Worst-affected parents may even be put off having any more children

Two-thirds of parents suffer unhappiness comparable to unemployment, the death of a partner or a divorce when their first baby arrives (file picture)

The patter of tiny feet does not bring joy to most couples, a study shows.

Two-thirds of parents suffer unhappiness comparable to unemployment, the death of a partner or a divorce when their first baby arrives.

The effect is greatest on well-educated and older parents.

And the slump in contentment that comes with the arrival of their firstborn stops many of the worst-affected parents from having further children.

Parents were asked to rate their happiness on a scale of one to ten in the two years before the birth and in the year after. They found having a child reduced happiness by on average 1.3 points in the following year.

Death of a partner or unemployment reduced happiness by one point, and divorce by 0.6, according to data from a survey of 20,000 people between 1984 and 2010.

Parents who were not made unhappier by having a first child were 14 per cent more likely to have another.

Mikko Myrskyla, of the London School of Economics and director of the Max Planck Institute in Germany, said: ‘Parents’ experience with and after the first birth help predict how large the family will be eventually.

‘Politicians concerned about low birthrates should pay attention to the well-being of new parents around and after the birth of their first child.’

He found that 30 per cent of participants were not unhappier after having a child.

However one-third saw their contentment fall by two points on the scale.

The sex of the parent did not affect their happiness levels, the study published in Demography found. The results were independent of income, place of birth or marital status of the couples.

Mothers and fathers over 30 and those with more than 12 years in education were especially influenced by their state of well-being when it came to deciding whether to have more children.

The slump in contentment that comes with the arrival of their firstborn stops many of the worst-affected parents from having further children (file photo)

Although parents did not give reasons for their unhappiness, Professor Myrskyla said other research showed new parents generally complained about ‘a lack of sleep, relationship stress and a feeling of loss of freedom and control over their lives’. Difficulties reconciling family life and work may also play a role.

Professor Myrskyla said that despite the drop in happiness after the first baby, people who do go on to have two children eventually increase ‘overall happiness in life’.

And in the year before the birth of the first baby, happiness levels rise in anticipation.