Do you offer Spanish-Language Classes? Offrecen los clases en español?
What is Natural Family Planning?
Natural family planning, or NFP, is methods of achieving or postponing pregnancy by observing the changes in a woman’s body that naturally indicate her fertility. It has nothing to do with the old “Rhythm Method” (aka “Vatican Roulette”), and treats you like a person--body & soul.
How does NFP work?
Women are relatively infertile creatures. While men are fertile all the time, women ovulate once a month for twelve to twenty four hours, and can typically only conceive five to twelve days a month. A couple can pinpoint a woman’s fertile time by biological indicators—cervical mucus, body temperature and cervical shape. (More on signs of fertility here.)
A couple learns how to observe and chart a woman’s cycle by taking classes/ one-on-ones with an NFP teacher, and off they go! The great thing about NFP is that you can use it to either achieve or avoid a pregnancy. In fact, when some couples decide they’re ready to conceive, but then run into infertility struggles, NFP often helps them where other fertility treatments fail.
See “Methods” section to see what methods are offered, and call your NFP Coordinator to see which fits best for you.
What are the Benefits of NFP?
NFP...
- Has no negative side effects.
- Recognizes fertility as a gift, a normal healthy process, not a disease or side effect of sexuality.
- Does not interfere with future fertility.
- Is a shared method, which requires mutual responsibility.
- Deepens intimacy & renews romance.
- Enhances the spiritual aspect of marriage by planning your family in way that’s not contrary to love and the Church’s teachings.
- Is cost effective.
How effective is NFP?
For Achieving a Pregnancy: According to the Paul VI Institute, those using the ovulation method (Creighton Model) and having normal fertility 76% will achieve pregnancy after 3 cycles. Those rates go up to 90% after 3 cycles and 98% after six cycles. For those with "compromised fertility" 20-40% will become pregnant within six to twelve months of use by charting alone. When couples receive medical treatment along with charting, their pregnancy rate up to 80%. Numbers may vary with the different methods.
For Postponing Pregnancy: Overall the rate is as high as or higher than any contraception systems--97%-99% method-effectiveness! No, really. It's THAT good. Plus, the continuation rate of NFP (people who love it and keep on loving it) is around 93%. The rate for contraception ranges from 43% to 72%. (See Jason Evert's Love, Sex & Babies, page 2. Copyright Catholic Answers, 2004.)
(More on effectiveness studies here.)
I looked at the schedule, and can't make any of the current classes. Is there another option?
Yes. While the best option is always to receive in-person instruction, a back up option is to take a homestudy course. Couple to Couple League and Northwest Family Services both offer online homestudy courses that allow you to consult a NFP instructor in your learning. Currently the best way to get started with a homestudy option is to enroll with CCL and Northwest directly. Note: "Toni Weschler's Taking Charge of Your Fertility" or any natural method that endorses the uses of barrier contraception during the fertile part of a woman's cycle, are not approved or endorsed by this office.
(For Engaged Couples) How long before we get married should we take the classes?
You can start taking classes at any point before marriage, but we usually recommend that you start taking classes and charting four to six months before you get married.