10 May The Facts on Mothers: Celebrating Moms! 

It goes without saying that mothers are vital to the fabric of society.

But why do the exact reasons moms are much needed and downright amazing actually go without being said? 

This Mother’s Day, let’s shout the sheer wonder of women creating and raising the next generation off the rooftops for all to hear, starting with this short list of highlights:

70-80% of expecting mothers experience nausea. It’s not all just glowing and gifts. 

About half of birthing mothers every year experience pregnancy complications. In addition, between 15 million and 20 million develop disabilities following pregnancy. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about a third of all U.S. deliveries are by C-section. 6-18% of those mothers end up with chronic pain in their scar.

The maternal mortality rate for 2021 was 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births. At the onset of giving another life, mothers risk their own. 

Every woman bleeds after they give birth. They can bleed for up to 12 weeks. 

A mother spends about 1,800 hours of her time a year breastfeeding, almost equivalent to a year’s worth of hours on a full time job. 

A study published in 2021 reported that breastfed children had an average gain of 3.44 IQ points. Mothers feeding their babies grow their bodies and their brains. 

The United States is 1 of 7 countries in the world with no guaranteed paid parental leave. Only 23% of private industry employees have access to paid maternity leave. 1/3 of U.S. women don’t take maternity leave. 

To review so far, mothers are doing extra work, while getting little to no days off, while still bleeding, after risking their lives.

Studies have shown that the sound of their mother’s heartbeat helps babies cry less, sleep better, and promotes positive weight gain. Being close to their mother is good for infant health. 

A mother’s smell relaxes their baby. The sound of their voice promotes brain growth. 

Doing it alone doesn’t stop a mother from passing down her awesomeness. Barack Obama, among many other famous and notable people, was raised by a single mother! The apple not falling far from the tree can be a good thing. 

Even here at Kentucky Youth Advocates (KYA), single mothers contributed strong legacies of themselves to our team. We asked KYA staff what mothers mean to them, and this sweet tribute was shared:

“My mom has been my best friend from day 1. I once had a high school teacher tell my mom during a parent-teacher conference that he wouldn’t at all be surprised if I grew up and lived next door to her for the rest of my life (I apparently talked about how much I loved my mom a lot). As a single mom, working a full-time job, raising two kids, and running a household, my mom instilled all my most important values in me from a young age: resilience, a strong work-ethic, and compassion above all else. She’s one of the first people I run to with my successes and failures and she’s the first one to celebrate me or give me advice. I’m so unbelievably lucky to have such a strong role-model who has shown me what unconditional love and true support looks like.” 
-Carli Mosby-Smith, Director of Strategic Initiatives

Here are a couple more heartfelt sentiments that were chimed in:

“I genuinely believe that my mom is one of the most amazing people on the planet. She is selfless, caring, nurturing, encouraging, smart, and creative. She gives to us fully from her heart, almost as though we are pieces of her that are outside of her body. She really is the rock and foundation of our family. I’m very grateful that I have a wonderful relationship with my mom and that we still have time to create more memories together.”
-Clarissa Mobley, Communications Associate

“My mom is my best friend, my rock, my #1 fan, and my confidante. Her warmth and the unwavering love for her family are things I will always cherish and hope to emulate for children of my own someday. I am the woman I am today because of my mom, and for that, I am forever grateful!”
-Melissa Collins, Youth Engagement Coordinator

We also couldn’t write a piece about moms as superheroes without acknowledging the extra hard work some mamas put in to overcome challenges to either becoming a mother, choosing against motherhood for themselves, their feeding options, or being a mother without having had a positive example of how to do it in place for them:

“I am trying so hard to be the mom I didn’t have and give my kids the love and support they deserve and need. Being a mother is the hardest job ever, even harder when you are still healing from your own past, but nothing can be accomplished by giving up. My kids are in their twenties and I still work hard to be the best mom I can be to them. I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow together.”
-Kathleen Niestadt, Strategic Initiatives Coordinator

Last, but not least, maternal nostalgia led to this spark of creativity through an acrostic poem:

Most needed person in the world
Open-minded and open-hearted
The best friend I’ve ever had in my life
Heart and soul of the family
Everlasting love and wonderful memories
Ready to help, support, and sacrifice
So very much missed and appreciated
-NIkki Thornton, Senior Director of Equity & Innovation

It’s clear the benefits of mothers do not end with babies and small children. In fact, a survey from CBS News found 24 percent of adult children thought they should call their mothers at least once a day. 

These are just a few of the many reasons why mothers should be acknowledged, celebrated, and supported year-round. So, what can you do this Mother’s Day for your mother, mother figure, or simply any mom? 

• Call her. Our children never stop being our babies no matter how grown they are. 
• Say “thank you.” While we don’t expect anything in return, appreciation goes a long way. 
• Give her a break. Seriously, we don’t get enough of those. 
• Take something off her plate. Literally. Wash her dishes. 
• Make her feel special. Standard knowledge is great, but why not make her a personalized list of why she specifically deserves all the praise?!  
  
  So from us with the Kosair for Kids Face It Movement to you, Happy Mother’s Day! 

Images courtesy of Pexels