Ursula von der Leyen, then Germany's defense minister, reads in 2014 with 1st Lt. Patrick Schumitz and his son, Oskar, during a nursery opening at the University of the Federal Armed Forces, Munich. During a previous stint running Germany's family ministry, von der Leyen, a mother of seven, instituted new child care and parental leave policies. Christoph Stache/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Carol (Angela Bassett) shows up unannounced in New York City for a surprise visit with her adult son, Matt (Sinqua Walls) in the new Netflix film Otherhood. Linda Kallerus/Netflix hide caption
"I also learned that designated nursing spaces didn't exist until Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the House in 2007. This story often repeats itself: multiple organizations have changed their breastfeeding policies in recent years, but only when women came into leadership roles." Ayumi Takahashi for NPR hide caption
Small Animals by Kim Brooks. NPR hide caption
Dr. Marilyn Wong serves green papaya and pigs' feet soup, a Vietnamese dish believed to fortify new mothers. Grace Hwang Lynch for NPR hide caption
Are babies that don't fall within the "normal" birth weight range at risk of obesity? SDVincent/iStockphoto hide caption
In 2000, first-time moms were, on average, 25 years old when they gave birth. In 2014, they were a little over 26. iStockphoto hide caption
Melissa Mathis holds a container of freeze-dried placenta capsules. Carrie Feibel/Houston Public Media hide caption
A healthy baby still tops women's wishes for their future children, but intelligence and athletic skill are gaining importance. Claire Fraser/ImageZoo/Corbis hide caption
A doctor uses a microscrope to view a human egg during in vitro fertilization (IVF), which is used to fertilize eggs that have been frozen. Mauro Fermariello/ScienceSource hide caption
Bambi, Disney's 1942 animated feature about a fawn's life in the woods, has a heartbreaking scene many young viewers never forget: the death of Bambi's mother. Sarah Boxer wrote about the pervasive theme of dead mothers in animated films and children's stories for this month's issue of The Atlantic. Disney Junior/Disney Channel via Getty Images hide caption
Moms of young children don't have much time to go to the gym. But getting active with the kids is a win all around. iStockphoto hide caption
