Why is being a mother so expensive in the United States?

In the United States, the costs associated with motherhood, from pregnancy to childcare, are significantly higher than in other wealthy countries. The maternal mortality rate stands at 18.6 deaths per 100,000 live births, with stark racial disparities: Black women face a rate of 50.3 compared to 14.5 for white women. As Mother's Day is celebrated, Al Jazeera analyzes the costs of childbirth, maternity leave, and childcare in the US compared to the rest of the world.