Difficult to Have a Second Child? Let’s See What Causes It

For some couples, the process of having a second child is not as easy as imagined. Some need years to get a second pregnancy, or some even end up having only one child because they find it challenging to have a second child.

According to data from the Center for Fertility and Reproductive Endocrinology in the United States, 60% of women who have given birth to one or more children are at risk of having difficulty getting a second child due to secondary infertility.

The causes of secondary infertility are almost the same as primary infertility, where many couples have difficulty having their first child. The following explains the common reasons for difficulty getting a second child.

Causes of Difficulty Having Second Child

The problematic condition of getting a second child is not a new phenomenon. Some couples claim to have difficulty having a second child even though they have been trying to get pregnant for several years. Several factors can trigger a second pregnancy failure. Here’s a full review.

1. Age and Fertility Level Factors

Age is indeed a risk factor when it comes to pregnancy. The reason is, naturally, the number of eggs in women will continue to decline with age. However, this does not mean that you cannot have a second child because several methods can be done.

For example, when you and your new partner are blessed with a baby at the age of 35 years and over. For the chances of having a second child to be more significant, it is best to pay attention to fertility levels and hormone production so that the pregnancy process can run smoothly.

2. Rarely Have Sex

Most couples will experience a decrease in the intensity of sexual intercourse when they have children. As a result, this condition can make it challenging to have a second child because the opportunity to ovulate when the fertile period is often missed.

Therefore, if you and your partner still want to have a second child, try to maintain the rhythm and intensity of having sex so that the chances of pregnancy can be wide open.

Besides aiming to have children, sexual activity with a partner also has many benefits, such as improving the relationship between the husband and wife. So, there is nothing wrong if this is often done.

3. Decreased Sperm Quality

Sperm quality is the most common cause of infertility in men. So, if you and your partner are currently undergoing a second child pregnancy program and experiencing some difficulties, then it never hurts to try to do a sperm quality check.

The procedure for checking the quality of sperm itself is very common. The process is relatively easier when compared to the procedure for examining the female reproductive organs.

Apart from that, according to the WHO report, several factors that can trigger a decrease in sperm count and quality in men include an unhealthy lifestyle, consuming too much alcohol, smoking, and rarely exercising.

4. Overweight

Although not the main factor, the weight of the mother-to-be also influences the chances of having a second child. This can happen because the excess body weight that the mother-to-be owns can interfere with the hormone performance, especially insulin stimulation and increased testosterone.

The negative effect due to the disruption of these two hormones is the occurrence of obstacles in fertilization or ovulation to produce embryos.

5. Suffering Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS, which stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, is a condition in which women experience hormonal disturbances in their bodies. The most common symptom or sign is seen from PCOS sufferers is having an irregular menstrual cycle.

As we know, the menstrual cycle is a sign where the fertile process has ended and can be used as a benchmark for estimating the next fertile period. So, if this is not regular, it will be challenging to know the fertile period in women.

6. Had An Ectopic Pregnancy Before 

Ectopic pregnancy is the medical term used to describe the condition of the embryo implanting outside the uterus. This condition is, of course, quite dangerous because the egg that has been successfully fertilized does not grow in the ecosystem that it should be, which is attached to the uterine wall.

Suppose the mother-to-be has an ectopic pregnancy when pregnant with her first child. In that case, the chances of having a second child will be even more difficult because this condition is usually capable of forming scar tissue and damaging the fallopian tubes.

Preparation for the 2nd Child Pregnancy Program

As a complement to you and your partner’s efforts to have a second child, the following preparatory steps might be tried.

1. Weaning Your Little One

Breastfeeding is one habit that makes it challenging to have a second child. So, if you want to undergo a pregnancy program, breastfeeding activities by prospective mothers should be temporarily stopped.

2. Keeping a Healthy Lifestyle

Having a healthy lifestyle is the key to all health problems, including optimizing the chances of pregnancy. However, on average, mothers who already have one child unfortunately often forget this, so their body condition is not optimal when they want to undergo a second child pregnancy program.

A healthy lifestyle can start from simple things, such as maintaining nutritional intake, avoiding staying up late, not consuming alcohol, and exercising regularly.

3. Taking Supplements

Taking supplements and vitamins can also be done as a preparation step for getting pregnant with a second child because the intake of vitamins is perfect for maintaining the condition of the body of men and women.

Some vitamin recommendations to quickly get pregnant with a second child suitable for increasing fertility include vitamin B complex for women and vitamins C and D to improve sperm quality in men.

4. Consult an Obstetrician

Consultation with an obstetrician indeed cannot be separated from preparation for having a second child. This is very important to find out the condition of the mother-to-be and the various risks that may occur during the second pregnancy.

Quoting from the journal of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at Yale University School of Medicine, some couples have the potential to suffer from secondary infertility after having their first child. This condition can occur even though there are no health problems involving the reproductive organ system.

On the other hand, potential diseases such as polycystic ovary syndrome, thyroid disorders, endometriosis, and sexually transmitted infections also need to be examined and watched out for when consulting an obstetrician for the second child’s pregnancy can run smoothly.

5. Stopping Birth Control 

The final preparation that needs to be done to get pregnant with a second child is to stop the birth control or contraceptive that was previously injected. You can do this when you visit the obstetrician while checking the condition of the uterus.

Those are some factors that can cause difficulty having a second child. Suppose you and your partner currently have plans to have a baby again. In that case, you should immediately have a consultation and a health check with a gynecologist so that the following pregnancy process can run smoothly.