travail

(n) concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of contractions to the birth of a child
- she was in labor for six hours
childbed, confinement, lying-in, parturiency, labour, labor,
(n) use of physical or mental energy; hard work
- he got an A for effort
- they managed only with great exertion
elbow grease, exertion, effort, sweat,

(v) work hard
- She was digging away at her math homework
- Lexicographers drudge all day long
drudge, labour, moil, toil, fag, labor, dig, grind,

drudge labour moil toil fag labor dig grind childbed confinement lying-in parturiency elbow grease exertion effort sweat