Secondary infertility: Anna came to terms with her idea of family

Anna hoped for a second child but experienced secondary infertility, which affected her mood and relationships; therapy helped her reframe family expectations and develop ways to manage difficult social conversations.

Anna hoped for a second child and expected conception to be straightforward, but after a year of negative pregnancy tests her doctor described her situation as secondary infertility. The difficulty conceiving affected her mood, sense of self and aspects of her relationship. She felt isolated by friends' pregnancies and uncomfortable in social situations where family plans were discussed. Therapy became a space to explore how her early family experiences shaped her expectations. Key points: - Secondary infertility refers to difficulty conceiving or carrying a second or subsequent child; Anna received this diagnosis after about a year of trying. - The experience led to persistent worry, feelings of personal shortcoming, and strain with her partner because they had different views about pursuing treatment and its costs. - Therapy provided a non-judgmental place to examine beliefs about siblinghood, to explore how childhood templates shaped expectations, and to develop prepared responses for upsetting social remarks. - Over months Anna moved toward a more flexible view of family composition, while still finding others' comments about pregnancy and fertility difficult. Summary: Anna's experience illustrates how secondary infertility can challenge prior expectations about family and affect close relationships. Therapeutic work helped her reframe the idea that families can take different forms and offered practical ways to manage social interactions. Undetermined at this time.