Work–family conflict intensifies after becoming a parent, but does it hinder second‐birth intentions in Finland?

Objective The goal was to examine how work–family conflict trajectories, namely changes in time‐ and strain‐based work‐to‐family (WFC) and family‐to‐work conflict (FWC) across the transition to parenthood, are associated with parents' second‐birth intentions and whether these trajectories or associations differ according to the parent's gender. Background No research exists on how work–family conflict trajectories during the transition to parenthood are associated with subsequent childbearing intentions. Method We used longitudinal survey data from Finnish employed first‐time parents ( N = 269) in two waves (2020–2022), during pregnancy (Time 1) and 18 months postpartum (Time 2). Results The results showed an increase in time‐based WFC and FWC, and strain‐based FWC during the transition to parenthood across genders. Moreover, strain‐based WFC decreased for mothers but did not change among fathers. A steeper increase in strain‐based FWC during the transition was associated with more positive second‐birth intentions among mothers, but among fathers, the work–family conflict trajectories were not associated with these intentions. Conclusion The findings highlight that work–family conflict predominantly intensifies after becoming a parent across genders, but the intensification does not appear to discourage subsequent childbearing intentions for Finnish parents. Implications Support measures buffering first‐time parents' work–family conflicts should be manifested in work and family domains to facilitate the well‐being of families.