Natalie is a 32-year-old professional executive who has recently been given the opportunity of

Completing her M.Sc. in Training, Development & Research with an organization that values her expertise in her chosen career and has great confidence in her achievement of goals in their particular field.

She has studied hard for over a third of her life and has recently married a family-orientated

A professional man whom she loves. She now faces the dilemma of whether to pursue her personal goal

of completing the thesis she has started or to fall pregnant and hope that being a full-time mother will

satisfy her individual needs.

Natalie's mother and aunties have been pestering her to "do the right thing" like her friends from school

who by now all have at least one child. Remarks such as "When are you going to get pregnant?" or

"Surely you want to be a mother?" keep ringing in her ears.

Her biological clock has not started ticking for her but she is aware that "time is running away rather

than running out". Her work associates admire and respect her and support her in her studies, believing

that her achievements will assist them to gain funding in her particular area.

Natalie's father, who died just as she was about to start university, had always encouraged her to be

more than just a stay-at-home mother. He would tell her that she could achieve whatever she set out to

do. Natalie was extremely close to her dad and was devastated when he died, feeling that she hadn't

shown him how successful she was.

Even though her mother actively promoted her studies, she would love and accept her no matter what she did and Jess knew this; she had a nagging feeling that she wanted to be successful for her Dad and to prove that women can achieve whatever they hope for.

Case Questions

1. Introduction