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I don't know what I would prefer! If this pregnancy sticks, I'll be due at the end of May.

I know it will be very difficult for me to work full time or even part time with my current job (attorney at a law firm) but currently my husband is a surgery resident with a few more years left to go. So, I'll be working for the foreseeable future anyways. We plan to see how it goes with me working and eventually down the road I may cut back or be a SAHM.

I don't have kids yet, but I'm pretty sure when I do, I'll be a working mom, at least part time. I think I'd love to be a WAHM, but I know I probably wouldn't be as productive at home, and my job probably wouldn't support working at home.

Plus, I love my job and I love being able to interact with my coworkers. I'd hate to lose that. Plus I've spent too many years of school to stop working and be a SAHM. It'd be hard to get back into the industry if I quit working and one day wanted to go back to it, so I think I'll probably be a working mom, part time, and eventually back to full time as my kids get older. At least that's the plan!

Right now, I hope to be a SAHM (and then maybe make a transition into a WAHM, but who knows.)

My mom was a SAHM until I was about 4, and once she did go to work it was a place that was child friendly, and many days I went with her. Granted, I was shy and well behaved. She was such a hands-on mom and most of our time at home was spent learning. I ended up fairly advanced for my age... especially compared to the other children in our area.

I want to give the best to our children, and considering where we live, I think the best will be me.

This may, of course, all change once children actually come along! We'll probably end up playing it all by ear : )

I was a working (single) mom with my oldest out of necessity, but now I'm a SAHM with my youngest (thank goodness for my SO and his great job). But, when the little one gets old enough to start school, I'll go back to being a working mom.
So, I guess my preference is being a working mom, seeing as I've had a taste of both.

I'm in a similar boat as Winniebee...my husband is a pediatric resident and I don't see staying home or part-time as options for the next few years. That said, I love my job and I don't think I'm cut out to be a SAHM anyway. I am able to work from home but I usually go into the office because I find it distracting to be home with the kids there (we do a nanny-share), and because I don't have a dedicated home office so I work from my bedroom and by the end of the day I feel like a hermit. In a perfect world I'd love to have the option to dial back on work or go part-time, but I don't think I'd stay home full-time.

I would much prefer to be a SAHM, but I do like making extra money for our family. My mom was a SAHM and she was awesome at it. My plan right now is to get a flexible job that allows me to do some work from home, some work at an office. This may be teaching online, consulting, or something similar.

I hope this doesn't get controversial, but I am curious - for those of you that are SAHM or are planning on becoming SAHM, can I ask what you did/are doing before you became/become a SAHM?

I guess I'm curious because I'm an engineer and it's the kind of career where once you get out, it's hard to get back in. If I decided to become a SAHM, it's very unlikely that I'd ever be able to go back to engineering, or I'd have to go back to school to do it.

I think being a SAHM is wonderful and I'm jealous of all the ladies who are currently (or will be in the future) doing it! My mom was a SAHM until we were in school, and then she volunteered/worked part time until we were a lot older. But I don't think I could ever do it. Partly because we need the extra income from my job. But mostly because I know I'd never be able to come back to my career if I left, and I spent a lot of time, energy, and money to get where I am today, and I feel like it would've been all for naught if I left my career.

I'm curious how other people feel about this.

@adira - I work for a software company in a very specialized field. It would be almost impossible for me to get back into it in this area if I didn't have my job or another job to go back to at my current company. That's another reason why SAHM would not work for me.

I'm a working mom and I like to work but my commute is the pits! My little boy is in daycare from 7 - 6:15 and I commute 1 hour 20 minutes each way. I wish I had a 9-5 job, 10 minutes from my house.

@Adira - i feel my career is the same, it would be hard to leave and come back - I would end up working for the people that are under me now...i can already tell that because of my maternity leave and leaving early it has effected my career - i guess that is an entirely different subject though.

I'll be a working mom, but I'd like to eventually be a SAHM or WAHM.

Ideally I will be able to work from home when the time comes. We are hoping a combination of me working from home with a part time nanny will be able to be worked out.

I would be a SAHM if we were rich. Since we're not--I'd be miserable on the mini budget we'd have (it's doable, but I'd be frustrated). I never want to work at home--I would end up working 24/7.
So.... my option is to go back to work.

I'm a SAHM and my baby is almost 11 weeks. I never thought I would be a SAHM when I was younger, but when I actually started thinking about having kids, I decided I wanted to stay at home at least for a few years.

I was a practicing attorney for 7 years before I got pregnant...it was hard walking away from the paycheck, but I didn't love being an attorney and had no plans to try and make partner at a firm...and I love being at home with my daughter (for now anyway). I do have plans to do contract work down the road.

I will be a working mom but I want to be a SAHM. maybe in a few years...

I want to continue working (and need to since I carry the benefits for my family) but I wish I could do it at home full time. I spend about 90 min a day on my commute right now and just getting that time back would be amazing. I'm actually going to ask my boss to try three days a week at home once the baby arrives.