” So you’ve chosen to stay home and take care of your baby. Do you have any regrets leaving your career? How are coping financially now that your husband is the sole bread winner? ”

When I found out I was pregnant in 2006, I handed in my resignation letter in less than 2 months. I did so without the slightest hesitation and when I told my husband about my intention he simply said “Go, ahead”. I expected the both of us to go into some kind of discussion first. Financially, we’re getting along fine but we knew things are going to get tight without my income stream and having a baby means increased family expenses no doubt. But I was surprised he supported my decision to resign. Come what may he said, just do what you think is best for yourself and the baby.

My reasoning for totally devoting all my energy and focus on my pregnancy didn’t sound convincing for my parents however. They were disappointed with my resignation. My father in particular, think I should stick with my job no matter what. Despite their rejection and a few arguments, I did not change my plans.

There is, however, another reason for letting go of my current job at that time. Getting up every morning and struggling with a job I don’t really like just to make ends meet is what I’ve been doing for the past few years. And I admit, the pregnancy was a good excuse for me to seek new directions in life.

People tend to say having spent years in building a career, all will be wasted if a woman decides to leave the workforce. Fact of the matter is, while you’re off the career track, inevitably your peers are probably going to move ahead of you. They’ll be learning new things and building their careers, deservedly so. You would be left out in learning new things and risk getting off the career track.

IMO, the impact of such reality will be harder to accept if you’re a COO of a giant IT or high tech company but come on, all I’ve ever done is administration clerk work in a bank and a real estate development firm. I honestly don’t think my type of duties would evolve so much in a few years that I will get left behind when I decide to go back to work. Frankly, I have little to loose so leaving my job is the least of my worries.

As what my friend once said to me, “Work is merely a part of life but don’t let our job define our life. Don’t live to work.” She left her job in 2001 when she had her first baby. She is now a happy owner of a small business selling accessories, trinkets and designer jewelry through a brink-n-mortar outlet and eBay. Good for her!