This episode examines what happens when faith stops feeling grounding and starts feeling like pressure. Stephanie Dingbaum shares her seven-year fertility journey, including the moments when hope became harder to hold than letting go, and what it cost to keep believing while the answer stayed no.

The conversation explores spiritual bypassing, burnout, and what happens when surrender stops feeling like strength and starts feeling like loss.

What This Episode Covers:

1. Why faith can feel fake when nothing changes year after year
2. How spiritual bypassing shows up during infertility
3. The emotional cost of staying grateful while still waiting
4. How burnout and nervous system overload affect desire and capacity
5. What changed when she stopped gripping the outcome

Guest:

Stefanie Dingbaum is a therapist and podcast host who spent seven years navigating infertility before becoming a mother. Her experience reshaped how she understands faith, surrender, and trust.

Connect:

Michelle @michelleaburke

Stefanie @stefanie.dingbaum

Keywords:

faith stops working, infertility and faith, spiritual bypassing infertility, seven year fertility journey, surrender feels like giving up, why faith feels fake, burnout and infertility, nervous system and fertility, identity crisis infertility, manifesting when nothing works, hot mess magic podcast