Sentence:  This means that such factors as the health of the parents , particularly the <WSD>mother</WSD> , their ability to provide their children with the necessities of life , the degree of population density of a country and the shortage of housing facilities may legitimately be taken into consideration in determining the number of offspring . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)