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Secondary infertility is a term used to describe a woman who has had a successful pregnancy, but thereafter cannot conceive or carry a child to term.

The causes of secondary infertility are varied and not very well understood. There has been some indication that the recurring miscarriages that some women experience, are due to an immune response in which the woman's body rejects the fetus. Studies are currently being conducted in order to determine an effective treatment.

There is no one cause of secondary infertility; it can be as simple as stress or as threatening as cancer. A complete physical and an extensive battery of tests may be necessary to determine what is causing the problem – and even after all the tests, you may still be left not knowing why you are experiencing secondary infertility.

• Your normal ob/gyn doctor may not have the training or the expertise to deal with secondary infertility problems. Ask to be referred to a Reproductive Endocrinologist. These doctors have received special training in treating and diagnosing infertility problems.

Difficulties in conceiving may also be related to:

• Breastfeeding may reduce your ability to conceive
• You may have incurred a physical injury during your last delivery.
• Ectopic or uterine scaring may be preventing fertilization and implantation of the egg.
• Severe endometriosis
• There is the possibility that you have always had an infertility problem and your first child was a 'miracle baby'.
• Nutritional deficiencies. If you are extremely thin, this can influence your ability to conceive.
• Your problem might not be your own. Your male partner should have a full checkup, and his sperm should be tested to see if the problem is 'his'.
• Cancer or ovarian cysts are also a possible cause.
• Thyroid, endocrine, or hormone imbalances can impede conception.

Proper diagnosis, of why you are experiencincg an infertility problem, is essential in order to receive proper treatment to correct the problem. Each problem will have its own course of treatments. Your chances of recovering full fertility will depend upon the initial problem and the available treatment options that exist for it.

• If the cause of your secondary infertility is due to scaring, there is chance that surgery will be able to correct the problem.
• Clinical trials are currently being conducted on possible treatment options for immune response problems.
• Aspirin is being used to treat some infertility problems. Always consult a doctor before taking aspirin, or any drug, to treat an infertility problem.

All of the traditional methods used to treat primary infertility are also used with patients with secondary infertility problems.

• Infertility drugs and in-vitro fertilization can also help some couples.

Unfortunately, not all secondary infertility problems can be cured. It is not much comfort, but other options do exist if you want another child.

• Adoption
• You can use a surrogate mother if your problem is an immune response problem.
• Use donated eggs

Unfortunately, women who experience secondary infertility often are not treated with the same understanding as a woman experiencing initial infertility. People assume that just because they already have a child that they do not suffer when they are unable to produce a second one.

In addition, many doctors do not take the problem seriously and neglect to run all the tests necessary to determine why the problem is occurring.

• If your doctor is not giving you the support and the care you feel you should be getting, consider seeing another doctor.

Secondary infertility can be heart wrenching, but you are not alone. Online discussion and support groups abound, where you can converse with other people dealing with the same problem.