As the term suggests, male secondary infertility refers to cases where male half of a couple is struggling with infertility. How is this determined? Fertility testing procedures are no different for couples who face secondary infertility. Both partners will go a through physical screening, and for the male partner semen analysis will normally be carried out. These tests will often reveal the cause behind a couple’s infertility, so that a course of action can be discussed.

Male infertility can be caused by a number of factors including a low sperm count, morphology and motility. A low sperm count means that there are too few sperm in one ejaculation to provide reasonable odds of pregnancy, and motility and morphology refer to the speed and shape of sperm. All of these factors play key roles in male fertility.

The goods news is that health has a huge impact on male fertility, and that lifestyle changes can often go a long way when a man wants to boost his fertility. A healthy and balanced diet, including foods that specifically increase fertility, can greatly improve sperm quality. Quitting smoking, cutting down on alcohol and caffeine, and being physically active  all contribute to healthy semen. Reducing stress levels and ensuring the best possible sperm count by having neither too much nor too little intercourse can also be beneficial.

Of course, the mere fact that some men succeed in “curing” their own infertility through lifestyle changes does not mean that all male infertility is the result of less-than-healthy habits, or can be resolved by the patient himself. Sometimes, medical intervention is necessary, even for men experiencing secondary male infertility.

So, if you are facing secondary infertility, and the possible cause is a lack of ovarian reserves or poor egg quality, especially in older women, using an egg donor for secondary infertility might be of of the possibilities to look in to. Egg donation means that you could get pregnant again, through IVF. Your partner’s semen could be used to fertilize an egg from an egg donor, which could then be implanted into your uterus.

Women facing secondary infertility might feel a combination of anger, grief and disbelief. It is understandable that you might feel like you should be able to get pregnant naturally, because after all, you have succeeded before! But for women who really feel called to be pregnant again, egg donation might provide the answer.

Once you have found the right fertility clinic, and the right donor (these two often go hand in hand as fertility clinics have egg donation programs), your egg donor will receive fertility treatments to produce as many eggs as she can. During the same time, you will also be required to take fertility drugs that make your body more receptive to the embryo that will be created. Two to five days after your egg donor’s eggs have been harvested, an embryo will usually be inserted into your body.

IVF is always a trying and involved process, but perhaps even more so with egg donation. Two women will be going through the treatment that will hopefully create a successful pregnancy in the end. IVF can be physically challenging. But that is not the only thing to think about when it comes to getting pregnant with the help of an egg donor, especially for secondary infertility.

Some questions to consider before opting for IVF with an egg donor, preferably with a counselor are, “how do I feel about giving my child a sibling that is not biologically a full sibling?”, “do I have any negative feelings about egg donation”, and “if we end up going this route, will we be open with everyone about the conception of our child?”

When faced with the challenges presented by infertility, it is completely normal to seek the services of a reproductive endocrinologist.  At this point, when all natural methods have failed and a couple has been trying for a year or more to conceive, a battery of medical tests will usually be ordered.  If after undergoing a series of tests for infertility and nothing can be determined or diagnosed, a couple may have to face the reality of unexplained infertility.

What is this condition?  What are the causes? Can it be cured through lifestyle, natural or medical means?  Basically unexplained infertility is a diagnosis which means that after exhausting all medical tests and exploring every option available, reasons behind the problem are still a complete mystery.  It could be genetics, lifestyle, medical or physical abnormalities or it may be none of these and nothing that can be explained.

Dealing with the reality of infertility is heartbreaking enough, but not having any clear cut answers as to why is confounding and frustrating.  It is not something that can be explained or reasoned away, some people are able to naturally conceive with little to no problems at all, but for others it is not that easy.  Dealing with a fertility problem that defies explanation can be highly emotional and makes many couples want to give up on the dream of having a baby.

For those couples facing a problem like this it is easy to grow disheartened as each month passes and no baby is conceived.  However, the reality is that there are always options to explore and this means being proactive and becoming educated as much as possible about all the possible roadblocks that may be keeping conception from occurring and working hard to keep a positive attitude will do a lot to helping a couple achieve a happy outcome.

Those who are reading this blog, do know that we have published similar topics several times and that we have written about the infertility industry’s dirty little secrets… Eggsploitation – absolutely the most appropriate word for the cultural phenomena that had grown on the misery of couples who cannot have children or who have fertility issues and are ready to do (give, pay etc.) whatever is needed to get that egg.

Word Eggsplotation was produced by the Center for Bioethics and Culture (Lines That Divide, 2009), and the word Eggsplotation says it all. Documentary is about trading on the Female Body, more precisely eggs, it is about  a a multi-billion dollar business industry that profits from the booming business of human eggs. There are real stories told by the real women who got involved in egg trafficking and by those whose lives have been changed forever.

As already said we wrote about the topic before and we have introduce you with the policy behind, how much money can actually be offered (and how much money there it is actually offered for human eggs), how many times agencies violate terms and conditions of American Society for Reproductive Medicine Guidelines, and these ads promoting egg donors violate guidelines by targeting young women on colleges through ads placed in college magazines, college campus bulletin boards, social media, online classifieds and offered them up to 100,000 for “donated” eggs in order to help someone’s dream come true. This definitely leads to conclusion that human eggs are a privilege of the rich.

Caucasians with blue eyes, high IQ, slim figure (90-60-90) are the most wanted I am joking in this last sentence (although there is nothing to joke about), but hey there is actually preference type of woman donator and it does include skin color, hair color etc.

I am sure this documentary will shake us – exactly what the 7th art should do! And hopefully will raise some additional questions too…

The most common reason couples have difficulty conceiving again after a miscarriage is the hormonal changes that occurred in the first pregnancy. After the fertilized egg implants itself in the lining of the uterus, a flood of estrogen encourages the growth of the placenta to nourish and protect the embryo. Without estrogen, pregnancy could not proceed.

All this estrogen also signals the ovaries that there is no need for ovulation. While follicles that were already maturing eggs for future possible pregnancies continue to develop, there are no hormonal signals for the release of the egg during the middle of the menstrual cycle. There is no ovulation because there is no menstruation.

Sometimes after the first pregnancy ends, estrogen levels stay high. The ovaries “think” that the woman is still pregnancy, so no egg is released. Medications like Clomid (clomidene sulphate), offered in the United Kingdom as Serophene, can manipulate hormonal balance so that the ovaries act as if a new pregnancy were possible and release the egg.

It’s not unusual for couples to start Clomid and also start the adoption process at the same time. It’s not unheard of for couples to conceive a child at the same time they adopt. When this happens, the issue usually was high estrogen levels that were interfering with pregnancy.

It’s also not unheard of for couples to conceive within just one menstrual cycle of the initiation of Clomid treatment, or within one menstrual cycle of receiving the right dose of Clomid. This medication can be just what is needed to conceive again after miscarriage.

Not every woman will benefit from Clomid. A doctor’s exam is essential. There is a minority of women who develop endometriosis after miscarriage, and this condition requires a different treatment strategy. For others, however, Clomid is the answer. The key to future family happiness is just be fully prepared for the treatment to work.

Sometimes secondary infertility is due to the male partner’s reproductive problems. Exposure to the chemicals used to make plastics, in particular, reduces male fertility. The cumulative effects of herbicides, pesticides, solvents, and cigarette smoke may interfere with sperm production.

But the most common cause of secondary infertility is the hormonal change in the mother that made the birth of the baby possible. The most likely cause of secondary infertility is the changes to the structure of the uterus, cervix, and fallopian tubes that occurred when the womb was bathed in estrogen during the first pregnancy.

Estrogen stimulates growth. It is necessary for the placenta to continue developing to keep up with the growing fetus. Huge amounts of estrogen flood the pregnant woman’s body and they don’t disappear the moment the child is born. Fat cells, in particular, interfere with the enzyme that reduces estrogen to its “recyclable” components. And mothers with newborns have much more to do than to worry about dieting!

The same estrogen that made the pregnancy possible also stimulates growth in the lining of the uterus, but not necessarily all parts of it equally. Endometriosis can cause thickening near the cervix so that sperm cannot enter the uterus to initiate a second pregnancy. Bits and pieces of uterine tissue broken off during childbirth can lodge at the ovaries, blocking the release of the egg during ovulation.

When secondary infertility is due to unusual stimulation of uterine tissue by the high amounts of estrogen in pregnancy, the pregnancy drug Clomid, offered in the United Kingdom under the trade name Serophene, really isn’t a good choice. If there is a mechanical barrier blocking the release of the egg or the reception of the sperm, then a drug that stimulates ovulation like Clomid won’t solve the problem.

When the secondary infertility is simply due to high levels of estrogen, however, Clomid can be extremely useful. There is no ovulation during pregnancy. The extremely high levels of estrogen in the uterus signal the ovaries that a new egg is not needed. In some women, estrogen levels after pregnancy continue so high that the ovaries “think” the woman is still pregnant. Clomid changes hormonal balance so that the ovaries get the signal to ovulate in the middle of the woman’s menstrual period and conception can occur.

Whether Clomid is right for you is something you and your doctor need to determine, and a physical examination of the uterus will be required. Clomid cannot, of course, enable conception if the reproductive issues are with the male partner. But for a significant number of couples facing secondary infertility, Clomid is exactly the right treatment to allow for the conception of a second child.

Anyway this is not about Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City, this is about Sarah Jessica Parker – about her real life, her motherhood and her biggest hope: another baby.

Sarah (45 & looking great) explains her decision to use a surrogate mum. She says it was not about the lack of trying. She told US Vogue they tried and tried and it just wasn’t meant to be. She said she would be the healthiest if she could give birth… but she can’t… Sarah wanted for her son James Wilkie to have brothers and sisters, the same as she did (Sarah grew up in a big family with 7 brothers and sisters).

After unsuccessful attempts of trying to conceive, she and her husband decided to choose a surrogate mother: Michelle Ross (26) who gave birth to healthy twin girls last year. Twin daughters Tabbitha Hodge and Marion Loretta, with cute nicknames Babe and Kitty, will soon (in June) celebrate their first birthday.

Sarah admits that the secrecy of the situation was killing her: she said that they couldn’t talk to anyone about expecting children.

Anyhow, the role of big brother was the role James Wilkie took with his heart: on the day the family went to meet his new baby sisters, Sarah saw him combining his hair and standing in front of the mirror, saying (he doesn’t know she saw him): I have to be handsome when I meet my sisters.’

… awww… so cute… a true big brother! Take care of them, James!

Secondary fertility is growing in numbers: Sarah is definitely not a isolated problem. Secondary infertility statistics prove this is a problem of a new age: a problem of women taking care of their careers for too long …

Although there is no regular effort to collect data about secondary infertility, surveys of American couples in 1995 and 2006 suggest that right now about 3.3 million couples, or 6.6 million people in the USA alone, want to have another child and can’t. The most common situation for secondary infertility is remarriage after divorce.

After the end of the first marriage, the new couple wants to have their own children. The problems leading to secondary infertility may lay in the health of the woman, the health of the man, or both.

The very most common cause of secondary infertility is age. People wait longer and longer to have babies, and more couples want to have children in their second marriage.

By age 45, a woman has only a 6 per cent chance of conceiving a child even if sexual intercourse is perfectly timed with her menstrual cycle. The chances of a woman being able to become pregnant peak around the age of 25 and diminish every year afterwards.

Men, too, become less fertile with age, and more prone to various conditions that prevent fatherhood. Especially with men work in trades that require constant exposure to solvents, plasticizers, putties, or gasoline, the cumulative effects of this kind of environmental pollution reduce sperm counts and sperm viability. And most men who want to become fathers again are in a second marriage, according to a scientific survey of 578 male infertility patients sponsored by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

About a third of women affected by secondary infertility suffer pelvic adhesions. A pelvic adhesion is scar tissue that forms when the uterus is injured, either during childbirth, or during abortion or uterine surgery. Sometimes scar tissue can stretch over the ovaries preventing the ovulation and thereby preventing pregnancy.

Other causes of secondary infertility are much less common. These include failure of the ovaries before menopause, PCOS, secondary effects of chlamydia and gonorrhea, and “hostile mucus” lining the cervix. Endometriosis alone accounts for another 30 per cent of all cases of infertility. It is a significant factor in secondary fertility.

And if one or both partners has become “fat and happy,” or fat and unhappy, excess weight contributes to a variety of hormonal imbalances that increase estrogen in men and testosterone in women-in some cases, losing weight is what is really needed to treat secondary infertility.

The good news about secondary infertility is that there are many different fertility treatments. Just don’t wait longer than six months of trying before you see a doctor who may have the right treatment for you.

Elena and Frank welcomed a bouncing baby boy named Frederick into their home in August of 2008. Both having grown up as only children, Elena and her husband very much wanted a second child. They started trying again just as soon as Frederick finished breastfeeding. Elena had mostly normal periods, but at the end of 2009 Elena was still not pregnant.

In January 2010 Elena had a complete workup at her gynecologist’s office. The medical exam found no evidence of any kind of structural problem, but her estrogen levels from her first pregnancy were still so high that she was not ovulating. High estrogen levels essentially made her ovaries act as if she were still pregnant and it was not time to ovulate. But within just 28 days of taking the fertility drug Clomid (clomidene sulfate, also known as Serophene), Elena was pregnant with their second child.

Fortunately for Elena and Frank, Elena did not suffer any form of cervical or fallopian overgrowth that would interfere with reception of the sperm or release of the egg. And the doctor hit on just the right dose of Clomid on the first try. Some women trying to get pregnant have to wait longer.

In March 2005 Anne delivered a healthy baby girl. She used birth control pills in late 2005 through 2007, when she and her partner decided they wanted to try for a second pregnancy.

Anne stopped taking oral contraceptives in January 2008 but didn’t get pregnant for six months. Her doctor told her that it wasn’t unusual not to get pregnant right away after stopping the Pill, but at the end of a year, Anne and her partner started getting concerned. It didn’t help Anne feel good about the situation that her sister had delivered two children during the same time.

Anne’s doctor put her on a 100 mg dose of Clomid. The first month there was no response. The second month there was no response. The third month Anne didn’t have her period-but it wasn’t because she was pregnant. After 60 days, the doctor gave Anne progesterone to induce a period, and it was 14 days later, nearly at the end of the maximum allowable Clomid treatment, that Anne was able to conceive a greatly desired second child.

In some cases, however, the problem is not estrogen. This was the case for Susan.

Susan and her husband Sam had always wanted to have four children. Susan bore three children with ease, but she grew heavier and heavier with each child. After the birth of her third child, Susan had gained a total of 88 pounds (40 kg). Susan and Sam continued to try to make another baby, but she simply did not get pregnant.

Since Susan and Sam were both over 40, they went to see their doctor after just six months of trying. The doctor offered a very simple approach to restoring fertility: Eat less, and lose weight.

After losing just 16 pounds (7 kg), Susan was pregnant again. The change in her weight led to a change in insulin sensitivity which led to a change in testosterone levels which led to a change in luteinizing hormone that made ovulation possible. But Susan and Sam didn’t care about the chemistry. They rejoiced that there was a way to conceive another child.

Who needs secondary infertility treatment? If both partners are under the age of 35 and otherwise healthy, medical advice is usually to try to get pregnant for a year before seeking treatment. After the age of 35, doctors usually advise patients to come in for treatment after six months. And at any age, medical treatment is needed for couples when either party has a history of Chlamydia, the male partner has a low sperm count, or the female partner has had pelvic inflammatory disease or painful menstruation.

Why should it be difficult to conceive a second child? Sometimes there is a change in the health of the male partner. Men’s fertility is diminished by exposure to solvents, industrial chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides, often enough to cause low sperm counts.

If there has been no change in the health of the man, the most common cause of secondary infertility in women is uterine fibroids, also known as leiomyomas. These are tough growths in the uterus that are fueled by the release of the hormone estrogen.

The reason they often appear after pregnancy is that pregnancy releases enormous amounts of estrogen. After the baby is born, these growths can block the fallopian tubes so the egg cannot emerge from the ovaries, or they may block the cervix so sperm cannot enter the womb.

Fibroids can grow so large that a woman looks pregnant, making feeling guilty about infertility even more painful. There may be palpable lumps in the abdomen. Most of the time, however, there are no symptoms at all. Fibroids can only be identified by a pelvic exam and/or ultrasound.

When the primary issue in secondary infertility is uterine fibroids, care has to be taken to avoid scarring. Pelvic adhesions caused by scar tissue left by the surgery to remove the fibroids can also cause secondary infertility. In most cases, however, women are able to conceive and carry a child to term about 3 months after treatment for the fibroids.