Stephanie persisted to overcome secondary infertility

Brittany is 21 and Brooklyn is two. Nearly two decades passed before new mom, Stephanie, tried for baby number two. After many disappointing years, she and her husband realized that pregnancy wouldn’t be as easy to achieve the second time around.

An obgyn discovered endometriosis during minimally invasive surgery and treated the condition that causes infertility in approximately half of cases.

When negative pregnancy tests continued to stack up alongside birthdays, Stephanie’s obgyn referred her to our Austin fertility center and Lisa Hansard, M.D. Soon after the initial consultation, Dr. Hansard performed a second endometriosis surgery and laid out the treatment options, from basic IUI to advanced donor egg IVF.

The heartbreak of secondary infertility

Stephanie’s husband remembers that time as very stressful, but he was always optimistic. Stephanie says: “He was always helpful and reminded me that it was going to happen.”

As for Stephanie, she knew the clock was ticking. “Dr. Hansard reminded me that the older you get, the fewer eggs you have left; and the ones that you do have are not the best.”

With IVF, a woman takes fertility medications that stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs. When conditions are right, the fertility specialist schedules an egg retrieval.

IVF success on the first embryo transfer

Fortunately, Stephanie had six retrieved eggs and three fertilized with the help of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Eventhough a semen analysis had already confirmed that there were no male factors at play, due to the low number of retrieved eggs, the Ovation embryologists determined that ICSI was the surest way to successfully combine egg and sperm in the IVF lab.

There were times that she wanted to give up over the two and a half years she pursued advanced reproductive technology and treatment for secondary infertility.

“It was harder for me because it happened so easily the first time,” said Stephanie. She also didn’t have friends dealing with secondary infertility or know anyone who struggled with getting pregnant.

Throughout the journey, Stephanie sought out the emotional support that Dr. Hansard recommended, including in-house TFC support groups.

“Dr. Hansard was wonderful,” Stephanie says. “She was very compassionate the whole way through.”

A high school graduate and a newborn

With her oldest daughter getting ready for college, Stephanie laughs about friends who suggested that she “get her head checked.” She concedes that motherhood is different for her because she is older, but she feels very happy and blessed.

The proud new daddy adds: “It’s like a miracle happening again, and a wonderful, wonderful feeling to see my second child.”

To learn more about family-building options and treatment for secondary infertility, contact our Austin fertility center.