State of Motherhood

“Motherly exists to redefine motherhood and empower mothers to thrive. Our annual report not only gives voice to today’s mothers, but also equips them and their supporters with insights to advocate for change, working to ensure that every mother can find her footing—even when so many systems are failing her.”

– Jill Koziol, CEO & Cofounder of Motherly

For their future

If the last few years taught us anything, it’s that the world is changing and it’s changing fast. As we look to our future—and the legacy we want to leave for our children—it’s time to enact sustainable practices now, starting at home. We’re here to help, with pragmatic solutions from larger lifestyle shifts to smaller everyday habits to help you green your routine. Because their future is really in our hands.

“We will need bold solutions to protect the health of pregnant women amidst the extreme weather events occurring across the country.”

—Dr. Rosimar Rios-Berrios, mother and climate change researcher

“Once [people] take the first step and see they can make a difference, they will often continue, and this alchemy of turning anxiety into action will make them feel less afraid and more optimistic. Then, they’re involved in not just adapting to climate change, but stopping it as well.”

—Bruce Bekkar, MD, doctor and member of ecoAmerica’s Climate for Health Ambassadors Advisory Committee

Leaving our legacy

mom holding child in the air: our kids may not remember but we will

In the future, our kids may not remember this, but we will

mom teaching son- how to self advocate

3 tips for raising children who advocate for themselves

climate change: mother feeding daughter on the beach with toddler

It’s Science: Climate change is a women’s health issue

how to talk to kids about climate change - child holding a sign for earth day

How to talk to kids about climate change and sustainability

The Great Resignation continues for mothers

Nearly

2X

more women became SAHMs in 2023 than in 2022

52%

of working moms say the cost of childcare has made them consider leaving the workforce

64%

need flexible work schedules to return to work

67%

of moms spend at least $1000 per month on childcare

“If I am going to put my kids in full-time childcare, I need to be able to justify that with more than a salary that just breaks even after all the expenses that would arise from my returning to work.”

— Anna D.

Self-care looks different as moms prioritize sleep over sex and friends

51%

of moms report that they haven’t gone out with friends or their partner without their children in the past month

Nearly half

49%

of all moms report feeling burned out by motherhood

73%

of moms report they’re logging 6+ hours of sleep a night, up from 60% last year

54%

of moms report that they are having less sex than they were a year ago

“Self-care is all about purposefully carving out time for me. For too long, I tried to go without it, but I realize now that time for myself makes me a better parent.”

— Anne K.

Household and family responsibilities fall more on mothers than during the height of the pandemic

58%

of moms report they are primarily responsible for the duties of running a household and caring for children, up 2% over 2022

32%

report sharing responsibilities equally with a partner, down 2% year over year

The majority of moms

62%

report getting less than 1 hour to themselves each day

“As a woman, and a mother, you are essentially one person, who can only be 100% in one area at a time. Shamefully, women are brought up in society with the notion that they must ‘do it all,’ and that alone brings weight and guilt that can be crippling at times.”

— Sarah K.

Mental health is mom’s biggest worry

Nearly half

46%

of mothers are seeking therapy

More moms have sought mental health therapy in the past year:

46%

from 43% in 2022

1 in 10

kids are receiving mental health support

Top reasons for seeking therapy include

32%

anxiety

12%

depression

16%

relationship

15%

postpartum issues

“Accessing mental health care is something we have foregone. My insurance does not have accessible care and paying out of pocket is not a justifiable expense. Although we all could benefit from care, we’ve had to choose rent, food and gas.”

— Danielle L.

8 in 10 mothers worry about a recession and are making preemptive cuts

71%

report they are planning to cut back on spending

65%

will cut back on personal care/personal spending

72%

of moms feel stressed about finances

21%

of moms still receive occasional financial help from parents or family members

“I feel constantly worried about money and definitely have been way more reluctant to spend money on anything.”

— Sarah B.

The findings continue to validate that today’s mothers are parenting without adequate structural support. It’s time for public policies and societal expectations to catch up to the needs of today’s mother. Because mothers are the key to a healthy, functioning, flourishing society — and we can’t get there without them.

METHODOLOGY STATEMENT Motherly designed and administered this survey taken by 9,708 mothers through Motherly’s subscribers list, social media and partner channels. This report focuses on the Millennial/Gen Z cohort of 4,789 respondents aged 18-42. Edge Research weighted the data to reflect the racial and ethnic composition of the US female millennial cohort based on US Census data.

Time-lapse proves moms are never off the clock