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What is the right sentence to tell others my wife already delivered a baby

My wife already got delivered

or

My wife already delivered

or

is there any better way to communicate

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  • It depends on whether she was an obstetrician or pregnant.
    – Mark Beadles
    Commented Aug 10, 2017 at 17:07
  • Can you give us some context for the situation where you want to use this sentence? Usually, already in this kind of sentence would indicate that the event happened surprisingly (to the listener) early.
    – 1006a
    Commented Aug 10, 2017 at 17:07
  • If your friends already knew she was pregnant, just say "it's a boy/girl".
    – Centaurus
    Commented Aug 10, 2017 at 17:08
  • I would suggest using "gave birth" to avoid the issue. See this article, including the footnote. The Cambridge English Dictionary offers both meanings.
    – vpn
    Commented Aug 10, 2017 at 17:10
  • My wife had her baby! ... Our baby was born today at 3:05 am.
    – Jim
    Commented Aug 10, 2017 at 17:11

3 Answers 3

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I wouldn't use delivered. The only way would be "My wife was delivered of a baby" and that sounds very dated.

"My wife has given birth." is a more normal phrasing. In speaking, something more direct is possible

"I'm a father!!" is simple and direct.

In a formal announcement something like

Tom and Mary are pleased to announce the birth of a daughter.

The baby (or use the baby's name) was born at 3am on the 10th of April and weighed 2.9kg

Mother and baby are both doing well" (this is a conventional formula to reassure that everything is fine)

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The baby got delivered. Your wife delivered him/her. The second construction is best.

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This is a highly pertinent question. The verb "to deliver" when related to childbirth is quite complex. Indeed there is a relevant previous question on EL & U namely When did a mother giving birth become the deliverer and not the deliveree?

As the OED makes clear, deliver (when speaking of childbirth) has two distinct senses - 3a and 3b.

3a:

To disburden (a woman) of the fœtus, to bring to childbirth; in pass., to give birth to a child or offspring. Rarely said of beasts. (The active is late and chiefly in obstetrical use.)

and in OED sense 3b:

b. pass. Of the offspring: To be brought forth (lit. and fig.).

Thus what happens is that the doctor/midwife delivers the mother (sense 3a), and in sense 3b the mother delivers the baby. And as you will see from the examples of 3a. the mother is often said to have been delivered of her baby. The point about deliver (when used in this way) is that it means to liberate or set free

OED examples of 3a:

c1325 Metr. Hom. 63 For than com tim Mari mild Suld be deliuerd of hir child.

a1400 (▸a1325) Cursor Mundi (Fairf. 14) l. 5562 Þer wimmen..ar deliuered be þaire awen sliȝt.

1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. lxxi. 53 Tyme come that she shold be delyuered and bere a child.

1484 Caxton tr. Subtyl Historyes & Fables Esope i. ix A bytche which wold lyttre and be delyured of her lytyl dogges.

1568 E. Tilney Brief Disc. Mariage (new ed.) sig. Cviij To have thy wyfe with childe safely delyvered.

a1616 Shakespeare Winter's Tale (1623) ii. ii. 28 She is, something before her time, deliuer'd .

1676 J. Cooke Mellificium Chirurg. (ed. 3) 682 The third time they sent, and beg'd I would deliver her.

1754–64 W. Smellie Treat. Midwifery I. Introd. 70 A better method of delivering in laborious and preternatural cases.

1805 Med. & Physical Jrnl. 14 521 By making an incision in the urethra..the patient might be delivered.

c1850 Arabian Nights (Rtldg.) 448 The queen..was in due time safely delivered of a prince.

OED examples of 3b.

1581 G. Pettie tr. S. Guazzo Ciuile Conuersat. (1586) i. 12 All beastes so soone as they are delivered from their dam get upon their feete.

1609 Shakespeare Sonnets lxxvii. sig. F Those children nurst, deliuerd from thy braine.

a1616 Shakespeare Othello (1622) i. iii. 369 There are many euents in the womb of Time, which will be deliuered .

Hence, in direct answer to the question you could say "My wife was delivered of a baby daughter" (sense 3a); or - my wife delivered a baby daughter (sense 3b)

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  • This does a great job of explaining the definitions without actually answering the question. Do you think that either of the options listed are good ways of phrasing this sentence? Personally, I don't.
    – Catija
    Commented Aug 10, 2017 at 18:35

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