Are you also suffering from secondary infertility?

While infertility is a topic discussed every day, secondary infertility is not much talked about,whereas it is quite a common form of infertility. Secondary infertility is the inability to become pregnant second time, following the birth of one or more biological children. When Mukul Arora (36 name changed) a banking professional and his wife Neha Arora (33 name changed) a housewife had a boy in 2016 decided to complete his family with second child, got shocked to know that they can’t have baby second time as he has low sperm count which is causing problems in conceiving hence suffering from Secondary Infertility.

Causes of secondary infertility in both partners could be:

In women:       

• Damage to fallopian tube due to ectopic pregnancies
• Complications during prior pregnancies such as a C-section
• Blockage which is caused by fibroids
• Increased maternal age and less production of eggs

In men:      

• increased age, weight gain, excessive smoking and drinking
• use of certain medications
• Impaired sperm production and delivery

Approximately,10.5% women have reported to experience secondary infertility. If you notice these causes of secondary infertility, you must immediately consult with a specialist. Remember that you are not alone. More and more people are now facing the problem of secondary infertility in India and, therefore, it is better to be informed.

Similarly, Manleen Kaur Sethi in her mid 30’s when she started trying or second baby surprised to knowthat she can’t be pregnant now due to low ovarian reserve. “I didn’t realise that chances of getting pregnant reduce with age,”says Manleen, now 39 and pregnant with her second child after two rounds of IVF treatment at Shantah IVF Centre.

Though primary infertility normally receives attention, it is not the case with secondary infertility. Many women struggle to conceive their second baby after previously giving birth to their firstborn without difficulties.Secondary infertility can be very frustrating and confusing for a couple who got pregnant quickly in the past. I have seen lot of cases recently of

Can unexplained infertility be treated?

Unexplained infertility is when you and your partner can’t conceive but doctors can’t find any specific cause. Around one in four couples who are having difficulty getting pregnant have unexplained infertility.

Assisted conception may help you get pregnant. These procedures control how your sperm and egg are brought together so that you’re more likely to conceive.

If you have unexplained infertility, your doctor may suggest that you try in vitro fertilisation (IVF).IVF involves removing one or more eggs and mixing them with sperm in a laboratory. Once the eggs are fertilised, the embryos (fertilised eggs) are placed in the woman’s uterus. Before you’re offered IVF, you’ll need to have been trying to get pregnant for at least two years.

Ask your doctor about all of the treatment options available to you and what are treatment methods to go for when the cause is identified?

Once a cause is identified, a specific care plan can be developed. This may include treatment for the male partner (or even consideration of using sperm donation), medical treatment of the woman to help increase ovulation (including weight change –loss or gain if that is a contributing factor, as well as medications to

Women Health Checkup list

When it comes to taking care of women health, it is seemed to be the most neglected part on women front. Whether women lives in urban or rural area, many women today are at least bothered about their overall health. The body of a woman undergoes a lot of hormonal changes throughout life, right from the start of puberty to menopause.

Here is a checklist of all the preventive health checkups for women to be done:

1. Breast cancer screening: women are more prone to developing breast cancer after the age of 30. Undergoing, regular mammography can help women to detect the condition even before it becomes suggestive.

2. Cervical cancer screening: Cervical cancer which appears in the lower part of the uterus in females. A Pap smear test is conducted to detect the presence of cancer cells in the cervix. It is recommended that women above the age of 21 should get a Pap smear test at least once in five years.

3. Bone density screening: Bone density tends to decrease after the age of 30 in women. Therefore, they are advised to get regular screening for osteoporosis.

4. Diabetes screening: Right from the age of 40, women must undergo a blood glucose test every three years to check

How to curb PCOD naturally

According to a report published by Metropolis healthcare, one in every 5 woman in India is suffering from PCOS. Having PCOD (polycystic ovarian diseases) or PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) is very common today especially at young age due to lifestyle habits. It's an endocrine disorder that has many symptoms, such as lack of or irregular periods, 'cysts' on the ovaries, fertility issues and weight gain. It can also cause excess body hair, acne, thinning hair and depression. Not everyone shows all these signs, however – it affects women in different ways. Untreated, it can sometimes lead to more serious conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart problems, so don't ignore it.

Treating PCOS or PCOD is a three-pronged approach – diet, exercise and medical help. Even if you want to resort to natural remedies to get relief don’t forget to get tested with your doctor to check your hormonal levels. Untreated PCOS or PCOD is a leading cause of infertility in most women in

Can't get pregnant? Surprising reasons for infertility!

It is estimated that globally between 60-80 million couples suffer from infertility every year,

of which (IVF) may be the only option, it’s important to know some of the very common causes of infertility. Probably between 15- 20 million are in India alone says ICMR Bulletin. It could be very disappointing every month to get a negative pregnancy test especially when you are trying hard to get pregnant. But before assuming that in vitro fertilization

Here are the five possible facts why you might be struggling with infertility and what you can do about it.

1. You don’t have enough healthy eggs:

You’re born with a fixed number of eggs but the number and health of your eggs declines as you get older. In fact, a healthy and fertile 30-year-old has only 20 percent chances of getting pregnant each month, according to a report published in American Society for Reproductive Medicine. If you are consuming fertility drugs then number of eggs further decreases.

How to Increase Your Chances of IVF Success

Losing excess weight before undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment can improve pregnancy

and birth outcome. The women with normal weight (BMI below 20) had higher live birth rates (38.6 percent) and embryo implantation (40.4 percent) compared to obese women (BMI above 30 -27.7 percent and 30.9 percent respectively). A body mass index (BMI) of 19 to 25 is considered to be the ideal weight for conceiving. A healthy body and optimum weight during pregnancy is crucial for having a smooth pregnancy and delivering a healthy child.

According to the WHO 1.2 billion people worldwide are officially classified as overweight. According to recent study 70% of India's urban population is obese and comes under overweight category. Both underweight and overweight women and men suffer from a higher incidence of infertility. I see at least 10 patients in a day coming to me for infertility out of which 3 to 4% are obese. Women who are obese are also at a greater risk for pregnancy complications like having a C-section, giving birth to a large baby or even developing gestational diabetes and hypertension. There are numerous potential complications for obese women trying to get pregnant. Some of these include:

Lower response to medication used to regulate or initiate ovulation.Greater need for carefully titrated dosing of medication, especially in patients with polycystic ovaries (PCO).

Greater frequency of over-response and the risk of over-stimulation and / or multiple pregnancies in response to medications used to induce ovulation. And if a multiple pregnancy is conceived, there are

Amenorrhea and how it affects your fertility

In today’s time, your lifestyle plays a pivotal role in your fertility; from what you eat to how

you live and what you think impacts the fertility in both males and females. In females these conditions can lead to amenorrhea. In literal terms amenorrhea means absence of menstrual cycle which can be due to hormonal imbalances or some medical problems. It occurs in females during the childbearing age who fails to menstruate. Women who missed at least 3 menstrual cycles in a row have amenorrhea.

Absence of periods is a major sign of amenorrhea but the other signs or symptoms along with it are milky nipple discharge, loss of hair and vision, headache, excess facial hair, pain in pelvic area and sometimes acne.

Do see your doctor if you have 3 missed periods in a row or you are 15 year and older and has no periods. Amenorrhea can occur for a number of reasons. Some are normal during the course of a woman's life, while others may be a side effect of medication or a sign of a medical problem.

Best way to choose a fertility specialist?

Searching for an IVF specialist is such a big task as there are numerous IVF doctors available across the world. Also, not to mention discussing an issue like infertility which is quite a social taboo even in this day and age is also such a big question it-self. Today, as an infertility expert let me help you out explaining about the traits one should look out for in an IVF specialist.

Let us consider below points while selecting your IVF Expert:

1. An IVF Expert should answers all your questions and doesn’t dismiss them as being trivial. Believes the only stupid question is the one you don’t ask. Responds to your email (usually within 24 hours) and doesn’t force you to come in for every little problem.

2. An IVF Expert should be fully staffed, with a full-time experienced embryologist, so he/she does not have to depend upon external experts.

3. An IVF Expert must respect you and treats you like an intelligent adult. He/She should not talk down to you and does his/her best to educate you, so you have realistic expectations of your IVF treatment.

What’s your next step should be?

We found 10% of reproductive-age couples are unable to conceive even after a year of trying.

There are many possible reasons for this, including issues with the male’s sperm, the woman’s ovulation, and hormonal issues; from being very underweight or very overweight, or from thyroid, cervical or uterine problems, or blocked fallopian tubes. 

What to do if unsuccessful

The first step to identify possible issues contributing to a couple’s inability to conceive. Both man and her woman should undergo a physical exam depending on the risks identified, further testing is done to specifically identify the limiting conditions. This may include testing to examine the male’s sperm (amount, motility, etc.), evaluation of the female’s anatomy (for example a hysterosalpingogram, ultrasound, and/or other tests) and evaluation of the women’s ability to ovulate (possibly including hormonal testing and/or other tests). 

Dr. Anubha Singh: IVF Expert views in popular newspapers & magazines

Dr Anubha Singh : Vama Today

Dr Anubha Singh : Vama Today