Standing at the Edge: Before Fertility Treatment Begins

"The precipice of fertility treatment is like The Fool card in tarot-an entry point of infinite possibilities marking the beginning of a major life journey. It carries the energy of a leap of faith, where growth requires taking risks and stepping into the unknown. Optimism is interwoven with uncertainty and a surrender to forces beyond our control. In this stage, just before treatment, a great deal unfolds beneath the surface-psychologically and emotionally."

"The outside world sees this as a stage of logistics and medical planning, but internally, it's a huge emotional crossroads. People are often holding complex, competing emotions-excitement and dread, trust and doubt, longing and self-protection-all at once. It requires carrying this weight while presenting composure to the world. This hidden psychological labor can be isolating, as others may not recognize it as a stage of grief, hope, or transition."

"The reality, however, can look a little different. Take Lucinda. At first, she didn't notice, but as the months passed, the presence of her period felt like a letdown. "Everything looks fine! Your numbers are great. Just be patient, keep trying. Give it time," was the rallying call from her OB-GYN. Part of her held onto that, and another part felt slightly unsettled. She pushed away her feelings of doubt because she was "just being too anxious.""

The period immediately before fertility treatment functions as an emotional threshold mixing optimism and uncertainty, likened to The Fool tarot's leap into the unknown. Surface interactions focus on logistics and medical planning while internal experience becomes an emotional crossroads of competing feelings: excitement paired with dread, trust interlaced with doubt, and longing alongside self-protection. Many people carry this internal weight privately, performing composure even as they grieve, hope, and recalibrate expectations. Cultural narratives about conception as simple and automatic compound the isolation. Compassion and awareness can validate this hidden psychological labor and ease the transition into treatment.

Read at Psychology Today