Is it wise to quit work when you get pregnant? Two Asian mums share their views with Melanie Lee on this issue.

Pregnancy is a period of making important life decisions. With motherhood being an immense responsibility, one's career plans naturally also come under re-evaluation.A While some women decide to opt out of the rat race, others choose to both work and raise children simultaneously. Whatever the case, either option is a noble endeavour that has both its benefits and challenges.

For Audra Lim, 29, she initially thought she would continue her full-time lecturing job after giving birth to her baby daughter, Kayla, in March this year. However, one month after returning to work from her maternity leave, she decided to resign from her teaching position. It got very tiring trying to juggle the demands of a full-time job and being the best mum that I could. Either way, neither job nor baby was getting 100% of me. I finally asked myself what was the priority in my life at that moment, and the answer was a no-brainer, she recounts.

While mothers like Audra have to be more prudent since their finances have taken a hit, to them, the payback of spending more time with their children is priceless. I now have time to play, sing, dance and read to Kayla, while also spending more time with my husband and my extended family. By seeing things through my baby's eyes, (and how she loves to stare at the blue skies and listen to the pitter-patter of raindrops!), life somehow seems softer and something to be savoured.

Meanwhile, there are also mothers like Lyn Chua, 33, who still travels frequently for business as a Regional Sales Development Manager of an IT multinational company. She has a two-year-old daughter, Caitlin, and is currently expecting her second child. My job keeps me sane. I believe that every mother needs to find a balance between her baby and the world at large. I know a lot of mums who are like me.” we prefer the human touch at the corporate office, it is what keeps us happy. And I believe that a happy mum is best for the baby, Lyn explains of her decision to continue working even after her first child.

However, she also acknowledges that this arrangement works because of the support from her husband, mother-in-law and helper. I consider myself quite blessed to be able to have a successful career and a balanced family life, Lyn admits. Also, she makes it a point to drop everything when she gets home from work to spend time with her daughter. For both of these mothers, their paths are yet to be fixed.

While Audra is currently taking a sabbatical from work, she is exploring flexi-work options such as freelance training and short-term PR projects when her child gets older. I really hope to be able to have a work situation where people appreciate and develop my strengths, but also understand that I have commitments as a mother, she says. As for Lyn, with the second child on the way, cutting down on business travel is something she is seriously considering.

There's definitely going to be more mayhem around the house, and I want to be part of all the mess!