Taufik Batisah’s wife reveals she underwent six IVF cycles, hopes to help other couples feel less alone

Sheena Akbal, the wife of Singaporean singer Taufik Batisah, has opened up about her infertility journey, revealing that the couple underwent six rounds of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and experienced a miscarriage.

In the first episode of a new podcast titled Couch Conversations, released on Apr 8, the 42-year-old entrepreneur publicly shared details of her experience for the first time. She co-hosts the podcast with financial services director Nur Amirra, who is also navigating infertility.

Sheena recalled that before marrying the Singapore Idol winner in April 2015, the couple had spoken about starting a family.

“He wanted three kids, I wanted two,” she said. “Now, we have zero.”

Prior to the podcast, Sheena and Taufik had shared lighthearted content about infertility on social media, including how they respond to persistent questions from relatives about having children.

In the episode, Sheena spoke candidly about the emotional toll of repeated IVF cycles and the miscarriage.

“It created a space in my mind that is not a good space,” she said, adding that questions from others can be triggering and bring her back to that difficult place.

She also shared experiences of strangers approaching her and Taufik, who is also a real estate agent and a business owner, to ask intrusive questions such as when they planned to have children, sometimes even touching her stomach.

Despite the discomfort, Sheena said she often responds politely and asks them to pray for the couple.

At the same time, she acknowledged that some people mean well and said she chose to speak out to support others going through similar experiences.

“IVF, trying to conceive… it’s a very lonely journey,” she said. “When I share about it, people who are going through the same thing will feel less alone.”

Sheena added that she has since come to accept her circumstances and remains grateful for other aspects of her life.

“Now, we have accepted that whatever is given to us… we’ve been blessed with so many other things. Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah).”

She also spoke about the physical and emotional impact of IVF, noting that all the changes to her body took a toll on her well-being. Throughout the process, she said Taufik was a constant source of support.

“He’s been there from day one, every single appointment, even if it’s just drawing blood,” she said.

However, she added that infertility can be a uniquely difficult experience for women, as they undergo the physical changes themselves.

In the second episode of Couch Conversations, released on Apr 15, Taufik and Nur Amirra’s husband joined the discussion to share their perspectives as husbands who are hopeful to become fathers, and men supporting their wives through the difficult process. In the candid episode, Taufik said how much of a "trooper" his wife is, and how in awe he is of her for having gone through the procedure multiple times. 

Taufik also shared on Instagram that he remains grateful for their life together despite not having children.

“I will never ever blame my wife if we don’t succeed in having a baby,” he said.

He also reiterated that he hoped people won't feel so alone in their infertility journeys. In a comment on the podcast post, he wrote: “Hopefully everyone who is in the same situation knows you’re not alone… May Allah ease all your affairs.”