What was the cause of your secondary infertility?

[Iloveeating]

Going for investigative tests soon and was wondering did you find a cause for your secondary infertility?

We were diagnosed with possible male factor issues (as DH has poor morphology (1 and 2% in H2 of last year) and moderately high DNA fragmentation). His metrics have improved significantly since then due to diet and lifestyle changes (low alcohol and caffeine; taking lots of vitamins and a Mediterranean style diet with no processed meat), but alas, we are still not pregnant.

My tests have all come back normal, but I suspect that age (I’m now 36); the fact that I’m heavier than when ttc#1 (although still in the normal BMI range); get less sleep; am generally more frazzled and the fact that I lost a Fallopian tube to a ruptured ectopic whilst ttc #1 can’t help.

Good luck with the tests, but don’t be shocked if they fail to find any obvious cause. So little is understood about fertility and your ttc experience first time round can often bear little resemblance to subsequent experience (I know a lot of people who struggled first time round only to get upduffed very quickly the second time).

Solidarity on the secondary infertility experience. It is no doubt very different to primary infertility but incredibly shitty nevertheless (I’ll never forget a period of about three months last Summer when literally every Mum friend I met up with announced their pregnancy, all with the “perfect” two year gap I’d been dreaming off. It was the pits. I hope you get that sticky BFP very very soon.

Dreaming of not off

Thanks @Cariad2017. It's very hard seeing everyone pregnant and all the little babies around but I'm so thankful I already have 1 child it must be so hard on those who have issues conceiving first.

I think they will find issues with me as I'm over weight, periods are getting irregular (irregular ever since I started acupuncture! Was like clockwork before I did that), I've had positive tests but then get period within days.

I'm sick of all the waiting, spent a year waiting to ovulate each month then waiting for period and now I'm waiting to start tests!

Hi! I experienced secondary infertility for 2.5 years. All nhs tests came back normal and we were given the dreaded unexplained label. I refused to accept this. After research mainly on here I had private testing in Athens and hysteroscopy discovered scared tissue in my uterus. I had it cleaned up and had implantation cuts. They told me my tubes appeared blocked at the openings and only a tubal patency test would see if the tubes were scared inside - if so it was game over for a natural conception. Back home nhs belittled my private testing and refused to check my tubes saying ivf was my only hope but as it was secondary I would have to pay. I took the serapeptase I'd brought back from Greece. Within 4 months coming home I'd had 2 pregnancies. The first was a miscarriage at 6 weeks and the second is now a 27 week bump!

Hi.
I'm also in a similar position. Been TTC#2 for almost 18 months with no even a hint of a bfp. NHS tests consisted of DH sperm analysis and my day 21 blood tests which both came back normal. GP said that is as far as they will go with us and as we already have a child we should just 'keep trying'.
I'm debating whether to go private for more tests but just not sure about the cost of it all.
It sucks, and I feel like the longer we're trying with no bfp, the less likely it will be that we will ever get one!

Hi ladies. Been ttc#1 for approx 3 years now with misscarriages, the latest being 18 months ago and infertility/secondary infertility ever since...not a bfp in sight! Recently started undergoing tests after putting it off thinking things would sort themselves out. Started off by monitoring a cycle (first unmedicated but later triggered) and to my great suprise they have found that I do not ovulate despite having regular 32 day cycles even with the trigger. Apparently a likely hormone imbalance is to blame so Ive been advised to go back on the contraceptive pill for a month and see if that helps to regulate things so we can move forward. Wishing you all the very best of luck!

Hi, ours was male factor. I thought it was likely my age 35 but tests on dh sperm were awful.
2 years later & a lot of healthy lifestyle changes & supplements we got our positive. Dc2 now 5 weeks and asleep on my boob.
I didn't think it would happen & had just started to mentally prepare myself for only having 1 dc. Every announcement would make me cry (I remember breaking down at my desk when kate Middleton announced number 3) You have my utmost empathy. And we have a 5 year age gap now and it's fab. Dc1 is able to help and really get involved.
I really you you get your number 2.

@AurorasEncore congratulations on your pregnancy. Do you think the serapeptase is what worked in the end?

@Mellp, im based in Ireland so we don't have pubic funded tests. We are getting private fertility tests done within the next month - I get bloods taken Monday which costs 115 euro and I have to get day 21 bloods too which will cost 20 with my GP. Then my husband has to get semen analysis done and we have an appointment then after that to discuss results. Will prob cost about 600 Euro in total but I'll also be getting an ulstrasound scan at the consultation.

@Lookingforwardtoourrainbow that's very interesting, im thinking im might not be ovulating either even with regular cycles. I used to be able to feel ovulation cramps etc and now I don't.

What will be your next step after the pill if that doesn't work

@iloveeating I think the serapeptase on it's own wouldn't have cleared the amount of scar tissue I had and the implantation cuts provided brand new blood vessels to act as a perfect implantation spot. However, I really think it helped open my tubes and basically eat up the remaining dead tissue. So id highly recommend it if you arw just beginning invwstigations. Early on I also did the Greek hidden infections test which was positive so that's a major clue that a hidden infections would likely result in scar tissue.

@Mammmoo that's lovely! I was really worried about big age gap but you have made me feel better. Did you conceive naturally in the end?

@AurorasEncore do you know why you had scar tissue? Why did you pick Greece to do your testing? Would it be a price? I don't have the option to travel so hopefully the fertility clinic here where I live do all those tests

Yep naturally so it does happen. I've no idea what we did differently that month. Dh ran a marathon so he thinks that gave him super sperm. I have my doubts though!

Don't worry about the age gap. I really was but there are pros and cons of both and honestly now with a non sleeping 5 week old I can't imagine having a toddler as well. A slightly older child is much more self sufficient and easier to entertain :-)

Hi I also have secondary infertility. Haven't seen much on these boards about it. It's really nice to hear about similar situations! I'm only on the conception boards but most there are only a few cycles ttc.

DS is 5 now. NTNP since having him. Have pcos. Took 18 months ttc DS. Moved house 14 months ago so really upped the ante. Still no BFP in 5 years. Finally got referred seen gynae in March. Had internal ultrasound all looked good - he even commented pcos 'can go away'. I doubt that somehow. Had HSG in May. Tubes all clear. DH awaiting SA. We both think issue is MF but who knows he could be fine!

Chugging along in the meantime...It's very depressing. And I have tried to convince myself DS is enough but when he keeps asking for a sibling it makes me all the more determined!

Mine was low progesterone and I’m almost 100% certain it was triggered by the mirena coil which I had after dc1. I had multiple mc trying to conceive #2 and it took 18 months. My pregnancy with my 12 year old was saved by progesterone supplements. I had a mc a few years after #2 and hadn’t had progesterone. Next pg took progesterone immediately and that pregnancy is now 8. No issues at all with dc1

My secondary infertility was diagnosed as unexplained
After 3 years of trying we went to Harley Street to discuss IVF. We decided to go ahead after a holiday to Tenerife. Before we went though we had a dummy run of the procedure.
Amazingly we conceived on holiday I think the dummy run must've unblocked something! I had a 10 year age difference and then a 10 month age difference with the 3rd!!

Thanks everyone. Ever since I had acupuncture my period is so light and I wonder could that be a problem that there is not enough blood egg to settle in. I used to have normal period that would last 4-5 days now it's 3 days and I really only need sanitary protection for the 1st day. How is it even possible that acupuncture can do that!

@iloveeating serum in Athens are the only place who offer the test as they developed it. Google Greek hidden infections for loads of Info on boards like this. I have no idea where I got an Infection from but I had a very long first labour and forcep delivery so I'm assuming during that time. I went to Athens because they are excellent with secondary infertility they personalised my treatment and treat each case Individually. If you fill in the online questionnaire on the serum website they reply to you with loads of free advise on what to try etc. Nhs just wanted me to go for IVF and if I had listened it would have failed every time and cost me thousands. It's like attempting to bake a cake in a knackered oven haha

I’m unexplained. Have a 10 year old DD and have been pregnant since, about 3.5 years ago. Came off contraception and started ttc two years ago and nothing.

I had so many tests done. AMH, FSH, thyroid, progesterone, prolactin, AMH again. Pelvic scans, two 3D internal scans to check uterine lining and thickness and one 2D internal exam to check my ovarian reserve and make sure I had no cysts. And I had a hycosy which involved inflating my uterus and having dye injected in to check for scar tissue (which was my initial concern) and for blocked tubes, all done alongside another 3D scan. My partner had bloods done and had to do two semen samples (which he moaned about doing. Because apparently wanking off into a cup is SO much more difficult and traumatic than having a wand shoved up your vagina and dye squirted through your tubes).

Anyway every single thing came back totally fine and normal. Doctors and sonographers even both remarked at how lovely my lining/uterine cavity was. The fertility doctor said exactly what I was waiting for... “well you’ve been pregnant before so there’s no reason you won’t get pregnant again”. Sure, tell that to my effing useless ovaries.

So we haven’t been actively ttc for about 5 months now, as in no opks, no regimented sex etc. Just having sex when we want. You know, relaxing like everyone says to. But guess what, still no pregnancy. In a weird way, I wish they HAD found something wrong with me because it seems that most of the time, it’s something that can be helped with meds/surgery/lifestyle changes or even fixed completely. The fact that they’re nothing physically wrong with either of us and yet my reproductive system just fails every month to do the one job it’s designed to do with no actual explanation as to why, is very frustrating and something I’ve really struggled to come to terms with

whattheactual what do you mean by a 'dummy run' of ivf?

Ours was low sperm count. I seem pretty fertile which is nice to know but not practically helpful to us! Had no issue conceiving dc1 so don't know what happened!

The dummy run, was the procedure without the sperm etc, to ensure there wouldn't be any problems

Hi @op sorry you're struggling. Its so shit isn't it?

We're unexplained, although i have minute endometriosis and had a uterine polyp which got in the way for first 18 months trying for #2. We have a 3yo dc and i was so down a while ago about the widening age gap and feeling so hard done by that it was all so shit. Feeling a lot better recently and have ivf booked next cycle so we'll try our luck there. All dh and my tests (post surgery) have come back perfect so while that's nice to hear, in some ways i wish i had an explanation.

@mellp i had the same tests done with nhs and then offered nothing more, same as you. I'm glad i had further private investigations as the scan showed a huge polyp in my uterus that acted as a coil preventing implantation and also showed endometriosis and adhesions on my tubes from my c section. Had the surgery and things have improved in terms of the endo and a couple of chemical pregnancies. I would highly recommend going at least for a private scan in case there's anything there.

I had a too short luteal phase- I ovulated around day 20 of a 28 day cycle and there was never enough chance for fertilised egg to implant. We had a bunch of investigations (blood/sperm tests) and a HsG which confirmed the above was the issue. Easily rectified with a prescription of provera which I took for fourteen days beginning the day after ovulation. Worked third month. Good luck!

whattheactual so did they collect your eggs? Sorry hope this isn't rude I just don't understand what they actually did if they didn't collect eggs or sperm! Did you take follicle stimulating drugs?