Secondary Infertility

By CNY Fertility Updated on
Secondary Infertility

Many people think that infertility is only a concern when trying to conceive your first child. This is obviously not the case, but unfortunately, many couples suffering from secondary infertility fail to seek treatment due to some external reason.

Many parents feel guilty for wanting another child so badly, while others have physicians who downplay their genuine concern by encouraging them to, “just keep trying.”  Some may even hear, “well at least you already have one,” or “you should be happy with what you have.” At CNY, we understand that secondary infertility is a real medical diagnosis and we are here for you in every way.

What is secondary infertility?

Technically speaking, secondary infertility is defined as the inability to become pregnant or to carry a pregnancy to full term after previously having had one or more children with no fertility treatment intervention. That means you did not use any assisted reproductive technologies like IUI or IVF, nor did you take any medications to help you conceive or maintain your pregnancy.

If you have been having frequent unprotected sex and not becoming or maintaining your pregnancy for around a year if you are under 35 years old or six months if you are older than 35, than we encourage you to seek our advice as soon as possible. Of course, if you have a history of pelvic inflammation, painful periods, miscarriage, irregular cycles, low sperm count, or other known conditions that affect your fertility, don’t wait 6 months or a year, get seen now!

Know that whatever the cause of your secondary infertility is, we will be there to help you in any and every way possible. Secondary infertility has many of the same potential causes of infertility as primary infertility including:

During treatment, you will meet with one of our physicians to review your past history. Some testing with blood work and ultrasound will be performed and a treatment plan will be established. During your cycle, we will monitor you throughout your individualized treatment plan to increase your chance of success. Additionally, we will be able to offer a multitude of options for emotional support through our support groups and one on one conversation.

We want you to be successful in your journey to grow your family and are here to help you at every step of your journey.