Data

The maternal mortality and morbidity crisis is worsening, and we need better data to solve it. Since 2002, Listening to Mothers has provided concrete, quantifiable information about pregnancy, childbirth, the postpartum period, and infancy as described by new mothers themselves. The publicly available data sets have been downloaded thousands of times for further analysis.

Want to take a look under the hood? Here you’ll find our survey questionnaires, an overview of our methodology (coming soon), raw data sets (available 2027), links to past surveys and other maternal health reports, and more.

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Methodology Coming soon

Survey Questionnaires

Raw Data Available in 2027

Methodology Coming soon

Survey Questionnaires

Raw Data Available in 2027

Previous Surveys

Listening to Mothers I (2002)

Listening to Mothers I was the first opportunity for women in the U.S. to describe at the national level their maternity experiences and assessment of those experiences. The results have given health professionals, policymakers and mothers a new level of understanding about many important matters and have been widely used to improve policy, practice, education and research.

Listening to Mothers II (2006)

This survey was carried out in January and February 2006 in partnership with Lamaze International. It surveyed women who gave birth in U.S. hospitals in 2005. The report provides an unparalleled understanding of the experience of childbearing in the United States at this time.

Listening to Mothers II: New Mothers Speak Out (2008)

This report combines results from the Listening to Mothers II survey (see below) and Listening to Mothers II Postpartum follow-up survey, which reached most Listening to Mothers II participants six months later. It provides an eye-opening look at experiences of the lives of mothers with young children in the United States.

Listening to Mothers III: Pregnancy and Birth (2013)

2,400 women across the country responded to the Pregnancy and Birth questionnaire, and Listening to Mothers III: Pregnancy and Birth reports their views and experiences. Several months later, those participants were invited to complete a follow-up questionnaire, and Listening to Mothers III: New Mothers Speak Out reports their responses.

Pregnancy and Birth

New Mothers Speak Out

Additional Resources

Survey methodology
Issue briefs (in-depth review on topics of interest to women, consumers, advocates and policymakers)
Merged data set

Listening to Mothers in California Survey (2018)

The Listening to Mothers in California survey is a statewide population-based survey of women who gave birth in California hospitals in 2016. The survey provides extensive, timely, previously unavailable data about women’s maternity care experiences and views of their care. Learn more and access a digital report, full survey report, issue briefs, fact sheets, the survey questionnaire and other materials here.