The month of March is recognized worldwide as Women’s History Month, and we have not relented in celebrating women all month long, and from all works of life. March 22, is the day set aside in Nigeria, to celebrate mothers. After all, they are the bedrock of every society.
Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the months of March or May.
It goes without saying that without mothers, nations and populations on earth would not exist, literally. Statistics show that there are about 2 billion moms in the world.
Celebrating Motherhood.
Through their amazing bodies, women are the ones who physically give life to human beings. The female body is the suitable environment for humans to be created, and medical developments nowadays, with all its advancements, can hardly mimic that perfect baby-development atmosphere. Please, let this sink in for a moment.
The Mothers day celebration is usually a well celebrated event all over the world, which is a good thing. However there are several conditions mothers around the world have found themselves that are less than stellar. These conditions are even more pre-dominant on the African continent.
About those facts; some are hilarious, others are shocking, while some are just heartbreaking;
Gaia, or Mother Earth, was the first goddess in Greek mythology. She created herself out of primordial chaos. The myth also postulates that she also created Earth and the Universe.
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.
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.
In Chad, 1 in 15 women will die of maternal causes. In Greece, 1 in 25,500 women will die of maternal causes.
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.
Currently in the United States, about 15 women die in pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births
African American women are almost 4 times more likely to die during childbirth than Caucasian women.
The youngest mother in recorded history is Lina Medina. She was just 5 years and 7 months old when she gave birth to a 6.5 lb. boy by caesarean section in Peru in 1939. Scary!!!
The oldest mother in modern history to give birth is Rajo Devi Lohan from India. She was 70 years old in 2008 when she gave birth to a baby girl following a controversial IVF treatment.
The mom with the most number of children is Mrs. Feodor Vassilyev of Russia. She gave birth to 69 children between 1725 and 1765. Say what!!!
Scientists believe that the hormones that flood the brain during pregnancy can lead to permanent alterations in mothers, similar to the way teenage hormones contribute to adolescent brain development.
Breastfeeding allows a mother’s body to create medicine for herself and her baby in real time, during the breastfeeding process.
During pregnancy, mothers and children exchange cells through their connection with the placenta. These cells can persist in the mothers body for years.
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.
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.
In Canada, working mothers 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.
In Cuba, new mothers get 6 months maternity leave with full salary. Do you think this can happen in Nigeria anytime soon?
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.
Finally, whether you still have your mother or not, do take out time to celebrate and appreciate every woman around you.