GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - Parenting is tough - and while everyone has his or her own experiences, there is a lot we all share.
KARE 11 gathered moms from all over the Twin Cities to talk about the big issues in a group we're calling the "Mom Brigade."
So what's one issue EVERY mom has grappled with? Child care.
Child care costs
Minnesota is one of the seven most expensive states for childcare – averaging $340 per week for an infant in the metro.
"I was a hairdresser, which is commission-based, and it just doesn’t make enough to make child care worth it,” said Nicole Madden, a mother of two from Blaine.
In 35 states, the cost of child care for two children is higher than the cost of a mortgage, according to Child Care Aware.
“It’s huge!" said Sarah Siedschlag, a mother of two from Golden Valley. "How much more money would we have a month if we didn’t have to pay child care? It does make a big difference."
PHOTOS: Meet the Mom Brigade
Maternity leave
One mom commented that she believes the problem begins with maternity leave policies in our country.
According to recent studies, only about 35 percent of companies offer paid leave.
"You can’t get a puppy until they are 12 weeks old, but they want mothers to go back at 8 weeks," said Madden.
That can be difficult for all moms, but especially those whose children have special needs or need extra care.
"My middle one is special needs, he was born a preemie and very, very sick but I still had to go back to work," said Teagan Drayton, a mom of three from St. Paul. "So we had to hire a nanny because he was at home on oxygen."
For Allison Surratt, a mother of three from New Hope, the pressure to go back to work had tragic consequences.
"We have three kids, but my oldest actually passed away at daycare," Surratt said. "And part of the reason, we feel, is because we didn’t get to stay at home long enough to get him out of that window of the unsafe sleep environment."
You can find more information on pregnancy and parental leave policies in Minnesota here.