Mother’s Day 2026
will be celebrated on May 10.
I was reminded
this morning how significant the day is when I watched on old video this
morning.
Here’s a little
background
During the 19th
century, women's peace groups in the United States
tried establishing holidays and regular activities in favor of peace and
against war. A common early activity was the meeting of groups of mothers whose
sons had fought or died on opposite sides of the American Civil War.
In 1868, Ann Jarvis, Anna Jarvis's
mother, organized a committee to establish a "Mother's Friendship
Day", the purpose of which was "to reunite families that had been
divided during the Civil War." Ann Jarvis, who had previously organized
Mother's Day Work Clubs to improve sanitation and health for both Union and Confederate encampments undergoing
a typhoid outbreak,
wanted to expand these into an annual memorial for mothers, but she died in
1905 before the annual celebration was established. Her daughter would
continue her mother's efforts.
On
May 10, 1913, the U.S.
House of Representatives passed a
resolution calling on all federal government officials (from the president
down) to wear a white carnation the following day in observance of Mother's
Day. May 8, 1914, the U.S.
Congress passed a law designating the second
Sunday in May as Mother's Day and requesting a proclamation. The next day,
President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation declaring the first national
Mother's Day as a day for American citizens to show the flag in honor of
those mothers whose sons had died in war.[] In
1934, President Franklin
D. Roosevelt approved
a stamp commemorating the holiday.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_Day_(United_States)
Here is how the
old video came up this morning:
As of this
morning, I have published 765 log posts, and I normally check every morning to
see which ones were read by somebody the day before (even though I could also
go back further in time).
Yesterday, 4
people read the story titled “I want to be a rock star”.
https://tohell-andback.blogspot.com/2019/01/i-want-to-be-rock-star.html
It’s a fun video to
watch, and it is the most popular single release by the group Nickelback.
The same group
also released a video titled “Lullaby”, and it has a much more somber tone. It will
likely to bring a tear to your eye.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OjiOn5s8s8
Childbirth today
is much safer than it was 100 years ago, when the maternal death rate was 64.6
deaths per 10,000 births, or 646 per 100,000 births.
Today, maternity
death rates vary significantly by state., with higher rates
concentrated in the South and lower rates in the Northeast and West. Data from
2019-2023 shows Tennessee (42.1), Louisiana (40.7), and Mississippi (39.7)
have the highest rates, while California (10.1) and Minnesota (14.1) have the
lowest, per 100,000 live births.
The link below goes into a LOT more
detail:
These states often have higher rates due to limited access
to reproductive care and high rates of underlying health conditions.
- Tennessee: ~42.1 per 100,000 live births
- Louisiana:
~40.7 per 100,000
- Mississippi: ~39.7 per 100,000
- Alabama: ~38.6 per 100,000 (2018-2022 data)
- Arkansas: ~38.3 per 100,000 (2018-2022 data)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | CDC (.gov) +1
Lowest
Maternal Mortality Rates (approx. 2019–2023)
These states often have higher investment in health
coverage, reproductive care, and social support.
Becker's Hospital Review +2
- California: ~10.1 per 100,000
- Minnesota: ~14.1 per 100,000
- Massachusetts: ~16.4 per 100,000 (2018-2022 data)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | CDC (.gov)
- Regional Differences: The South has higher rates, often more than double those in other regions.
- Impact of COVID-19: Maternal deaths peaked in
2021 across most states due to COVID-19 complications, with some decline
in 2022-2023.
- Data Limitations: The CDC often suppresses data for states
with nine or fewer deaths to maintain confidentiality.
Medicaid
is the largest single payer for pregnancy-related services in the U.S.,
financing roughly 41% of all births annually. This represents more
than 4 in 10 births, with the program covering over 50% of births in several
states, such as Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
KFF +1
Key
Facts on Medicaid Birth Coverage:
- National Coverage: Approximately 41% of U.S.
births are covered by Medicaid, making it crucial for maternity care.
- Rural Impact: Medicaid pays for nearly half (47%) of all
births in rural, nonmetro areas.
- Postpartum Extension: As of January 2025, 48
states and D.C. have extended postpartum coverage to 12 months, according
to the Georgetown University Center
for Children and Families.
- Continuous
Coverage: Newborns whose deliveries
are financed by Medicaid receive automatic coverage for their first year
of life.
Remember the One Big
Beautiful Bill?
On July 4, 2025,
President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law. To partially offset the cost of trillions of dollars
in tax cuts, the legislation includes nearly
$1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid.
Medicaid generally covers children younger than 18 from
families with low and moderate incomes, pregnant women with low and moderate
incomes, parents with very low incomes, and individuals with disabilities. In
the 40 states that chose to expand Medicaid to adults with low incomes (at or
below 138 percent of federal poverty guidelines) under the Affordable Care Act,
young adults can qualify based on income alone. Otherwise, they must qualify in
other ways, such as being pregnant or disabled.
Extensive research shows
Medicaid covers lifesaving care for enrollees. It reduces
mortality, can help establish healthy habits, and can lead to higher lifetime
earnings. These benefits extend far beyond individuals.
But OBBBA leaves
the roughly 3 in 10 young adults ages 18 to 24 insured
through Medicaid vulnerable to losing coverage.
Eventually, of
course, the damage caused by the OBBBA can be reversed, but it will be a long
process, and it can only come when the balance of power in this country shifts to
the political party than has the correct priorities.
As of 2023–2024, the highest maternal mortality rates are
concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, with South Sudan (approx. 1,223 per
100,000 live births), Chad (1,063), and Nigeria (1,047) having the highest
rates globally. These nations suffer from limited access to skilled care and
emergency obstetric services, with 70% of global maternal deaths occurring in
this region.
UNICEF Data +2
Countries
with Highest Maternal Mortality Ratios (2020-2023 data):
- South Sudan: Frequently cited as having the highest rate, with estimates
around 1,223 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Chad: High
mortality rate of 1,063 per 100,000 births.
- Nigeria: Extremely
high rate (1,047 per 100,000) and accounts for a significant portion of
global maternal deaths.
- Central African Republic: Reported with 1,296 deaths per 100,000 in certain 2020
estimates.
- Somalia: Data
indicates a very high lifetime risk of maternal death (1 in 30).
African Health Observatory +2
Key
Regional Concentration
Sub-Saharan Africa bears the highest burden, with 454 maternal deaths per
100,000 live births. Other nations with elevated rates, though often lower than
the top African countries, include Afghanistan.
Wikipedia +1
Key
Factors Driving Mortality
- Limited Healthcare Access: Lack of skilled attendants,
antenatal care, and emergency obstetric care.
- Conflict and Instability: High-risk areas like South
Sudan and Somalia have broken healthcare systems.
- Economic Factors: Poverty restricts access to necessary health
services.
UNICEF Data +3
The maternal death rate in South Sudan is roughly twice what
it was in America 100 years ago – and that should give you pause.
Admittedly, the statistics about maternal death rates make
for some dreary reading, so here’s a thought:
If you know anyone who is a mother, treat them like a queen,
because they deserve it.
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