Community Corner

Mother's Day: Fast Facts About Motherhood

University City Patch celebrates moms.

Anna Jarvis organized the first Mother's Day in 1908. Observances were held in Grafton, WV and Philadelphia. In 1914, Jarvis succeeded in pursuading Congress to designate the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

In honor of Mother's Day, University City Patch offers five fast facts about motherhood, courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau:

  • How many mothers are there in the United States? In 2008, there were estimated to be 85.4 million. (The Survey of Income and Program Participation, 2008 Panel Wave 2.)
  • How many children per woman? In 2008, the highest end of the spectrum was 2.6 children per woman, in Utah. At the low end was Vermont with 1.7 per woman (2008,National Center for Health Statistics).
  • What is the average age of first-time moms? In 2008, first-time  moms were an average of 25.1 years old (2008, National Center for Health Statistics).
  • What is the month with the highest number of births? July has the highest number of births, with 375,384 in 2008. (National Center for Health Statistics)
  • How many births were the mother's first? Forty percent of births in 2008 were the mother's first; 32 percent were the second born; 17 percent, third born; and 7 percent, fourth (2008, National Center for Health Statistics). No statistics were available on how many of the fourth borns whine about having to wear hand-me-downs.
  • How many births resulted in triplets?6,268 births of triplet and higher order multiple births were recorded in 2008, the lowest number reported in more than a decade. That number included 5,877 triplets, 345 quadruplets, and 46 quintuplets and higher order multiples. (National Center for Health Statistics) 
  • What's the most common day of the week to deliver? Tuesday, with an average of 13,415 births in 2008. (National Center for Health Statistics) 
  • What is the most popular girl's name? In 2009, it was Isabella. (Social Security Administration)

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