Our clinic helps patients move past secondary infertility and grow their family
Our Connecticut fertility doctor finds that secondary infertility is a common situation that can be confusing and distressing for parents. To help patients move past infertility after having a child, Andrew Levi MD utilizes a combination of comprehensive tests and effective treatment plans. This support often results in patients realizing their dream of having another child.
Exploring the potential causes of infertility after having a child
There are many factors that can play a role in secondary infertility. One potential factor is that the patient has a new partner. This person could have fertility issues that their previous partner did not have. Another cause can be that one or both partners developed fertility challenges after having their last child.
Fertility issues that can affect the female partner include ovulation disorders, endometriosis, growths in the uterus and an increase in age that affects the quantity and quality of the eggs. Men might develop issues with their sperm that can make it difficult for it to fertilize an egg.
Our Connecticut fertility doctor explores the reasons for a female patient’s secondary infertility by utilizing evaluations like a physical exam, bloodwork and an ultrasound. For men, the doctor typically recommends a semen analysis. In some cases, patients may require more extensive testing that our Connecticut fertility doctor may recommend.
Effective treatments for secondary infertility
After receiving the results of a patient’s fertility evaluations, our Connecticut fertility doctor works with them to develop a treatment plan. There are a variety of treatment options that the doctor might recommend.
Intrauterine insemination, or IUI, is a common treatment for both female and male infertility. It consists of the doctor using a catheter (a thin, flexible tube) to place sperm from the male partner or a sperm donor into the uterus. To prepare, the woman tracks her ovulation and comes to our clinic for the IUI the day after ovulation.
IUI with clomiphene citrate. Women having difficulty ovulating can use IUI with the fertility medication clomiphene citrate, or Clomid. This medication stimulates ovulation.
In vitro fertilization, or IVF, can help patients who need a little more support to conceive. It involves the woman taking ovulation induction medications, while receiving regular monitoring at our clinic. When enough of her eggs are mature, the doctor retrieves them during a short, in office procedure. Next, an embryologist fertilizes the eggs with sperm from the male partner or a sperm donor. The doctor then transfers a resulting embryo into the uterus of the female patient or a gestational surrogate.
These treatments often result in patients giving their children a healthy new sibling. Contact us for more information about infertility after having a child.