St. Maria Goretti

Natural Family Planning (NFP) is the general title for the scientific, natural and moral methods of family planning that can help married couples either achieve or postpone pregnancies. Studies show that couples who follow their NFP method’s guidelines correctly, and all the time, achieve effectiveness rates of 97-99%, without the need for drugs, devices, or surgical procedures. We are blessed to have Natural Family Planning teachers of both the Sympto-Thermal Method and the Creighton Model.

NFP is a means of reading the body’s signs of fertility and infertility in a way that honors our dignity as persons by respecting the natural rhythms and functions of the body. Fertility observations are easy to make, take only a few minutes, works even for irregular cycles, and can be a means to achieving a pregnancy. Couples are often surprised to learn that many NFP users report that NFP helps improve their relationship. Those considering NFP are often concerned about periods of abstinence, and yet NFP users say those times apart actually help them connect on a deeper level. NFP couples also talk about increased respect for each other, coming from the shared responsibility of the method, which makes them more like a team, and that extends beyond the issue of family planning. Finally, many couples find that NFP helps them build a deeper and closer relationship to God since they are experiencing marriage as He intended. We believe it’s great Marriage Insurance since couples practicing NFP have less than a 5% divorce rate!

If you’re interested in learning the Sympto-Thermal Method of NFP, check out ccli.org for classes in our area. We also invite you to contact us at [email protected] if you have questions about the Sympto-Thermal Method or Creighton Method of NFP.

Why NFP Differs from Contraception. Pope John Paul II

Humanae Vitae after 25 Years – Responses to Common Difficulties

Theology of the Body

What is a Fertility Awareness Method and How to Start Charting – Natural Womanhood

Is Using Condoms with Fertility Awareness a Good Idea? Natural Womanhood

Introduction to Contemporary FABMs (Video) – Dr Marguerite Duane, Dr Faith Daggs, Allison Dreher

Journal Article Describes How Effectiveness of FAMs Is Often Misrepresented. FACTS

One More Reason FABMs are Different From (and so much better than) Birth Control. Natural Womanhood

Life-Giving Love in an Age of Technology

Empowering Teenage Girls to Know Their Bodies (Video) 

Cycle mindfulness: what happens when you teach fertility awareness to teen girls – Natural Womanhood

An Adolescent Uses FABMs to Track Her Cycle and Understand Her Body. FACTS. 

Excision Procedure Ends Years of Endometriosis Pain – Dr Patrick Yeung, SLUCare (Video)

Endometriosis: A Review and the Role of FABMs. FACTS. 

An Ethical Comparison between In-Vitro Fertilization and NaProTechnology. (2012). The Linacre Quarterly.