Words by InVia Fertility
Trying for another baby doesn’t always follow the same path as before. Sometimes it’s harder, slower, or filled with questions that didn’t come up the first time. If this sounds like you, or someone you care about, this is what the doctors at InVia Fertility want you to know.
Featured above: Dr. Shandley from InVia Fertility. Dr. Shandley’s own experience with infertility during medical training shapes the steady support she gives to others.
You’ve done “this” before.
Maybe once, maybe twice. You’ve felt that rush of joy, the flutter of nerves, the unexpected strength that comes with becoming a parent. You know the process. You remember the milestones.
And now, you’re ready to try again.
But this time? It’s not going as planned.
At InVia Fertility, this is a story the team hears often. A parent shows up after months of trying, sometimes with a toddler in tow, sometimes with quiet hesitation. The words are rarely the same, but the heart of it is familiar: “It worked before… why not now?”
Sometimes they come in saying, “I thought this would be easier,” or “I assumed it would happen again when we were ready.” Others show up quietly heartbroken after months, or years, of trying alone. The common thread? They didn’t expect to need help, and they’re not sure what asking for it means now.
Secondary infertility is real. It’s common. And too often, it’s kept quiet.
These aren’t patients starting from scratch. These are women, couples, and families who know what it means to hope, and who didn’t expect the second (or third) time to feel so uncertain.
The doctors at InVia know this space well.
They see the in-between moments: the self-doubt, the late-night Googling, the way people hesitate before even making an appointment. Because when you’ve had a child before, you’re often the last to believe you might need support now.
The fertility specialists at InVia Fertility. From left to right: Dr. Luu, Dr. Karande, Dr. Puscheck and Dr. Klipstein
But fertility isn’t a guarantee that repeats itself.
It changes with age, health history, hormonal shifts, and sometimes for reasons no one can immediately explain. Secondary infertility is real. It’s common. And too often, it’s kept quiet.
The InVia team approaches this reality with respect, not assumptions.
Their board-certified reproductive endocrinologists—Dr. Vishvanath Karande, Dr. Sigal Klipstein, Dr. Thanh-Ha Luu, Dr. Lisa Shandley, and Dr. Elizabeth Puscheck—bring decades of experience to the table. But more importantly, they bring humanity.
What makes InVia Fertility stand out
It isn’t just clinical expertise; it’s the way that expertise is lived, shared, and applied with care.
Dr. Karande, who leads the IVF program, offers clear, compassionate guidance to help patients move forward with confidence.
Dr. Karande and his wife Jayu.
Dr. Luu brings both professional knowledge and personal understanding—having gone through treatment herself, she creates space for patients to feel seen.
Dr. Luu and Dr. Shandley at the Broken Brown Egg Mosaic Ball .
Dr. Klipstein leads the donor egg program with integrity, helping patients navigate important decisions with quiet clarity.
Dr. Klipstein
Dr. Shandley’s own experience with infertility during medical training shapes the steady support she gives to others.
Dr. Shandley with her husband Micheal and her newborn son Emmett.
And Dr. Puscheck brings deep clinical experience and a collaborative spirit, helping build plans that truly reflect each person’s needs.
Dr. Puscheck
One patient put it simply: “They got it. I didn’t have to explain why I was sad, or what I wanted. They already understood.” That kind of care doesn’t erase the hard parts, but it does make them easier to carry.
Complex emotions
For someone navigating this, the emotions can be complex. Gratitude and grief. Confidence and doubt. One doesn’t cancel out the other. And at InVia, that complexity is honored; not rushed, not minimized, not ignored.
If this is you, you’re not alone. And if this isn’t you, but maybe it’s your sister, or your best friend, please share this. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can offer someone is the space to ask, to hope, and to try again.
At InVia Fertility, the message is simple: Every step matters. Every story deserves to be heard. And every person deserves care that meets them exactly where they are—even when they’ve been here before
This is a sponsored post from Chicago North Shore Moms trusted partner, InVia Fertility. Thank you!
