SINGAPORE: Singapore singer Taufik Batisah’s wife and manager Sheena Akbal (pic) has revealed that she underwent six rounds of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and experienced a miscarriage.
Speaking on the debut episode of local podcast Couch Conversations released on April 8, the 42-year-old said she and Taufik, 44, have long hoped to have children, but have not been successful. They married in 2015.
While the couple once envisioned having kids, they have come to accept that parenthood may not happen for them.
She said: “Before we got married, we spoke about kids. At our wedding, he said he wanted three. I said two… Now, we have zero.”
Sheena co-hosts the podcast with local financial services director Nur Amirra, who is also trying to conceive.
The show focuses on personal struggles, including fertility and relationships.
Sheena told local Malay-language publication Berita Harian in an April 10 report that she became pregnant in 2023 but miscarried at six weeks, an experience she described as deeply heartbreaking.
The process of repeated IVF cycles, combined with hormonal changes, took a toll on her mental and emotional well-being.
Throughout it, she credited Taufik – who won the first season of local reality singing series Singapore Idol (2004 to 2009) – as a constant source of support.
“He’s been there from day one, every single appointment, even if it’s just drawing blood,” she said.
She said she decided to speak up after keeping her struggles private for eight years, partly to support others facing similar challenges.
“I was going to share my experience because IVF is something that you are never going to be prepared for. You can (read all you want). You can talk to people, but you need (to hear) first-hand experience to understand what is going to happen,” she said.
While she understands the public curiosity due to her husband’s celebrity status, she hopes for greater sensitivity.
The podcast follows a March 20 social media post in which she addressed the often-asked question: “When are you going to have children?”
She said such questions can be painful, as they bring back memories of repeated attempts to conceive.
She recounted how a stranger once asked her the question while touching her tummy.
“When things like this happen, it triggers me because it takes me back to that space... A piece of me gets really affected by it,” she admitted, adding that even casual remarks from strangers can be difficult.
Despite the challenges, Sheena said she has come to accept her circumstances and remains grateful for other blessings in her life. “Now, we have accepted that whatever is given to us, Mashallah, we’ve been blessed with so many other things.”
Taufik – who is also a property agent and owns a restaurant and interior design firm – and Nur Amirra’s husband Elfi appear as guests on the podcast’s second episode, released on April 15.
The star spoke about how he prioritises his wife’s well-being above his own, often deferring to her needs during the IVF process. “I will never ever blame my wife if... we don’t succeed (in having) a baby.” - The Straits Times/ANN
