About Surrogacy

How to Become Fertile Again

Key Points:

10% – 15% of couples hoping to become parents or add to their family face challenges with infertility.
Men and women have treatment options to improve their chances of having children.
Surrogacy is an alternative family-building option, and with the right agency, has a high success rate and helps dreams of parenthood become a reality.

If you’ve recently received an infertility diagnosis, you may start to wonder if you can become fertile again. The quick answer is sometimes, and the process is often complicated and time-consuming.

Although regaining fertility is an option for some people struggling with infertility, others pursue different family-building options like surrogacy.

We are here to help and provide you with information about how you can grow your family.

Speak with a specialist today!

But, if you want to learn more about how to become fertile again, keep reading.

Disclaimer: You should always speak to a medical professional to determine if you think you’re experiencing infertility. This article is only intended for educational purposes and should not be taken as medical advice.

How to Become Fertile Again

Before we discuss how couples can try to regain their fertility, we want to tell you that infertility isn’t anyone’s fault. You and your partner should never feel guilty for not being able to conceive.

Infertility is common – about 10% of all males and 10% of all females in the United States experience it – and it’s normal to feel grief after repeatedly trying to become pregnant. There are support groups you can consider joining to talk to other people who understand what you’re feeling.

Common Infertility Treatments

Men and women can undergo fertility treatments to help increase their fertility. The main goal of the following treatments is to help couples conceive through unprotected sex.

Can a Man Become Fertile Again?

Sometimes. Male infertility often takes time and money to reverse. Speak to your medical professional to determine if the following infertility treatments could help your situation.

Varicoceles repair: During this surgery, abnormal veins are blocked. Sometimes, the procedure can improve fertility.
Hormonal remedies: Sometimes, medicine or surgery can treat hormonal abnormalities.
Obstruction removal: Surgery can sometimes repair any obstructions that prevent sperm transport.
Lifestyle change: Substances like marijuana, cocaine, tobacco, and alcohol can limit sperm production. Avoiding hot baths and whirlpools can sometimes increase sperm production, too. Also, avoid taking medications that contain testosterone and supplements like DHEA.

As a Woman, How Can You Become Fertile Again?

Again, sometimes. Similar to male infertility, female infertility takes money and time to reverse. A medical provider will be able to tell you if the following treatments could help improve your fertility.

Fertility drugs: A doctor may prescribe clomiphene citrate, gonadotropins, metformin, letrozole, or bromocriptine. A doctor will choose the drug according to the fertility issues you’re experiencing, your age, and other factors.
Surgery: Different surgeries – like laparoscopic, hysteroscopic, or tubal surgeries – can fix or treat internal issues that may affect fertility.

If the above suggestions aren’t options or don’t work, some couples may try assisted reproductive techniques (ART).

How to Become Fertile Again with ART

ART techniques are high-tech and often quite expensive. Before each of the following procedures, sperm is taken via ejaculation or a needle inserted into a testicle. Then, after sperm is collected, it’s introduced to eggs in one of the following ways.

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI): Sperm is injected into the uterus during ovulation. A woman often takes medications to increase the number of eggs she releases.
In vitro fertilization (IVF): Multiple eggs are mixed together in a fertility clinic’s lab. The fertilized eggs are then placed into the uterus. This is an option if a man has some viable sperm.
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI): One sperm is injected into an egg through a small needle. The egg is then implanted into the uterus. This is an option if sperm counts are abnormal or low.

Choosing Surrogacy After Infertility

If you’ve explored how to become fertile again and have determined it’s time to pursue a different family-building option, you’re likely experiencing a lot of feelings.

Again, don’t blame yourself if you cannot conceive a child as you envisioned. All of your emotions are valid, and you should only pursue other ways to grow your family when you’re ready.

You can contact a surrogacy agency to connect with a professional who can give you infertility support resources. These professionals often have comprehensive lists of support groups and infertility counselors who can help you work through your grief.

Surrogacy Basics

Surrogacy is a collaborative effort to bring a baby into the world.

If you choose surrogacy, you and your partner will work with:

A surrogate who will carry and deliver your child
A surrogacy agency that will provide you with surrogacy professionals who safely and legally complete your surrogacy
A fertility clinic that helps create the embryo that will be transferred to the surrogate

All modern surrogacies are gestational, meaning the surrogate mother is not related to the baby she carries.

Generally, intended families pay anywhere from $60,000 to $150,000 to cover the surrogate’s needs and provide her base compensation. A surrogate never has to pay to become a surrogate.

Using Your Gamete in Surrogacy

Your fertility clinic can determine if your and your partner’s gamete could successfully create an embryo that a surrogate could carry. If this is not possible, you can still have a child with the help of a sperm and/or egg donor.

Working with a Donor in Surrogacy

It’s common for people who want to pursue surrogacy to use donors. If you choose to use a gamete donor, your surrogacy agency can connect you with a fertility clinic that will assist you in finding the right donor for your surrogacy.

You also may decide to use a gamete donor bank to complete your surrogacy if:

Your partner would like to use a donor, too
You’re in a same-sex relationship
You’re a single prospective father or mother

Next Steps on Your Journey Toward Parenthood

It’s natural to explore how to become fertile again. But if you determine that these options won’t work for your situation, you shouldn’t stop pursuing your dreams of becoming a parent.