Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This

Americans are expected to spend a record-breaking $34.1 billion on Mother’s Day this year — up from $33.5 billion last year. That’s nearly $260 per person on cards, flowers, jewelry, brunch and other gifts.

That’s a whole lot of love.

But while we’re showering moms with gifts, the systems that actually support them are crumbling — and they’re the ones who are paying the real price.

More Than Just a Number
Every year, about 700 women in the U.S. die from pregnancy-related causes. Yes, the maternal death rate dropped slightly in 2023 — but it’s still nearly twice as high as in other wealthy countries. And not everyone is equally at risk: Black and Indigenous women are 2 to 3 times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than white women — regardless of income or education.

The U.S. also ranks near the bottom among developed nations for infant mortality. And now, even the tools designed to help are falling apart. Case in point: the CDC’s Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) — a key source of data on maternal and infant health — was just shut down due to federal layoffs.

We say we want moms to safely deliver healthy babies. But less data means fewer solutions. Fewer solutions mean more preventable tragedies.

Bad to Worse
Potential Medicaid cuts could make a bad situation even worse. Medicaid currently finances about 40% of all births in the United States, providing pregnant individuals with essential prenatal and postpartum care. Cuts that reduce eligibility, eliminate services, raise out-of-pocket costs, or impose work requirements are likely to result in poorer outcomes for both moms and babies.

Rural communities will be hit especially hard. And they’re already struggling. Since 2022, more than 80 rural hospitals have shut down their maternity units. Today, 58% of rural hospitals offer no labor and delivery services at all. That leaves pregnant people traveling hours for care — if they can get it at all.

We love to call moms superheroes — but even heroes can’t fly solo. Without a safety net, no one makes it through unscathed.

Sentiment Doesn’t Pay the Bills
The U.S. is the only industrialized country without a national paid family leave policy. The federal government mandates 12 weeks of unpaid leave through the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), but it doesn’t require any of that time to be paid.

Many states have created their own paid leave programs — but coverage, duration, and benefit amounts vary widely. Moms often head back to work just weeks after giving birth — not because they’re ready, but because they have no choice.

Childcare? It’s a small fortune. In Michigan, for example, the average annual cost of infant care is $10,023 — about $835 per month. That’s just 33% less than in-state tuition at a four-year public college. Then there are the waitlists for daycare — stretching  for months or even a year. And for  moms who stay home, the unpaid labor piles up — often unrecognized.

We say we value moms. But the gap between our words and our policies is massive — and growing.

What the Heart Sees
Behind every brunch is a mom quietly juggling broken systems. Behind every bouquet is a family just trying to get by.

As Antoine de Saint-Exupery writes in the The Little Prince:

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

This year, let’s toast to moms — and fight for the policies that truly honor them.

Happy reading,

Suzanne Daniels

Enjoy the weekend!

Best,
Suzanne
Suzanne Daniels, Ph.D.
AEPC President
P.O. Box 1416
Birmingham, MI 48012
Office: (248) 792-2187
Email: [email protected]