BROADCASTS.com

b"

It is estimated that 1 in 7 UK couples struggle to conceive but what impact do religious beliefs and cultural practices have on those who can not or choose not to have children.

Aleem Maqbool speaks to Lizzie Lowrie about her experience of baby loss and miscarriage and how her faith and church community brought both challenges and support.

Her story sparks a discussion on what it means to live without children in different belief systems and how the faith community responds. Aleem discusses different approaches to childlessness with:

Vik Singh, who, with his wife, Sarina, set up The Himmat Collective to support Punjabi Communities struggling with fertility issues, after their own difficulties starting a family, Dr Dawn Llewellyn, Associate Professor in Religion and Gender at the University of Chester and Farah Dualeh author of Taking Control: A Muslim Woman's Guide to Surviving Infertility.

Producer: Katharine Longworth\\nAssistant Producer: Dave James