When you struggle to conceive and you don’t have children, you get all the sympathy in the world. Well, actually you might just get platitudes like “if it’s meant to be it will be.” or 'everything happens for a reason!” But, when you’re struggling with secondary infertility, the platitudes are worse: “be grateful for the child you have” or “at least you have your first.” If you’re struggling with infertility after your first, we get it and we’re here to help you increase your chances of conceiving again.
What Is Secondary Infertility?
Secondary infertility is the inability to conceive or carry a pregnancy to term after previously giving birth, without the use of fertility treatments. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), secondary infertility may account for over half of all infertility cases. But because it occurs after no problem conceiving, those who experience it can sometimes feel isolated or dismissed, even by healthcare providers.
What Causes Secondary Infertility?
The causes of secondary infertility can be complex and multifactorial. Factors in men and women can certainly affect fertility, but we focus on improving fertility in women so that’s what we’ll focus on here.
Changes in reproductive health: Conditions like endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or fibroids can develop or worsen after a previous pregnancy. All of these can affect fertility and make it harder to get pregnant.
Lifestyle factors: Weight gain and diet can affect fertility. Especially after having one kid and juggling work, life, and a kiddo, it can be hard to lose weight and eat well.
Complications from prior pregnancies: Scar tissue, adhesions, or hormonal imbalances from a prior birth or miscarriage can interfere with conceiving.
How the Pelvic Floor Affects Fertility
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues that support the uterus, bladder, and rectum. During childbirth, the health of these muscles can be greatly affected.
Issues in the pelvic floor can impact fertility in several ways:
Scar tissue and adhesions from tearing with a vaginal birth or the scarring from a c-section can restrict mobility and blood flow to reproductive organs.
Pelvic alignment and tension may interfere with uterine positioning or ovary function.
Nervous system dysregulation—muscle tightness or dysfunction can interfere with hormonal signaling and cycle regularity.
How can Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy help Secondary Infertility?
The Pelvic Floor plays a key role in reproductive health and infertility. Pelvic floor therapy helps to promote blood flow, balance hormones, reduce inflammation, and create an optimal environment for conception.
If you’re looking for a less invasive option than IVF or IUI or simply want to increase the chances of success with IVF or IUI, Resilient Women’s Health’s infertility specialist can help.
Treatment can include:
Manual Therapy: We use hands on work to the muscles, fascia, and ligaments surrounding the pelvic organs to increase movement and blood flow to the reproductive organs.
Lifestyle changes: We team up with you to problem solve on how you can improve your diet, sleep, and stress coping.
Pelvic floor coordination exercises: We help you regain balance, coordination, and strength through your pelvic floor and pelvic muscles to help maintain blood flow to reproductive organs.
Women’s Health Near Me: Get Help Today
If you're experiencing secondary infertility and would like to improve your chances of conceiving, schedule a free consultation with our infertility specialist today.
At Resilient Women’s Health, the only Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy clinic that specializes in fertility in Wexford, PA, we love to help women improve their chances of conception when struggling with secondary infertility. Our compassionate team offers comprehensive assessments and personalized treatment plans designed to address the unique needs of women’s health and infertility.
If you’re ready to stop googling and learn your next best step to getting back to pain free running, book a free consult with us today.
Reference:
Rice AD, Patterson K, Wakefield LB, Reed ED, Breder KP, Wurn BF, King Iii R, Wurn LJ. Ten-year Retrospective Study on the Efficacy of a Manual Physical Therapy to Treat Female Infertility. Altern Ther Health Med. 2015 Feb 17:at5233. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 25691329
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