, people have created many expressions to talk about it. These special phrases are called idioms. They help make language more interesting and fun.
In this article, we will learn about idioms that describe birth. These idioms are used in stories, conversations, and sometimes even in jokes. You’ll find out what they mean and how to use them in real life. Understanding these idioms will help you talk about new beginnings in a more colorful way.
Idioms About Birth
1. Bun in the Oven
Meaning: Someone is pregnant
Example Sentence:
• My mom told me there’s a bun in the oven—we’re having a baby.
• Aunt Lisa has a bun in the oven and she’s super excited.
Other ways to say: expecting a baby, going to have a baby
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom compares a baby growing inside a mother to bread baking in an oven.
Usage: Used when someone is pregnant.
2. Born with a Silver Spoon in One’s Mouth
Meaning: Born into a rich or lucky family
Example Sentence:
• He never had to work hard—he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
• Some kids are born with a silver spoon in their mouth and get everything they want.
Other ways to say: born lucky, born into money
Fun Fact/Origin: In the past, wealthy families gave silver spoons to babies at birth.
Usage: Used to talk about people who grow up with money or privilege.
3. Labor of Love
Meaning: A task done because you care, not for pay
Example Sentence:
• Grandma’s quilt for the baby was a labor of love.
• Painting the nursery was a labor of love for my parents.
Other ways to say: done with care, from the heart
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase shows love is the reason someone does something hard.
Usage: Used when people do something out of love, not for reward.
4. Bundle of Joy
Meaning: A newborn baby
Example Sentence:
• They brought home their bundle of joy yesterday.
• Everyone wanted to hold the tiny bundle of joy.
Other ways to say: baby, little one
Fun Fact/Origin: The phrase shows how much happiness a baby brings.
Usage: Used to talk about a new baby with happiness.
5. Cry Baby
Meaning: Someone who cries easily
Example Sentence:
• My little brother is such a cry baby.
• Don’t be a cry baby just because the game is over.
Other ways to say: whiner, overly sensitive
Fun Fact/Origin: Often used to describe small children who cry often.
Usage: Used for someone who complains or cries too much.
6. Born Yesterday
Meaning: Easily fooled or too trusting
Example Sentence:
• I wasn’t born yesterday—I know that trick.
• Do you think I was born yesterday? I don’t believe that.
Other ways to say: not that naive, not so gullible
Fun Fact/Origin: Suggests that someone is very new and doesn’t know how the world works.
Usage: Used when someone is not easily tricked.
7. Baby Steps
Meaning: Small, slow progress
Example Sentence:
• We’re taking baby steps to get ready for the new baby.
• Learning math takes baby steps—one part at a time.
Other ways to say: small steps, slow progress
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from how babies learn to walk slowly, step by step.
Usage: Used when learning or starting something new.
8. Like Taking Candy from a Baby
Meaning: Very easy
Example Sentence:
• That quiz was like taking candy from a baby.
• Winning the game was like taking candy from a baby.
Other ways to say: super easy, not hard at all
Fun Fact/Origin: Suggests something so easy that even a baby can’t stop it.
Usage: Used when something is extremely simple.
9. Newborn Idea
Meaning: A brand-new thought or plan
Example Sentence:
• That invention is a newborn idea, still being tested.
• My story is just a newborn idea—I’m still working on it.
Other ways to say: fresh thought, early idea
Fun Fact/Origin: Compares new ideas to newborn babies just starting life.
Usage: Used when something is new and not fully developed yet.
10. Rock the Cradle
Meaning: Care for a baby or start something new
Example Sentence:
• She rocked the cradle as the baby fell asleep.
• The team rocked the cradle of a new project today.
Other ways to say: take care of, begin something
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from gently moving a baby’s bed, or cradle.
Usage: Used when caring for a baby or starting something.
11. Diaper Duty
Meaning: Taking care of a baby’s needs
Example Sentence:
• It’s your turn for diaper duty.
• Dad handled diaper duty all morning.
Other ways to say: baby care, changing diapers
Fun Fact/Origin: A fun way to describe baby tasks, especially changing diapers.
Usage: Used when caring for a baby, especially with diaper changes.
12. Start from Scratch
Meaning: Begin again from the beginning
Example Sentence:
• We lost the drawing and had to start from scratch.
• They started from scratch after moving to a new house.
Other ways to say: begin again, fresh start
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from cooking, where “from scratch” means with basic items.
Usage: Used when beginning again with nothing.
13. Baby on Board
Meaning: A sign or warning that someone is pregnant or a baby is present
Example Sentence:
• The car had a “Baby on Board” sticker in the window.
• She wore a “Baby on Board” shirt to share the news.
Other ways to say: baby inside, baby coming
Fun Fact/Origin: Popularized by signs placed on cars for safety.
Usage: Used to show a baby is near or someone is pregnant.
14. Born to Do It
Meaning: Very good at something from the start
Example Sentence:
• She’s great at art—she was born to do it.
• He plays piano like he was born to do it.
Other ways to say: meant for it, natural at it
Fun Fact/Origin: Suggests someone has a special talent from birth.
Usage: Used to describe someone’s strong natural skill.
15. Cry Over Spilled Milk
Meaning: Be upset over something that can’t be changed
Example Sentence:
• Don’t cry over spilled milk—just clean it up.
• It’s done, so there’s no use crying over spilled milk.
Other ways to say: don’t worry about the past, move on
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from milk being hard to pick back up once spilled.
Usage: Used when telling someone not to worry about small mistakes.
16. Born Leader
Meaning: Someone who naturally leads others
Example Sentence:
• Even as a kid, she was a born leader.
• He takes charge like a born leader.
Other ways to say: natural leader, takes charge easily
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom shows leadership as something you’re born with.
Usage: Used for people who are confident and lead well.
17. Born Again
Meaning: Starting a new life or change in beliefs
Example Sentence:
• After his mistake, he felt born again and wanted to do better.
• Some people say they are born again after big life changes.
Other ways to say: fresh start, new path
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in religion, but used more widely to mean a new beginning.
Usage: Used when someone changes their life deeply.
18. Have a Baby Face
Meaning: Look young or younger than your age
Example Sentence:
• He’s 20, but he still has a baby face.
• She’s an adult, but everyone thinks she’s a teen because of her baby face.
Other ways to say: looks young, childlike face
Fun Fact/Origin: Baby faces have smooth, soft features.
Usage: Used to describe someone who looks young.
19. Baby Blues
Meaning: Sad feelings some moms have after giving birth
Example Sentence:
• She felt the baby blues after coming home from the hospital.
• The baby blues can make new moms feel very emotional.
Other ways to say: sadness after birth, new mom worries
Fun Fact/Origin: A common phrase for mild sadness after childbirth.
Usage: Used when talking about emotions after having a baby.
20. Born Under a Lucky Star
Meaning: Very lucky in life
Example Sentence:
• He was born under a lucky star—he always wins.
• She must’ve been born under a lucky star to find that job.
Other ways to say: really lucky, always fortunate
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from old ideas about stars deciding your luck.
Usage: Used when someone always seems lucky.
21. In Labor
Meaning: The time when a woman is giving birth
Example Sentence:
• Mom went into labor early this morning.
• She was in labor for eight hours before the baby was born.
Other ways to say: having the baby, giving birth
Fun Fact/Origin: “Labor” means hard work, and birth is a long, tiring process.
Usage: Used when someone is actively giving birth.
22. Baby of the Family
Meaning: The youngest child in the family
Example Sentence:
• I’m the baby of the family, and everyone treats me like it.
• Even though he’s grown up, he’s still the baby of the family.
Other ways to say: youngest, little one
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom shows how the youngest child is often seen as the most spoiled.
Usage: Used to describe the youngest child in a family.
23. Baby Boom
Meaning: A time when many babies are born
Example Sentence:
• After the war, there was a baby boom across the country.
• The hospital got busy during the baby boom years.
Other ways to say: birth spike, baby rise
Fun Fact/Origin: Famous after World War II when many babies were born in the USA.
Usage: Used when many babies are born in a short time.
24. Like a Newborn Fawn
Meaning: Moving carefully or unsteadily, like something just born
Example Sentence:
• After surgery, he walked like a newborn fawn.
• The toddler stood up like a newborn fawn, shaky but proud.
Other ways to say: unsteady, wobbly
Fun Fact/Origin: Baby deer (fawns) wobble when they first stand.
Usage: Used when someone is learning to move or stand again.
25. Born and Bred
Meaning: Born and raised in a place
Example Sentence:
• I’m born and bred in Chicago.
• She’s a New Yorker, born and bred.
Other ways to say: native of, grew up in
Fun Fact/Origin: “Bred” means raised or brought up.
Usage: Used to describe where someone is originally from.
26. Born to Run
Meaning: Naturally full of energy or always moving
Example Sentence:
• That kid is born to run—he never sits still.
• She’s born to run and loves every race.
Other ways to say: full of energy, made for motion
Fun Fact/Origin: Made popular by a Bruce Springsteen song.
Usage: Used to describe energetic or active people.
27. Birthday Suit
Meaning: No clothes at all
Example Sentence:
• The baby ran out in his birthday suit after bath time.
• He forgot his towel and had to dash back in his birthday suit.
Other ways to say: naked, no clothes
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to how babies are born without clothes.
Usage: Used in a light or silly way to say someone is naked.
28. Baby Talk
Meaning: The simple way adults speak to babies
Example Sentence:
• He used baby talk to calm the crying infant.
• She was speaking in baby talk to make the baby laugh.
Other ways to say: cooing, soft speech
Fun Fact/Origin: Adults often use high-pitched, slow words with babies.
Usage: Used when adults speak gently or simply to little children.
Quiz: Idioms About Birth
Instructions: Read each question and the answer choices carefully. Pick the letter that best matches the meaning of the phrase or expression.
Question Key
1. What does “bun in the oven” mean?
A) Someone is hungry
B) Someone is pregnant
C) Someone is baking
2. If someone was “born with a silver spoon in their mouth,” what does that mean?
A) They have great table manners
B) They were born lucky or rich
C) They love to eat
3. What does “baby steps” mean?
A) Running really fast
B) Moving slowly and carefully
C) Jumping up and down
4. When something is “a labor of love,” what does it mean?
A) Work done for money
B) Work done with love, not for pay
C) Very boring work
5. What does “baby on board” usually mean?
A) A baby is coming to visit
B) There’s a baby in the car or someone is pregnant
C) Someone is babysitting
6. What does it mean if someone has “a baby face”?
A) They cry a lot
B) They act like a baby
C) They look younger than their age
7. What does “born yesterday” mean?
A) Someone is very young
B) Someone is easily fooled
C) Someone had a birthday
8. What does “birthday suit” mean?
A) A fancy party outfit
B) Clothes you wear on your birthday
C) No clothes at all
9. What does “baby talk” mean?
A) Talking about babies
B) Speaking in a soft or silly way to babies
C) Speaking in another language
10. What does “baby of the family” mean?
A) A baby in the family photo
B) The youngest child
C) The tallest child
11. What does “born and bred” mean?
A) Someone who loves bread
B) Someone who likes babies
C) Someone born and raised in a place
12. What does “cry over spilled milk” mean?
A) Cleaning up a mess
B) Being sad about something that can’t be fixed
C) Wasting milk
13. What does “rock the cradle” mean?
A) Singing a song
B) Shaking something hard
C) Caring for a baby or starting something
Answer Key
- B) Someone is pregnant
- B) They were born lucky or rich
- B) Moving slowly and carefully
- B) Work done with love, not for pay
- B) There’s a baby in the car or someone is pregnant
- C) They look younger than their age
- B) Someone is easily fooled
- C) No clothes at all
- B) Speaking in a soft or silly way to babies
- B) The youngest child
- C) Someone born and raised in a place
- B) Being sad about something that can’t be fixed
- C) Caring for a baby or starting something
Wrapping Up
Idioms about birth help make language fun and easy to picture. These phrases aren’t just about babies—they also talk about beginnings, growth, and feelings. From “baby steps” to “born with a silver spoon,” each one has a story and a use in everyday talk.
When you learn these idioms, you understand more than just the words. You see how people think and feel. Keep practicing them, and soon you’ll be using them like a pro.
