- With Mayo Clinic certified nurse-midwife
Mary M. Murry, R.N., C.N.M.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Mary M. Murry, R.N., C.N.M.
Mary M. Murry, R.N., C.N.M.
Mary Murry is a certified nurse-midwife in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
Murry, a Cincinnati native, has been a nurse-midwife practitioner for more than 20 years and is an instructor at the College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic. She was a contributing reviewer and writer of the "Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy" book.
Her research interests include adult female survivors of sexual abuse, women's perception of pain in labor, and obesity in pregnancy.
Latest entries
- Foreskin: To keep or not to keep?
May 21, 2013
- Travel during pregnancy
May 7, 2013
- Gas in pregnancy
April 23, 2013
- Varicose veins and pregnancy: Legs and more
April 10, 2013
- You're pregnant! How will you share the news?
March 26, 2013
Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Pregnancy and you blog
-
April 28, 2010
Child care: The hunt for quality care
By Mary M. Murry, R.N., C.N.M.
Returning to work after maternity leave is a fact of life for many women. What's also a fact of life is the need for reliable child care. Depending on where you live, the search for quality child care could begin months before the baby is born — or perhaps even before you're pregnant.
If you're researching child care options, think about:
- Your budget. Know the cost of child care and how it'll affect your budget. If the expense is prohibitive, get creative. Perhaps you or your partner could adjust work hours or schedules to reduce the need for child care.
- Your expectations. Be open and honest with any prospective child care provider. When my first child was born, we lived in a small town in eastern Arkansas. The child care options were limited — and my expectations were unusual. I used cloth diapers when everyone else was using disposables and I breast-fed when everyone else was using formula. The ladies at our chosen child care center had to learn about frozen breast milk and how to handle the yucky diapers. I'll always admire them for their tolerance of my preferences and the way they truly cared about my baby.
- Your family. If a loved one offers to care for your baby, give it serious thought. Be prepared for the emotions that can accompany such an arrangement, however. I'm eternally grateful to my mother, who cared for my third child when I went back to work just six weeks after he was born (back in the days before the Family and Medical Leave Act). My mother did a fine job, yet she felt free to tell me all the things I needed to do differently regarding my son's care and especially his feeding. In hindsight, it was a small irritant — but at the time, my husband had to listen to a lot of griping on my part.
- Your satisfaction. If you're unhappy with the care that your child receives, explain your concerns to the child care provider and describe the changes you expect. If you remain unsatisfied or you're concerned about your child's safety, look for another child care provider. If you think your child has been mistreated, report the situation to a licensing organization or a child protective agency.
Of course, none of these recommendations are based on science or research. They're simply based on my personal experience and the stories other women have shared with me over the years. I'd love to read your recommendations for finding and keeping child care. Please share!
6 comments posted
July 26, 2010 12:06 a.m.
May I know the website of au pair? I am interested to inquire there for my children. It is really hard working and I can't even have time for my children. Please I need information. Thanks.
- Anne
May 6, 2010 12:01 a.m.
The Minnesota Child Care Resource & Referral Network helps families find child care and understand their care options. Their website, www.mnchildcare.org, has valuable information for families on the types of care available.
- Barb
April 28, 2010 4:19 p.m.
We too have had three Au Pairs now and can't imagine how we did it beforehand. We spent a few years shuffling children, paying huge day care prices and always feeling guilty that our children were a bit isolated from us, their home and subjected to the crazy work schedules we both have to keep. Since going the Au Pair route, we have had such flexability, less financial obligation and most importantly the most wonderful young women influence our lives from three different countries. The support, love, consistency and culture this has brought to our children is without question one of the best things we have done for them and quite frankly for our family overall! We too are with Cultural Care Au Pair and find them amazing to work with.
- Jennifer
April 28, 2010 3:19 p.m.
I'm a mom to 4 (7, 5, 4, and 7 mos) and have used sitters, family, a nanny and, currently, an au pair (through Cultural Care) to help me with my children while I work. My husband and I have been fortunate in having so many options open to us, but have preferred hosting au pairs over the others as it has proven to be the most affordable (esp vs a nanny), least fraught with friction (vs family), and reliable (vs. sitters). I agree with the previous commenter that it does take a few weeks to get the au pair up and running, but the amazing quality of care my children have received is more than worth it. We are currently hosting an amazing au pair from Switzerland who has been with us since just before our youngest was born. I can honestly say that she has made returning to work a positive experience as I can leave not only my older children, but my baby, with someone who truly cares about their welfare, happiness and safety.
- Sierra
April 28, 2010 3:14 p.m.
I've used au pairs through Cultural Care for 15 years since my teenagers were newborns and it's been a wonderful choice for our family. They become a true family member and provide the reliability and flexibility we couldn't find with a local nanny. They were all very responsible, intelligent and willing to run around with the kids and handle a changing work schedule. I have enjoyed the experience so much that I now help other families find the right fit for them. If you need any advice on how to find a great au pair, let me know.
- Katrina
April 28, 2010 3:02 p.m.
I have used an au pair through Cultural Care Au Pair since my first child was born (she is now 7). An au pair is a young person from another country between the ages of 18-26. The program is regulated by the Deparment of State and the au pairs have a legal J-1 visa. This has been the best solution for my family because of the convenience of having someone live with us (we don't have family nearby) and the flexibility the program offers. (Au pairs can work up to 10 hours per day, 45 hours per week, but the host family determines the schedule). All of my au pairs have had good English and have truly become family members. We are very thorough with our interviews before selecting an au pair and once she is in our home, we spend a lot of time instructing her on how to things (laundry, preparing meals, how I like the toys put away). It usually takes a few weeks before everyone is settled in, but I can't imagine using another form of childcare.
- Sheila
Share on:
6 comments posted