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Mothers – where would we be without them?
When we’re little, they’re there to feed and clothe us, kiss our bumps and bruises and scare away any monsters hiding under the bed. When we’re teenagers, they’re more of an emergency bank and taxi company. As we reach adulthood, our mums become our best friends – someone we confide in and turn to for advice, support and the occasional gossip.
Parenting role aside, mothers are also partners, wives and girlfriends. Here are some facts about mothers that you may not know.
How old is the average mother?
- The average age at which British women are having children was 29.8 years in 2012 and has been increasing since the early 1970s. (Office for National Statistics)
Are all mothers married?
- Almost all women (96%) aged under 20 who gave birth in 2012 were not married or in a civil partnership, whilst only a third of women in their 30s had a child outside wedlock. (Office for National Statistics)
What about surrogate mothers?
How happy are mothers with their relationships?
- Mothers are significantly happier with life when compared to fathers and childless men and women. However, mothers are the most negative when it comes to relationship quality, relationship with a partner, relationship maintenance and happiness in relationship. Mothers are also twice as likely as fathers to say their child is the most important person in their life. (Open University)
How often are mothers having sex?
- A survey of Netmums users found that 24% of mothers have sex about once a week while just 0.5% say once a year – dispelling the myth that mothers rarely have sex. After giving birth, 27% waited six to eight weeks before having sex.
- The same survey found that 75.6% of mothers think that sex is one of the most important facts for a healthy, happy relationship.