The Netherlands has the highest rate of home births in the Western world with about one-third of babies born at home. Built into the Dutch system is the kraamzorg, a nurse service where a visiting nurse comes to the house for the first seven to ten days after birth to help take care of mother and child. It is no wonder the Netherlands is one of the top ten countries in the world to be a mother, ranking 9th in the Mother’s Index. Also contributing to the ranking are high scores in health, education (17 average years of schooling for females) and women’s political participation in national government (39%), as well as fully paid maternity leave.
Kumba stands in the doorway of her home in one of the most dangerous places in the world to be pregnant, due to a protracted civil war that damaged Liberia’s health infrastructure. There are only 400 trained midwives in a country with a population of 3.5 million. Women in Liberia share very little information about their pregnancy with others, as a way to protect themselves from evil spirits or spells. Many superstitions surround pregnancy, including avoiding the ingestion of sheep meat, which is believed to cause a breech baby. A mother’s chance of dying in childbirth are 1 in 20, placing Liberia at 144 in the Mother’s Index.
Serbia has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe. One married couple in Serbia has 0.81 children on average, and to renew the population, at least four children per family is recommended. With generous maternity benefits of one year at 100% pay, Serbia ranks 37 in the Mother’s Index. The featured mother-to-be is the artist of the painting behind her.
Baby showers were once traditionally taboo among Israeli Jews, as gifts were thought to draw the attention of dark spirits, although attitudes have been changing. Jewish law does not forbid gifts for an unborn child, but custom effectively prohibits them. Many Orthodox Jews will not utter the name of a baby until the baby is born, for fear of inviting the evil eye. Israel is not listed in the Mother’s Index.
Friends for many years, the two women in this photo were in Thailand celebrating the wedding of the woman on the left, Alana. Five months pregnant, Alana is Australian and lives in Melbourne with her Uruguayan husband, Jose. The woman on the right is Susan, a British woman from London, married to a caucasian husband Jerome. The women met in Amsterdam. Although the babies’ due dates were four weeks apart, Caesar and Levi were born, in London and Melbourne respectively, on exactly the same day, February 11, 2011.
Seven months pregnant, Rebecca is among the 3% of American mothers who will give birth to twins (out of more than four million babies born in the U.S. each year). The U.S. has the poorest maternity leave benefits–both in terms of duration and percentage of wages paid–of any wealthy country, with all 43 of the developed countries (tier 1) boasting better maternity laws. The U.S. ranks 31 in the Mother’s Index.
Midwives perform approximately 40% of deliveries in Indonesia. After birth, the umbilical cord is often buried with a coconut, palm or avocado sapling, and the tree’s health is said to depend on that of the baby. 75% of Indonesian births are attended by a skilled health professional, and 57% of women use modern contraception–placing Indonesia at 98 on the Mother’s Index.
Under the social initiative “Niño Jesus,” the Venezuelan government completed several projects in 2010 aimed at improving conditions for pregnant women. The initiative offers services to women that were previously unaffordable, including high level ultrasounds, testing fetuses for illness and deformities and genetic testing. With 95% of Venezuelan births attended by a skilled health professional and 17% participation of women in national government, Venezuela falls at 65 on the Mother’s Index. It received low scores in women’s economic status, with women earning 48 cents for every dollar made by men.
The city of Taipei, Taiwan gives generous subsidies to married couples who are pregnant with their first child, like Shirley–shown here–who gave birth on the same day this photo was taken. The subsidies cover various examinations in order to promote maternal and child health. Taiwan is not listed on the Mother’s Index.
Indian law forbids disclosure of a child’s gender before birth because of the strong preference for boys. Despite this, there are 109 boys for every 100 girls born in India (UNDP). Indian pregnancy traditions involve a celebration for the expectant mother in the seventh month where she is showered with blessings, gifts and prayers. It is considered inauspicious to buy baby clothes prior to the birth. With only 47% of births attended by a skilled health professional and other weak maternal indicators, India ranks 118 on the Mother’s Index.
Pregnancy cravings are taken very seriously in Brazil. If you don’t satisfy your cravings, Brazilians joke that your child will resemble that food. Brazil has one of the highest C-section rates in the world, with a 93% cesarean rate in private hospitals and between 30% and 50% in public hospitals. Brazil ranks 55 on the Mother’s Index–10 countries away from being listed in the tier 1 countries (out of three tiers)–with strong scores in all indicators except women’s political participation in national government (10%) and risk of death in childbirth (1 out of 860).
Mothers-to-be in France enjoy many benefits as part of their insurance, including pre-natal classes, visits from a health worker after birth and ten free physiotherapy sessions after birth. In addition, a variety of monetary benefits and allowances are offered to help offset the costs of diapers and baby gear. France holds 10th place in the Mother’s Index, with its fully paid maternity leave and high female life expectancy.
In Thailand, pregnancy is considered a “hot” condition in Thai medicine, therefore women eat warm foods, drink warm liquids and shower in warm water. 97% of Thai births are attended by a skilled health professional, and on average females enjoy 13 years of schooling. These positive factors are offset by low women’s participation in national government (14%); as a result, Thailand ranks 63 in the Mother’s Index.
Malika, who is eight months pregnant, will likely bury the placenta (“the globe of the origin of the soul”) in a special location designed to protect the baby, according to Cambodian tradition. The burial place is guarded by a spiky plant to prevent evil spirits from interfering with the baby. In rural Cambodia, a tradition called “mother roasting” is practiced after birth, which entails the mother sitting on a cot above charcoals to sweat out toxins. Only 44% of Cambodian births are attended by a skilled health professional. Cambodia ranks low on the Mother’s Index–134 out of 164 countries.
