Natural Family Planning

What is NFP?
• An umbrella term for using the natural signs of the woman's fertile and infertile times
• To achieve or avoid pregnancy
• Based on the science of human reproduction
• Using no contraception to avoid pregnancy
• And avoiding artificial fertility approaches to achieve pregnancy

"NFP is fertility awareness in action."
Natural Family Planning is NOT the "Rhythm System" used primarily in the 1940's – 1960's!
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Advantages of NFP
Safe
• No medical side effects
• No abortifacient effects (as with the Pill, Depo-Provera, Preven, RU-486, the ‘morning after pill,' IUD, etc.)

Healthy
• Promotes self-awareness and ‘wellness'
• Can alert a couple to potential fertility problems or other health issues

Effective
• Same range of effectiveness as the most effective artificial means (Pill, IUD, etc.)
• More effective than barriers such as condoms, diaphragms, spermicides, etc.
• Not the Rhythm System!

Cheap
• Most instruction methods cost between $50 and $100; ongoing costs almost nil
• Payback vs Pill is a few months

Morally Right
• When used in the context of Responsible Parenthood
• Respects the integrity of the man and wife, created in God's image
• Vs. contraception, which "must be excluded as intrinsically immoral" (Familiaris Consortio, 32)

"Reversible"
• Can help couples with low fertility to have the best chance of conceiving a child
• Does not risk extended loss, reduction, or total elimination of fertility as do the Pill, Depo-Provera, IUD, etc.

Good for Marriages
• Promotes communication, faithfulness, intimacy, mutual respect, chastity, love
• NFP education is an integral part of marriage preparation, see marriage preparation faq's.

Good for Children
• Helps parents appreciate children as gifts from God
• Helps parents communicate healthy sexual attitudes to their children
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Ways to Become Informed:
1. Information Meeting
The information meeting, a single meeting of about one hour, presents what NFP is, why it is good, how NFP fits into the marriage relationship. Usually an overview of how NFP works and why it is effective is included. Regular Information Meetings are held in a central location, and some parishes incorporate them into their local marriage preparation process. Go here for more information and schedules

2. Series of Classes
To learn how to use NFP, couples or individuals attend a series of classes by teachers who have been trained and certified by a national or international NFP provider organization. Instruction is classroom style or "one-on-one" depending on the provider. Sessions in each series are typically timed to be several weeks apart. There are usually 3 or more sessions making up a whole series. Fees vary according to the provider…ask your teacher.

This archdiocese is blessed with teachers from 3 international providers: Ovulation Method (Billings), Creighton Model, and Couple to Couple League (CCL). All are well-established methods, clinically demonstrated to be highly effective. And starting this year we are offering a New Sympto-Thermal method, CCL and SST (Sympto-Thermal) teach a similar and highly-effective method of NFP using basal body temperature along with other signs. See Class Schedules

For more information or questions regarding NFP:
please e-mail nfpflm@aol.com or call Joe DeVet at 281-723-5686.

NFP education is an integral part of marriage preparation.
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Registration Process
For the information session in English you do not need to register, just show up on the date of the session, which is on first come, first served basis. For the Spanish information session you may call and leave your full first and last name at (713) 741-8710, or e-mail us at nfpinfo@archgh.orgnfpinfo@archgh.org. For the classes you have to contact the provider directly.

Infertility
Loving Embrace
A Catholic/Christian support group for couples who have endured or are presently enduring the pain and suffering of infertility; a place where they can encounter support, love and hope. For the next Loving Embrace meeting, please call Shannon Lassen at 713-489-1404 or email infertilitysupporthouston@gmail.com.

Natural Family Planning Links
Ovulation Method
Creighton Model
Couple to Couple League (CCL)

Other resources and informational links
About NFP: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
About NFP and Contraception
About Birth Control
Physicians for Life
Christopher West and Theology of the Body
Creighton Model Fertility Care
National Catholic Bioethics Center
The Gift Foundation
One More Soul
Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction
The Vatican to the NFP Teachers
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