We explore how to hold yourself with care during fertility challenges, from the relentless decision-making inside treatment to the tender work of grieving and rebuilding if parenthood doesn’t happen. Counselor Sarah Roberts shares her 10-year TTC story and practical tools to separate good decisions from uncertain outcomes, honor ambivalence, and live a meaningful life either way.

• spring energy, clinic timing and why community matters
• Sarah’s decade of IVF, losses and the choice to end treatment
• naming grief and integrating longing without erasing it
• identity beyond motherhood and reclaiming other parts of self
• decision-making myths and separating decisions from outcomes
• practical models for clarity and handling ambivalence
• managing overwhelm, control loops and regret-minimization
• boundaries, self-compassion and gentle daily practices
• why the Melbourne Fertility Expo offers real access and safety

What if the path you’ve poured your heart into doesn’t end the way you hoped? We sit down with counselor and childless advocate Sarah Roberts to chart a compassionate way through fertility treatment, decision fatigue, and the possibility of a meaningful life—even if motherhood doesn’t happen. Sarah shares her 10-year TTC story, twelve reproductive losses, and the brave choice to leave treatment, offering language for grief that most clinics and timelines can’t hold.

We dig into the real reasons fertility decisions feel so heavy: myths about the “right” choice, the urge to control probabilistic outcomes, and the constant mental hum of “what else can I do?” You’ll hear practical decision-making tools that separate choices from results, honor ambivalence without getting stuck, and align next steps with your values, health, and resources. We also explore how motivation shifts over time—from early optimism to no-regrets clarity—and how to differentiate the emotional importance of a dream from the actual odds in front of you.

Along the way, Sarah models a kinder inner conversation: holding the part of you that longs to mother while reconnecting with the many other parts of your identity. We talk boundaries for baby showers and nosy questions, cultivating self-compassion as a daily skill, and finding community that replaces isolation with steady support. If you’ve ever wondered how to keep your heart intact while navigating IVF, or how to rebuild if parenthood isn’t your ending, this conversation is a balm—and a map.

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To find Sarah Roberts - 

website - The Empty Cradle is a healing community for childless women

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