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Biology vs Career: Why Do We Have to Choose?

You're finally hitting your stride with your career. Things are happening! And then suddenly, it hits you: your biological clock is ticking.

5 min readBy Shivi Agarwal

If you've been following my journey, you know there's one word I haven't touched on much yet: BIOLOGY.

It's something that weighs on so many of us, whether we're climbing the corporate ladder, running our own business, or pursuing our passions in any field.

The Silent Struggle

It's like, you're finally hitting your stride with your career. Things are happening! You're making progress, chasing your dreams, feeling good. You've poured your heart and soul into building your career—it's your baby!

And then suddenly, it hits you: your biological clock is ticking. And you realize that maybe you want to have another baby. A real one this time.

The Strange Feeling

It can be such a strange feeling. One minute you're all about crushing those goals, and the next minute you're wondering if you'll ever have kids.

It's like, do I keep pushing forward with my career, or do I shift my focus and try for a family? And what if I miss my chance? The pressure can feel overwhelming.

It's not something you always talk about with people, but it's there—this nagging feeling in the back of your mind. Like a silent struggle.

The False Choice

This pull between wanting to achieve everything you've ever dreamed of professionally, and also wanting to experience motherhood.

And sometimes it feels like you have to choose. Like you can't possibly nurture both "babies"—your career and a child.

I've heard it from other women too. They talk about their careers as their babies, something they've poured their heart and soul into. And then they feel this pressure, this guilt almost, about wanting to have a child and potentially taking focus away from their career.

Like they'll inevitably lose at one or the other.

Why Do We Have to Choose?

But why do we have to choose?

Why can't we have a fulfilling career AND a family?

We're women—we can handle it! We can multitask like nobody's business!

What We Need

We need a world where we can:

  • Advance in our careers while raising a family
  • Have supportive workplaces that understand the realities of parenthood
  • Access affordable childcare so we're not choosing between work and presence
  • Feel supported, not judged, for wanting both

My Wish

I'm wishing for a future where women can have it ALL.

Where we can chase our dreams AND build our families, without feeling like we're failing at either.

Because we deserve both.

Let's keep pushing for that world—together.

Key Takeaways

  • The tension between career ambitions and biological timing is a real, silent struggle
  • Many women treat their careers as their first "baby"—and feel guilt about wanting both
  • We shouldn't have to choose between career and family
  • We need supportive workplaces and affordable childcare to make both possible

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