also: あとはら
afterbirth pains; afterpains
Medical/obstetric term for uterine contractions after childbirth. Not an everyday word; used in clinical or explanatory contexts.
After childbirth, afterpains may continue.
repercussions; consequences; aftermath
Figurative extension: unpleasant results or troubles that come after an event, like lingering pain. Often used in the phrase 後腹が痛む (to suffer the consequences).
child from a later wife
Historical/archaic term for a child born to a second or subsequent wife, contrasted with 先腹 (child from a previous wife). Rare in modern usage outside historical or literary contexts.
See also: 先腹
I'm still feeling the repercussions of that decision.
He suffered the consequences of his careless remark.
In old documents, inheritance by a child from a later wife is recorded.
Standard kanji spelling. Reading あとばら is more common than あとはら.
Alternate reading; less common. May be encountered in older texts or specific contexts.
Compound of 後 (あと, 'after') and 腹 (はら, 'belly'). The literal meaning 'after-belly' gave rise to the medical sense of afterpains, then extended figuratively to repercussions. The 'child from a later wife' sense is a historical usage derived from the idea of a later pregnancy.