Aneuploidy. Euploid embryos. PGT-A. Embryo banking. Fresh transfer. Frozen transfer.

And somewhere between the medical terminology, online forums, supplement advertisements, and late-night Google searches, it can become difficult to separate what is possible from what is promised.

In a recent episode of Fertility Unfiltered, Dr. Eric Han of Reproductive Partners Medical Group answered some of the questions patients ask most often about egg freezing, embryos, and IVF.

His message was both hopeful and refreshingly honest: fertility treatment can create extraordinary opportunities, but there is rarely one universal answer. The best decision depends on your age, medical history, timeline, and the family you hope to build.

Is There a “Perfect” Age to Freeze Your Eggs?

From a purely biological perspective, earlier is generally better.

As we age, the chance of chromosomal abnormalities within eggs increases. These abnormalities, known as aneuploidy, are one of the most important factors affecting whether an embryo can lead to a healthy pregnancy.

But biology is only one piece of the decision.

Someone who freezes eggs in their early twenties may preserve younger eggs, but they may never need to use them. Egg freezing also involves medication, monitoring, a retrieval procedure, storage expenses, and emotional considerations.

That is why Dr. Han encourages patients to look at the full picture. What are your family-building goals? When do you think you may want children? Are there medical, personal, or professional circumstances influencing your timeline?

For many people considering elective egg freezing, having the conversation before age 35 may provide more options. It does not mean there is a magical birthday when fertility suddenly changes. It means that earlier information can help you make a more informed decision.

Are Frozen Embryo Transfers Less Successful?

This is a common concern, but frozen embryo transfers are now routine and may offer advantages for many patients.

During a fresh transfer, an embryo is transferred shortly after an IVF stimulation and egg retrieval cycle. During a frozen transfer, embryos are frozen and transferred during a later cycle.

One reason frozen transfers have become more common is the growing use of preimplantation genetic testing, or PGT. Because embryos undergoing PGT must be biopsied and tested before transfer, they are frozen while the results are processed.

A frozen transfer can also allow the body time to recover after ovarian stimulation. For some patients, including certain patients with endometriosis, additional treatment or suppression before transfer may be beneficial.

The right approach is not determined by whether “fresh” or “frozen” sounds more natural. It depends on the patient’s medical situation and treatment plan.

What Does PGT Actually Tell Us?

PGT-A, or preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy, screens embryos for large chromosomal differences.

During testing, a few cells are taken from the outer portion of an embryo, which later develops into the placenta. Those cells are then analyzed for chromosomal abnormalities.

PGT-A can provide useful information, but it is important to understand its limits.

It is not a guarantee of pregnancy. It cannot guarantee that a miscarriage will not occur, and it does not guarantee the birth of a healthy baby. It is one tool that may help patients and physicians identify embryos with the expected number of chromosomes.

Other forms of testing may be used in specific circumstances. PGT-M may help families at risk of passing along certain single-gene conditions, while PGT-SR may be used when a parent carries a structural chromosomal rearrangement.

Whether genetic testing makes sense should be discussed with your fertility physician and, when appropriate, a genetic counselor.

How Do Embryos Survive Being Frozen?

Embryos are remarkably resilient.

Modern fertility laboratories use a rapid-freezing process known as vitrification. Dr. Han explains that more than 95% of embryos are generally expected to survive the thawing process.

Embryos may also remain frozen for many years without losing viability simply because of the length of time they have been stored.

Eggs can also be successfully frozen and thawed, but they are more delicate. An egg is a single large cell with a high water content, so outcomes can vary more than they do with embryos.

This is one reason the conversation about freezing eggs and the conversation about freezing embryos are related, but not identical.

Why Doesn’t Every Egg Become an Embryo?

One of the hardest parts of IVF is watching the numbers change.

A retrieval may produce several eggs, but not every egg will be mature. Not every mature egg will fertilize, and not every fertilized egg will continue developing into an embryo suitable for transfer or freezing.

Dr. Han often tells patients that approximately 70% to 80% of mature eggs may fertilize, while roughly 40% to 60% of fertilized eggs may develop into usable embryos. These are broad estimates, not promises.

Some patients will have higher results. Others will experience a steeper drop-off.

This process is often called IVF attrition, and it can feel deeply personal. But it is not a sign that someone did something wrong. It reflects just how many complex biological steps are involved in creating an embryo.

IVF does not create that inefficiency. It allows us to see a process that normally happens invisibly inside the body.

What Is Embryo Banking?

Embryo banking means creating and freezing embryos now for possible use in the future.

Some patients bank embryos before undergoing chemotherapy, surgery, or another medical treatment that could affect fertility.

Others choose embryo banking because they are not ready to become pregnant yet but know they may want children later. Some patients complete more than one retrieval because they hope to build a larger family and want to preserve embryos created at their current age.

The number of embryos someone may want to bank depends on many factors, including age, embryo testing results, medical history, and desired family size.

There is no single “correct” number.

Is One Embryo Enough?

When patients hear that they have one or two embryos, it can be easy to focus on what they do not have.

But one embryo is not “nothing.”

One embryo may still provide a meaningful chance of pregnancy. The way the result is interpreted should depend on the embryo itself, whether testing was performed, the patient’s age and diagnosis, and their family-building goals.

For someone hoping for one child, one embryo may be the embryo that gets them there.

For someone hoping for several children, the conversation may include whether another retrieval should be considered.

Numbers matter in fertility treatment, but they do not tell the entire story.

The Biggest Misconception About IVF

IVF is powerful, but it is not a guarantee.

Patients often hear success stories, see pregnancy announcements, or encounter advertising that makes treatment appear more predictable than it is.

Age remains one of the most significant factors influencing IVF outcomes, particularly because of its relationship to egg quality and chromosomal abnormalities. A person may have a strong ovarian reserve and still face age-related challenges.

This is why early conversations matter.

You do not need to know whether you want IVF before meeting with a fertility specialist. You do not need to arrive with a treatment plan already formed. A consultation can simply give you a clearer understanding of your fertility, your timeline, and the options available.

What Should Patients Stop Googling?

Dr. Han is not opposed to patients researching their care. Informed patients often ask thoughtful questions and participate actively in decision-making.

The problem is not information. It is information without context.

Search engines and AI tools can produce enormous amounts of data, but they cannot always tell you which information applies to your body, diagnosis, age, or treatment history.

Dr. Han is particularly cautious about supplements being presented as a fertility cure-all. Supplements may play a role in some treatment plans, but an over-the-counter product rarely addresses the underlying reason someone is having difficulty conceiving.

Research can help you prepare questions.

It should not have to replace a personalized medical evaluation.

IVF May Feel More Manageable Than You Expect

Many patients feel understandably nervous about injections, side effects, appointments, and the egg retrieval process.

Yet Dr. Han says that many patients reach the end of a cycle and tell him it was more manageable than they anticipated.

The first injection may feel intimidating. By the third or fourth day, many patients have developed a routine they never imagined they could handle.

Patients are also monitored closely throughout an IVF cycle. Bloodwork, ultrasounds, and regular communication allow the care team to adjust medications and respond to symptoms as treatment progresses.

You are not expected to navigate the process alone.

The Question to Start Asking Earlier

One of Dr. Han’s simplest recommendations may also be one of the most important: talk about your fertility goals with your OB-GYN.

You do not have to wait until you are actively struggling to conceive.

Your OB-GYN may be able to help you understand when testing is appropriate, identify potential concerns, or refer you to a fertility specialist sooner.

The goal is not to create panic around fertility or pressure anyone into treatment.

It is to make fertility part of routine health planning, so patients have the opportunity to make decisions with more information and, whenever possible, more time.

Fertility Care Is Still Evolving

From advancements in embryo testing to emerging uses of artificial intelligence, reproductive medicine continues to change.

The technology used today may look very different a decade from now. That progress brings hope, not only for improving treatment outcomes, but also for expanding access to people who have historically faced barriers to fertility care.

The future of fertility treatment is not about replacing compassionate medical care with technology.

It is about giving patients better information, more personalized options, and a clearer path forward.

Listen to the Full Episode

Hear the complete conversation with Dr. Eric Han on Fertility Unfiltered for more answers about egg freezing, embryo development, IVF, genetic testing, and what patients should know before beginning treatment.

To learn more about your fertility or discuss your family-building goals, schedule a consultation with Reproductive Partners Medical Group.

This article is intended for educational purposes and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Treatment recommendations and outcomes vary by patient.

The first time, maybe it happened quickly. Maybe you barely had time to download an ovulation app before you saw two lines. Maybe pregnancy felt like something your body knew how to do.

And then, when you decide you are ready to grow your family again, nothing happens.

Month after month, the math gets louder. The calendar becomes a tiny courtroom. You start wondering if you are timing things wrong, if your body changed, if your partner’s fertility changed, if you waited too long, if something happened after birth, if everyone else is moving forward while you are quietly stuck.

This is where the emotional confusion of secondary infertility begins.

Secondary infertility means having trouble getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy after having been pregnant or having had a child before. And one of the hardest parts is that many people do not expect it. You may have proof that pregnancy was possible once, which can make the current struggle feel even more confusing.

In this episode of Fertility Unfiltered, Dr. Jackie Ho joins us to talk about why getting pregnant again is not always as simple as “it happened before, so it should happen again.”

Fertility is not frozen in time

One of the biggest misconceptions about fertility is that your past fertility automatically predicts your future fertility.

It can be comforting to think that way. It is also not always true.

Bodies change. Time passes. Hormones shift. Medical conditions can appear or evolve. A prior pregnancy, delivery, infection, surgery, or diagnosis may change the landscape. And sperm health can change too, which is why secondary infertility is not automatically “a female issue.”

That last part matters. A lot.

When couples are trying to conceive, the focus often lands on the person carrying the pregnancy. But fertility is a two-person equation when sperm is involved. Sperm count, movement, shape, hormone levels, health conditions, medications, lifestyle factors, and age can all play a role.

So if you are going through this, the takeaway is not “something is wrong with you.” The takeaway is: something may have changed, and it is worth looking at the full picture.

Why secondary infertility can happen

Secondary infertility can happen for many of the same reasons as primary infertility. Sometimes there is one clear factor. Sometimes there are several small factors. Sometimes testing does not reveal one obvious answer, which can be deeply frustrating, but also very common in fertility care.

Possible contributors may include:

* Changes in ovulation or menstrual cycles

* A change in egg quantity or egg quality over time

* Endometriosis, fibroids, polyps, or other uterine factors

* Blocked or damaged fallopian tubes

* Scarring or complications after prior surgery or delivery

* Changes in sperm count, motility, morphology, or overall sperm health

* Thyroid issues, prolactin changes, PCOS, or other hormone-related conditions

* New health diagnoses, medications, or major weight changes

* Recurrent pregnancy loss or difficulty carrying a pregnancy to term

* No single identifiable cause after evaluation

That list can feel like a drawer full of tangled chargers, but the point of an evaluation is to untangle it piece by piece. Fertility testing is not about assigning blame. It is about getting information.

When should you ask for help?

A good rule of thumb: if you are under 35 and have been trying for a year, it is reasonable to seek a fertility evaluation. If you are 35 or older, many experts recommend seeking evaluation after six months of trying. If you are over 40, or if you already know there may be a fertility-related concern, it is worth talking with a specialist sooner.

And “trying” does not need to mean quietly suffering through month after month while pretending you are totally chill. You are allowed to ask questions earlier. You are allowed to want information before you feel desperate. You are allowed to say, “Something feels off, and I would like to understand what is going on.”

That is not overreacting. That is self-advocacy.

What a fertility evaluation may include

A fertility evaluation after having a child often looks at the same major areas as any fertility workup, while also taking your prior pregnancy and birth history into account.

Your doctor may want to understand:

* How long you have been trying

* Your menstrual cycle pattern

* Your age and reproductive history

* Your prior pregnancy, delivery, miscarriage, or postpartum history

* Any pelvic surgeries, infections, or known conditions

* Ovulation patterns

* Ovarian reserve markers, such as AMH or antral follicle count

* The uterus and fallopian tubes through imaging or other testing

* Semen analysis

* Medical history, medications, and lifestyle factors for both partners

For many patients, this part can feel intimidating. But answers can also bring relief. Even when the answer is not simple, having a plan can quiet some of the mental static.

The emotional part is real

Secondary infertility has its own emotional weather system.

There is grief, but sometimes people feel guilty naming it because they already have a child. There is gratitude, but gratitude does not erase longing. There is love for the family you have, and sadness for the family you imagined. Those feelings can exist in the same room without canceling each other out.

This is one of the most misunderstood parts of secondary infertility. People may say things like:

“At least you already have one.”“Just relax, it happened before.”“Maybe you are meant to be done.”“You should be grateful.”

Most of these comments are not meant to be cruel, but they can land like tiny paper cuts.

Wanting another child does not mean you are ungrateful for the child you have. Grieving a struggle does not mean you are missing the beauty in your current life. Hope is allowed to be complicated.

Treatment is not one-size-fits-all

The right next step depends on what testing shows, your age, your timeline, your medical history, your emotional bandwidth, and your goals.

For some people, treatment may involve medication to support ovulation. For others, it may involve IUI, IVF, surgery, sperm evaluation or treatment, genetic testing, embryo banking, or donor options. Some people need a relatively simple adjustment. Others need a more advanced plan.

The important thing is that secondary infertility does not automatically mean IVF. It also does not mean waiting indefinitely. A fertility specialist can help you understand what path makes sense based on your actual situation, not a generic internet flowchart with ominous fonts.

Questions to bring to your doctor

If you are trying again after having a child and something is not adding up, these questions can help start the conversation:

What could have changed since my last pregnancy?Should we test both partners?Do my age, cycle pattern, or medical history change how quickly we should evaluate?What tests would you recommend first?Could my prior pregnancy, delivery, surgery, or miscarriage history matter?What are the most likely causes in my situation?What treatment options would be reasonable before IVF, if any?How should we think about timing if we hope to have more than one child?What emotional support resources do you recommend during this process?

You do not need to know the perfect question. You just need a starting point.

The bottom line

Secondary infertility can feel especially lonely because it does not match the story many people expected for themselves.

But it is real. It is valid. And it is worth evaluating.

Having one child does not make you immune to fertility challenges. It also does not make your pain less worthy of care.

If you are struggling to get pregnant again, this episode with Dr. Jackie Ho is for the part of you that keeps thinking, “But it worked before.” It is also for the part of you that is tired of holding the whole thing quietly.

You do not have to wait until you are at the end of your rope to ask for help. Sometimes the kindest next step is simply getting more information.

Listen to the full episode of Fertility Unfiltered for a deeper conversation with Dr. Jackie Ho on secondary infertility, what may change between pregnancies, and why you are not alone if growing your family has become harder than expected.

This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. If you have questions about your fertility, speak with a qualified reproductive specialist or healthcare provider.

You’ve probably heard them all:“Eat pineapple after your embryo transfer.”“Your fertility falls off a cliff at 35.”“Relax and it’ll happen.”

At Fertility, Unfiltered, we decided to play a little game of Fact or Fiction with the doctors of Reproductive Partners Medical Group to find out what’s real, what’s hype, and what’s actually worth your energy.

Because when it comes to fertility, clarity shouldn’t be so hard to find.

Myth #1: Eating pineapple helps with implantation.

Verdict: Fiction.

Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that some believe can reduce inflammation and help embryos “stick.” But here’s the truth…there’s no clinical evidence that eating pineapple makes implantation more likely.

If you love pineapple, go for it. But it’s not a fertility treatment, it’s just fruit.

Myth #2: Fertility drops off a cliff at 35.

Verdict: Fiction (but with a side of fact).

Yes, fertility declines with age, but it’s gradual and not a sudden drop.Dr. Han explained it best: “Your fertility doesn’t fall off a cliff at 35; it’s more like a steady slope. The biggest difference is the time it can take to conceive.”

So, while age matters, panic doesn’t help. Understanding your body and your timeline does.

Myth #3: Stress causes infertility.

Verdict: Mostly fiction.

Stress doesn’t cause infertility — but infertility can definitely cause stress. The two often get tangled up, making people feel like their emotions are the problem.

Our take? Give yourself grace. You can’t out-meditate a hormone imbalance, but you can make space for both the medical and emotional parts of this journey.

Myth #4: You have to try for a year before seeing a fertility specialist.

Verdict: Fiction (and outdated).

If you’re over 35, have known conditions like PCOS or endometriosis, or just feel something’s off, you don’t have to wait.Early information is power and talking to a fertility specialist doesn’t mean you’re signing up for IVF tomorrow. It’s about understanding your options, not committing to treatment.

Myth #5: Fertility care is only for couples.

Verdict: Big fiction.

Fertility care is for anyone who wants to understand their reproductive health: individuals, couples, people planning ahead, and those preserving their fertility for later.

Your family story doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.

Why It Matters

The internet is loud. But the truth about fertility deserves more than clickbait and old wives’ tales.

Fertility care is changing becoming more accessible, more inclusive, and more human.And the more we talk about what’s fact and what’s fiction, the easier it becomes for people to make decisions with confidence, not confusion.

Listen to the Full Episode

Fertility, Unfiltered: Fact or Fiction: What People Get Wrong About Fertility

We cover:

* Why endometriosis is often missed or misdiagnosed

* The real impact endo has on hormones, inflammation, and fertility

* Surgical vs. non-surgical treatment options

* What to consider before jumping into IVF

* How to advocate for yourself and build a care team that gets it

This conversation is filled with insight, validation, and real talk—because you deserve to understand your body, your diagnosis, and your options.

Sponsored by RPMG and FCOC, this episode is part of our mission to provide free, accessible fertility education to the community—no selling, just support.