NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING   

(Click here for a listing of NFP classes)

What is natural family planning?

 ·       A natural method of achieving or postponing pregnancy requiring no drugs, devices or surgical intervention.

·       A scientifically proven and highly effective method using observations of changes in a woman’s body which identify times of fertility and infertility.

·       A way for couples to understand their own pattern of fertility, giving them a new appreciation for the miracle of conception and their part in the miracle.

·       Not “calendar rhythm”. 

How does NFP conform to the Church’s moral teaching regarding sexuality? 

·       Traditional Church teaching affirms that sexual relations between married persons are good and have two interdependent purposes:

1.   The unitive end; this relationship unites the couple in an exclusive way

2.   The procreative end; this relationship is open to children.  The Church teaches a couple to become responsible parents by making informed choices based on the needs of their spouse, their children, and their community in which they live.

·       It is necessary to give consideration to the physical, economic, psychological and social conditions in relation to which couples generously decide to have children or to limit their family size.

·       Natural family planning respects these principles and allows a couple to make good decisions regarding family planning that will support the true meaning of marriage.

 What are the Benefits of NFP?

 ·       Users learn to understand the naturally occurring patterns and signs of their reproductive cycle.

·       NFP fosters communication between partners.

·       Both partners learn to accept responsibility for family planning decisions.

·       NFP can be used both to obtain and postpone pregnancy.

·       NFP helps to show that children are a gift to the marriage and to the world.

·       NFP makes couples comfortable with their fertility and able to teach their children about healthy sexuality as the children grow into their own fertility. 

What are the methods?

 ·       Sympto-Thermal Method:  Charting daily observations of basal body temperature, as well as changes in the cervical mucus secretion to determine days of possible fertility.  A rise in temperature occurring at the time of ovulation is a result of the elevated progesterone level.

 ·       Ovulation Method:  Based on an observation of the changing pattern of cervical mucus, the couple is instructed to define possible days of fertility and infertility.

 ·       Effectiveness of Natural Family Planning:  Statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and a recently completed World Health Organization study indicate that the natural methods have a 97% effectiveness rate in preventing pregnancy, when the rules of the particular method are followed.   With proper teaching, cooperation and motivation, NFP is as effective as any other family planning method and more effective than most.  It is also the safest.

 How is NFP taught?

 ·      In the Cleveland diocese, classes generally meet for four sessions over four months.   Class length is about one to two hours.  Follow-up 
      by  phone or email for six months.   (Couple to Couple League offers three class sessions 2-2.5 hours long over 3 months with chart review at
      4 and 6 months) 

·      Local instructors are both diocesan approved and nationally certified by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Diocesan Development Program for Natural Family Planning.

·      NFP can be learned by anyone.  It is difficult to learn by self-teaching through reading and research.  It is easy to learn with competent instruction.  Classes are available throughout the diocese.  A brochure is available through the Dept. for Marriage & Family Ministry, listing all the certified NFP instructors in the diocese.

·      Contact the Diocesan NFP Coordinator at 216-334-2973 or  rjacobs@clevelandcatholiccharities.org  
Go to class list=>

 Questions for Reflection:

 ·       How do I feel about sharing the responsibility of family planning with my spouse?

·       Do I feel it would benefit our marriage to better understand our own pattern of fertility?

·       What is the meaning of our sexual relationship?

 Recommended Resources for additional discussion:

·       U.S. Bishops Natural Family Planning online resources>

·       Family Planning, A Guide for Exploring the Issues, Charles & Elizabeth Balsam, Liguori, MO, 1985

·       Of Human Life, A Pastoral Reflection on the 30^th Anniversary of Humanae Vitae, Dept. for Marriage & Family Ministry, Diocese of Cleveland Covenant, 1998.

·       The How and Why of Natural Family Planning, Mary Shivanandan, Catholic Update, 1995

Ó       Department for Marriage and Family Ministry, Diocese of Cleveland