I've done all 3. I worked full time with my first, part time with my second, and now I stay home with my 3rd. They all come with plusses and minuses. I didn't like working full time because as much as my husband helped out, I just always felt like I did more than him at home and with our son and I either resented him or nagged him to help more. And I felt like I hardly saw my baby. Part time was good in theory, but my boss really didn't cut my responsibilities. So I felt like I was doing the same job at work in less time and less pay with no benefits. No thank you. Now that I stay home, I feel like the divide between mine and my husband's responsibilities are more even because i don't have work plus the house and kids to care for. The only bad part is that I do feel isolated sometimes especially since most of my friends work. Like my husband is the only adult I talk to all day. And I get cabin fever sometimes because by the time I go somewhere it's like it's time for baby to nap again. I'm pretty introverted so I manage, but I think if I were a very sociable person it would suck.