Every Mother's Dilemma

Melissa, a new mom, had every intention of going back to her high-paying career after her first child was born. The day her daughter came into the world, Melissa says her whole world changed. "Our eyes looked at each other, and I fell in love," she says.

After a horrendous pregnancy, Melissa doubts that she'll ever have another child and says she doesn't want to miss a moment of her daughter's development.

"Every day she's changing," she says. "Yesterday she just started gripping onto me, and now she's smiling at me. Someday when I'm a grandma, these are the moments that I'm going to remember—not the Rolex watch that I won at my company."

Maternal instincts are pulling Melissa in one direction, while passion for her profession is pulling her in the opposite direction. If she decides to quit her job, she says she'll miss interacting with clients, dressing up in a suit, working with cancer patients and making her own spending decisions. She also feels guilty about financially "bailing out" on her husband and altering their plans for the future.