Have you ever felt angry at God because of your infertility? Have you questioned your faith, or wondered whether you needed to pray more, become more devoted, or somehow make yourself more “worthy” of the pregnancy you long for? If you have, this episode is for you. Infertility can shake you to your core — not only emotionally and physically, but spiritually, too. When the future you imagined feels further away than ever, even the beliefs that once brought you comfort can become complicated. On this week’s episode of InFertility Stories, we’re joined by Haneen Al-Mersal, a mental health practitioner who supports individuals and couples going through infertility, IVF, and pregnancy loss, using a culturally sensitive and faith-based approach. Haneen also knows this from the inside. After four miscarriages and a long IVF journey, she is now a mother to a son, and has experienced first-hand that her grief did not disappear when he arrived. Drawing on both her personal story and her work supporting Muslim women and men, Haneen opens up about the complex relationship between faith, grief, and the longing to become a parent. Together, we explore what happens when grief affects our relationship with God, why we can feel spiritually disconnected during infertility, and how we can begin to care for ourselves without feeling that we need to do more, try harder, or become someone different to deserve the future we hope for. Haneen speaks from an Islamic perspective, but much of this conversation will resonate with anyone who has felt disconnected from themselves, their partner, or something bigger than themselves while going through infertility. In this episode, we explore: * Haneen’s journey through infertility and pregnancy loss, and how discovering a genetic cause finally brought some understanding. * Why she started her practice and the challenges of finding support that understands both your faith and your grief when navigating infertility as a Muslim * Why so many people think they’re “too sensitive” when they are actually grieving * How infertility, loss, and the effects of prolonged stress on our nervous systems can leave us feeling angry, disconnected, or spiritually lost. * Why men going through infertility and miscarriage might be carrying more than they show, and how their ways of grieving may differ. * Three tools Haneen comes back to: co-regulation as a couple, understanding grief as waves, and noticing the stories we tell ourselves * How infertility and pregnancy loss can shape your experience even after a successful pregnancy and the arrival of a baby. * What Haneen calls “divine ease”: feeling lighter and able to live with any outcome, without wanting a baby any less * Why compassion can mean stepping back from the constant pressure to add more to your “must-do-to-get-pregnant” list and taking things off instead Links mentioned in the episode: Haneen’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haneen_fertilitysupport/ Haneen’s website: www.haneenfertilitysupport.com/ The InFertility Stories Podcast is for people who are still in the middle of their trying-to-conceive journey — not knowing how it will end. These are honest conversations about what it’s really like to go through infertility: the uncertainty, the decisions, the hope, the frustration, and everything in between. If you’d like to share your story or chat with us about an episode, we’d love to hear from you. You can email us at infertilitystoriespodcast@gmail.com, send us a message on Substack, or DM @infertilitystoriespodcast on Instagram. Welcome to The InFertility Stories Podcast. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit infertilitystories.substack.com
