How do we decide whether to become parents? Leah Green speaks to people in the middle of making the biggest decision of their lives. She encounters unexpected sources of doubt, explores therapy that is meant to ease it, and confronts the risk of having a ‘problem child’

Becoming a parent is a big decision for everyone but, for some, it can seem insurmountable. With the UK’s birthrate in decline, more people are looking at parenting as something they can opt out of. But for many people, the indecision becomes a problem.

Thousands of Guardian readers responded to a callout asking for their views on parenting. Leah Green spoke to respondents, whether they were on the fence over the baby question, or had experienced the ‘worst case scenario’ with their kids. She speaks to ‘maybe baby life coach’ Beth Follini, who guides people through their decision, and she speaks to her own mother, who tries to sell parenting to her.

Special thanks to Rachel Obordo and Caroline Bannock on the Guardian Community team. For more on this, we heard from some readers who revealed why they chose to be parents - or not.

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