Parenthood has strong effects on people’s life. Some of these effects are
positive and some negative and may influence the decision of having other children
after the first. Demographic research has only marginally addressed the relationship
between subjective well-being and fertility, and even less attention has been
reserved to investigate how the subjective experience of the first parenthood may
influence the decision to have a second child. Performing log-logistic hazard models
using HILDA panel data (2001–2012), changes in couples’ objective life conditions
and satisfaction within family and work domains after the first childbirth are related
to the timing of the transition to the second parenthood. Results show that partners
adopting traditional gender specialization in roles proceed quicker to the second
child; however, experiencing dissatisfaction in reconciling, in the couple’s relationship
and in the work domain negatively affects mothers’ probability of having a
second child in the future.