Secondary infertility treatment can help you welcome another baby
Parents can conceive their first child with no trouble, and then struggle to have another baby. When this happens, Susan Hudson MD will likely make a diagnosis of secondary infertility. This condition is just as common as primary infertility, but it can be especially alarming for patients who faced no trouble starting their family. Thankfully, secondary infertility treatment can often help overcome any barriers to welcoming another baby.
Our New Braunfels infertility doctor works with patients to determine why they’re struggling to conceive another baby. After performing diagnostic testing, Dr. Hudson gains valuable insights that help her design a customized treatment plan for each patient.
How does Dr. Hudson diagnose the cause?
Before making any treatment recommendations, Dr. Hudson must first determine why an individual or a couple can’t conceive another child. In one-third of cases, female infertility is responsible. In another third, male infertility is the cause. As for the remaining cases, it’s either a combination of female and male factor infertility, or it’s unexplained infertility.
Some of the most common female causes of secondary infertility, include poor egg quality or quantity, tubal infertility and uterine abnormalities. Conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis as well as weight gain and lifestyle changes can also cause an issue.
When it comes to men, reduced testosterone levels, poor sperm quality and varicoceles can cause secondary infertility. Weight gain, exposure to toxins, and the use of certain medications and sexual lubricants may also contribute to the problem.
Once our New Braunfels infertility doctor identifies the cause or causes of secondary infertility, she helps the patient get the treatment they need to bring home another baby.
What are the options for secondary infertility treatment?
Because there are many potential causes of secondary infertility, there are also a variety of options to treat it.
- Fertility medications can help patients with ovulatory disorders like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
- Intrauterine insemination (IUI), also known as artificial insemination, can help overcome certain infertility causes like mild male infertility and cervical issues.
- In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an advanced secondary infertility treatment that can help with issues ranging from tubal infertility to endometriosis. Other IVF add-ons like intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) can also help increase the effectiveness of IVF.
- Donor eggs, donor sperm and donor embryos are third party reproduction options that can help if a patient cannot provide enough healthy eggs or sperm. Gestational surrogacy can help if a patient cannot carry a pregnancy.
- Minimally invasive surgery can be a great option to correct structural problems, including uterine adhesions (scar tissue), fibroids and polyps.
Our New Braunfels infertility doctor is committed to helping patients overcome any obstacles on their path to parenthood. Contact us to schedule an appointment if you’d like to learn more about secondary infertility treatment.