Episode 40: Infertility in the Military: Secondary Infertility and Traveling for IVF

It can be hard to balance a demanding workplace with a goal of family building, especially for active service members. If the first step to having a baby for many is timed intercourse, how do you manage this if you are in the military and have no time for intercourse?  

In today’s episode, we’ll hear from Staff Sergeant Helena Giammarco who plays the French Horn in the United States Airforce Band. Helena and her husband had no trouble conceiving their first child, but when they tried for a second, they faced roadblock after roadblock. This dilemma is called secondary infertility, when a woman is unable to get pregnant after previously giving birth to a baby, and it often comes as a surprise.  

Although age plays a significant factor in secondary infertility, as you are naturally older when you are trying for a second child, the nature of Helena’s work in the military made it increasingly more difficult. Helena shares what it was like enduring multiple rounds of IUI and dealing with the emotional trauma of multiple miscarriages, all while constantly being on the road for her job. She also depicts the challenge of having to travel back and forth between states in order to receive IVF treatment at a military clinic. 

In this episode, we learn a little about what it’s like to experience infertility in the military, and how organizations like Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN) are advocating for service women like Helena, both past, present, and future.  

Guest: Helena Giammarco, Staff Sergeant in the US Airforce 

Host: Jasmine Villa, Patient Care Advocate at Progyny 

If you want to hear more, here are a few episodes we’ve released on infertility in the military: 

Episode 55: Infertility in the Military: From Active Duty to Motherhood 

Episode 56: Infertility in the Military: IVF in the Field 

Episode 57: Infertility in the Military: Specialized Care for Our Heroes 

For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Service Women’s Action Network. 

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. 

Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.