Not everyone who gives birth embraces the word, for a number of reasons. Sometimes people have surrogates give birth. Sometimes moms and dads adopt and don't give birth. Sometimes people who give birth don't identify as women. I know people in many of these groups so I tried to write in an inclusive way. It's not that you can't use the word mother! I have a mother. I'm married to a mother. And no one is telling you what you can and can't say! _I_ just chose to use broader language. The amount of weird comments about it is weird IMO.