38 Enlightening Facts about Mothers

Published September 26, 2016Updated May 8, 2025

Motherhood is one of the most powerful forces in both culture and in nature. From mythical moms to modern moms, these interesting motherhood facts are sure to inspire, shock and surprise you.

Gaia, or Mother Earth, was the first goddess in Greek mythology. She created herself out of primordial chaos. She also created Earth and the universe._[13]
The African Black Eagle typically will lay two eggs. After they hatch, the mother will just feed one of the chicks. The other chick is usually pecked to death by the other chick while the mother looks on._[2]
The mother who gives birth to the largest baby on Earth is a mother elephant. After enduring 22 months of pregnancy, she gives birth to a blind, 200-pound calf._[14]
A mother koala will feed her baby her own feces. Baby koalas—or joeys—haven’t developed the intestinal bacteria that help detoxify the highly poisonous eucalyptus leaves, which are a koala’s main diet._[2]
Polar bear moms put on around 400 pounds during their pregnancy. If the mother doesn’t double her weight, her body will simply reabsorb the fetus._[2]
A mother orangutan never puts her babies down and typically nurses them for 6 or 7 years, which is the longest mother/child nursing dependence of any animal on Earth._[14]

Mother's Day is second after Christmas for the most popular day to buy flowers

Americans spend $33.5 billion on gifts on Mother’s Day._[11]
One of the most famous mothers in literary history is Grendel’s mother from Beowulf (A.D. 800–1100). While she is nameless, she attacks Beowulf’s army to avenge the death of her son._[10]
June Cleaver, the mother in the TV show Leave It to Beaver, is the quintessential 1950s housewife and the archetypal suburban parent._[10]
Clair Huxtable (The Cosby Show), in addition to Angela Bower (Who’s the Boss) and Murphy Brown (Murphy Brown), helped introduce the high-powered professional mother to television in the late 1980s and early 1990s._[10]
Roseanne Conner in the hit TV series Roseanne (1988–1997) was considered an “anti-hero” mom. She was underpaid, barely able to control her children, and overweight. The show was notable because it portrayed a mother who led the household and whose likability did not rely on her appearance._[10]
In developing countries, complications during pregnancy and childbirth are a leading cause of disability and death among women. Over 99% of maternal deaths occur in developing countries._[3]
Approximately 800 women die each day from pregnancy-related causes during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum around the world. Of the 287,000 annual deaths that occur in developing countries, 56% occur in Sub-Sahara Africa, with another 29% in South Asia._[6]
In Chad, 1 in 15 women will die of maternal causes. In Greece, 1 in 25,500 women will die of maternal causes._[17]

Currently in the United States, about 15 women die in pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births

Although the U.S. spends more money than any other country on health care as well as on maternal care, it is more dangerous to give birth in the U.S. than in 49 other countries, including Kuwait, Bulgaria, and South Korea._[17]
African American women are almost 4 times more likely to die during childbirth than Caucasian women._[17]
There are several instances throughout history where children turned on their mothers. For example, Cleopatra III of Egypt was assassinated by order of her son Ptolemy X. Nero is said to have his mother murdered as well._[13]
There are about 2 billion moms in the world._[4]

Out of the 2 billion mothers in the world, yours is the best

According to the National Retail Federation, Americans will spend about $162.94 on their mom on Mother’s Day. After Christmas, Mother’s Day is the second most popular holiday for giving gifts._[11]
More flowers are purchased on Mother’s Day than on any other holiday except for Christmas/Hanukkah. Mother’s day makes up ¼ of all holiday sales of flowers and plants._[11]
The first Mother’s Day was on May 10, 1908, and was founded by Anna Jarvis (1864–1948). Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday in 1914. Jarvis would later lament the commercialization of the holiday and sought to remove it from the calendar. Mother’s Day in the U.S. falls on the second Sunday in May._[8]
The word for “mom” is “mama” in Mandarin Chinese, “mamma” in Iceland, “em” in Hebrew, and “me” in Vietnamese. Because one of the first utterances babies make is a “ma” sound, most languages around the world have that sound as the basis for their word for “mother.”_[7]
Historically, many mothers in Latin America shared a belief in an “evil eye,” or the power of an evil person to harm a pregnant woman and her child. New mothers will often dress their new babies in red because red is thought to ward off the evil eye._[9]

They may look cute, but hamsters are notorious baby eaters

While mother hamsters are cute and furry, they are infamous baby eaters. Indeed, first-time hamster moms may eat their babies if they feel threatened by them, if their babies are undersized or abnormal, or if they feel like they need extra nutrients after giving birth._[2]
Even though motherhood is becoming less popular, a majority of women still become mothers. Modern moms are more likely to be more educated, single, and older._[1]
Demographers estimate that half of all children will live with a single mom at some point before the age of 18. African American children are about twice a likely as the national average to live with an unmarried mother._[12]
Mothery's Day is celebrated in over 100 countries, with varying dates and traditions. For example, Eastern Europe honors their mothers on International Women's Day, and several Arab countries celebrate on the Spring Equinox._[4]
The most popular Mother's Day gifts are jewelry, greeting cards, flowers, and special outings._[4]
On Mother's Day, an estimated 122 million phone calls are made worldwide, making Mother's Day the most popular day for phone calls._[4]
In Thailand, Mother’s Day is celebrated in August on the birthday of the current queen, Sirikit. A type of Mother’s Day is celebrated in Ethiopia in the fall when families gather for several days to sing songs, feast, and celebrate in honor of motherhood._[7]
Mother's Day is the busiest day of the year for restaurants in the U.S._[4]

The day after Mother's Day is a boon for online cheating sites

On the day after Mother’s Day, there is a dramatic increase in mothers signing up on cheating websites, such as Ashley Madison. Unmet expectations from Mother’s Day may be the reason for the surge._[15]
There are about 152 million Mother’s Day cards sent every year._[4]
Wearing a colored carnation on Mother’s Day indicates that a person’s mother is living. A white carnation means that a person’s mother is dead._[1]
Mothers around the world face different challenges, but some common global concerns include guilt over not spending enough times with kids, feeling overwhelmed, and frustration at being the “default parent.”_[16]

Women who had their last child after the age of 33 had twice the odds of living to the age of 95

According to several studies, mothers who give birth later in life have a better chance of living longer._[1]
In Canada, working moms get a yearlong leave and 55% of their salary during that first year after having a baby. Additionally, they are entitled to the same job or a comparable one when their leave is over. Fathers are also entitled to 37 weeks of parental leave. In Cuba, new moms get 6 months maternity leave with full salary._[17]
Some of the worst mothers in movie history include Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate, Margaret White in Carrie, Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest, Aunt Petunia in Harry Potter, the Queen Mother in Aliens, and Norma Bates in Psycho._[5]