NFP - What is Natural Family Planning?
Natural Family Planning (NFP) is an umbrella term for certain methods used to achieve and avoid pregnancies. These methods are based on observation of the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman's menstrual cycle. It is 100 % natural -- no drugs, devices, or surgical procedures are used to avoid pregnancy. And, when practiced correctly, it is 99.6% effective. (That’s higher than any method of simple contraception, according to the World Health Organization.)
Couples using NFP to postpone or avoid pregnancy select days of infertility for intercourse. Couples who wish to achieve a pregnancy select days of fertility for intercourse. Because it allows couples to adjust their behavior to the naturally occurring cycles of fertility and infertility in the woman's body, (men are always fertile) NFP is not a contraceptive. It does nothing to work against conception. As such, it is wholly endorsed by the Catholic Church.
NFP reflects the dignity of the human person within the context of marriage and family life, promotes openness to life, and recognizes the value of the child. By respecting the love-giving and life-giving nature of marriage, NFP has been shown to enrich the bond between husband and wife.
than the "Rhythm Method."
The effectiveness rates of the modern NFP methods skyrocket to 99% in postponing or planning a pregnancy because it is based on the observation of biological markers of fertility, not on the length of cycle as used in the Rhythm method. .
NFP helps those who are experiencing infertility
Many couples who have experienced infertility difficulties have overcome them, primarily through close observation of the woman's cycles. NFP can significantly raise the odds that you’ll conceive.
NFP is for everyone!
NFP works for women of any age, and even for women with irregular cycles.
The male reproductive cell is the sperm and the female reproductive cell is the egg or ovum. A new human life begin at conception, when sperm and egg unite. Conception occurs within the fallopian tube and the new baby begins growing and developing immediately.
But first, in order for pregnancy to occur, a number of conditions must be present. These conditions are healthy sperm, healthy eggs and the presence of cervical mucus.
1. Healthy Sperm
Sperm are produced in the testicles; and during intercourse, millions of sperm cells are released in the vagina. A healthy male produces sperm continuously throughout his life.
2. Healthy egg
Women, on the other hand, are born with hundreds of thousands of eggs. During a woman's menstrual cycle, one or more of these eggs will develop within the ovary. Ovulation is when a fully developed egg ruptures from the follicle and is released from the ovary. Usually only one egg is released during a woman's cycle. The mature egg, once released, will only live for approximately 12 - 24 hours.
3. Cervical mucus
Sperm need cervical
mucus to survive. Sperm, in the absence of good
mucus, will die literally within hours or even
minutes when placed into the vagina. The vagina
which is mostly acidic, is actually a poor
environment for sperm. However, at certain times
in a woman's monthly cycle, she produces a fluid
called cervical mucus, that actually
changes the chemical nature of the vagina and
allows the sperm to survive longer. When
cervical mucus is present, sperm can survive
from 3 to 5 days.
Thus, for a woman to become pregnant, three factors are critical: healthy sperm, healthy egg, and cervical mucus (for sperm survival); and a healthy egg.
This phase of a
woman's cycle begins on the first day of her
bleeding, and ends on the day of ovulation. In
the pre-ovulation phase, a chemical messenger
from the brain signals an egg to develop. The
follicle, which is where the egg develops,
produces the reproductive hormone, estrogen.
Estrogen helps prepare the inside of the vagina
for sperm, and the uterus for pregnancy. Since
hormone levels vary, the length of the woman's
pre-ovulation phase can change from cycle to
In fact, research
indicates that many factors can affect the
length of the woman's cycle, including:
breastfeeding, weight loss, stress, illness, and
diet. Despite this, the time of fertility can be
known with clarity, because of the signs the
woman's body produces, that help her identify
when the window of fertility begins ... and when
Natural Family Planning is as simple as learning the basics of the woman's ovulation cycle, and tracking her fertility on any given day. By careful monitoring the signs of ovulation (I.e. Basal Body Temperature, Cervical Mucus), and tracking any changes, a couple can know with confidence if the woman is in the ovulation phase or not. As such, they can plan accordingly to either achieve or avoid / postpone pregnancy, depending upon their intentions.
Remember: These are only the basics, most of your learning about monitoring fertility will come during follow-up sessions.
NFP Models in the
Archdiocese of New York
Thermal-reading Methods: These NFP methods rely upon charting of "multiple signs & symptoms"; mucus, Basal Body Temperature (BBT) and palpation of the cervix.
Key features of Thermal-reading methods: Both Sympto-thermal methods (CCL and Archdiocesan methods) add a level of crosschecking that some couples find helpful. Archdiocesan method is "more simplified" and the CCL is a "more quantified" method.
Features of the Mucus-based Methods:
Both Billings & Creighton involve
monitoring of mucus. A large appeal of
Billings could be summarized as
"simplicity". Billings is
than Creighton, in that it involves
daily charting and "four
related to fertility.
The appeal of Creighton is that it offers the couple more data on a 'day-by-day' basis. Over a number of cycles, this additional data could be instrumental in dealing with various issues (mentioned above). Also, there are "Creighton practitioners" (including MD's) who can provide medical support for the couple within this method. In sum, Creighton is like Billings, but "gathers and quantifies" more specific / technical data about the symptoms. As such, it requires more nuanced recording of data, etc. Billings requires less recording of data, but is nonetheless effective. Based upon couples' fertility & needs, either the "simplicity" of Billings; or additional information of Creighton may be preferred.
Creighton is used in conjunction with Naprotechnology. Naprotechnology specializes in gynecological (PMS, polycystic ovaries, endometriosis) infertility and miscarriage issues. Naprotechnology works cooperatively with a woman's cycle to treat the underlying cause of the problem. Visit www.Naprotechnology.com for more information.
Natural Family Planning Coordinator
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