One of the biggest myths in reproductive medicine is that if you’ve had one baby, you won’t face infertility. For parents who do have trouble conceiving again, the condition is called secondary infertility.

Fertility challenges are difficult to acknowledge, but facing them can be a shocking adjustment when having a baby was no problem in the past. Secondary infertility is very common, affecting approximately one couple in five.

It is a good idea to consider a fertility work-up if either or both of these statements apply to you:

• •You have not conceived after a few months of unprotected sex
• •You have had two miscarriages in a row

Infertility can result from even small changes in either partner’s general or reproductive health, but there are solutions. The important thing is to recognize the situation in its early stages and schedule a complete medical evaluation sooner rather than later. 

A fertility specialist will consider everything from nutrition and stress to endometriosis or an undiagnosed infection that may have blocked the fallopian tubes. If it’s been a few years since your last baby, the egg supply may have dropped off precipitously (common after 30); the quantity and motility of sperm may have declined (common after 35). The good news is that many interventions are available, and they are as individual as the challenges themselves.