Expand: date=October 2008

Biological

In the case of a mammal such as a human, the biological mother gestates a fertilized ovum, which is called first an embryo, and then a fetus. This gestation occurs in the mother's uterus from conception until the fetus is sufficiently developed to be born. The mother then goes into labor and gives birth. Once the child is born, the mother produces milk in a process called lactation to feed the child; often the mother's breast milk is the child's sole nourishment for the first year or more of the child's life.

Title

Social role

Mothers have historically fulfilled the primary role in the raising of children, but since the late 20th century, the role of the father in child care has been given greater prominence in most Western countries.

Experience

The experience of motherhood varies greatly depending upon location. The organization Save the Children has ranked the countries of the world, and found that Scandinavian countries are the best places to be a mother, whereas countries in sub-Saharan Africa are the worst. A mother in the bottom 10 countries is over 750 times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth, compared to a mother in the top 10 countries, and a mother in the bottom 10 countries is 28 times more likely to see her child die before reaching his or her first birthday.

Religious

Most of the major world religions define tasks or roles for mothers through either religious law or through the deification or glorification of mothers who served in substantial religious events. There are many examples of religious law relating to mothers and women. Some major world religions which have specific religious law or scriptural canon regarding mothers include Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Some examples of glorification or deification include Mary for Christians, the Hindu Mother Goddess, or Demeter of ancient Greek belief.

Synonyms and translations

The proverbial "first word" of an infant often sounds like "ma" or "mama". This strong association of that sound with "mother" has persisted in nearly every language on earth, countering the natural localization of language.

Familiar or colloquial terms for mother in English are:

• mom or mommy, in most of North America (especially the U.S.). It is used widely in the West Midlands, in the UK.
• mum or mummy, is used in the UK, Canada, Netherlands, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand
• Ma, Mam or Mammy is used in Ireland and sometimes in the UK and the US.
• Maa, Amaa, Mata is used in India and sometimes in neighboring countries, originating from the Sanskrit matrika and mata
• "mama" is used in many countries, but is considered a Spanish form of "mother"