How Long Have You Used Natural Family Planning (NFP)?
Three years
Will You Continue to Use Natural Family Planning?
Yes
How Many Children Do You Have?
One
Why Did You Decide to Use Natural Family Planning?
I began having problems with using "the Pill." I felt bloated, emotional, and I didn't feel comfortable taking it for long periods of time. I worried that it might cause infertility if taken too long. Anyways, I was already a Catholic, and I asked my husband what he thought, and he was on board immediately.
We were attending RCIA at the time as well, and our deacon, who taught the class, was and is a big vocal supporter of NFP. He regularly passed out info on it, and had a friendship with many of the local teaching couples.
What NFP Method Do You Use, and Why Did You Choose It?
I initially started with the Couple to Couple League's symptothermal method, and then made a change to the Creighton model after the birth of my son, when my wake-up times became very infrequent, and I was forgetting to take my temp in the mornings. Creighton is a mucus-only method, with the same degree of efficacy as a symptothermal method. And personally, much easier to fit in to my life.
Lessons Learned
- NFP has taught me some really interesting (and in all fairness, gross) information about my body.
- NFP comes in many different varieties. If one method isn't working, try another!
- As for obstacles, the obvious one would be not having sex during the weeks in the middle of the cycle when the craving for sex is strong. Non-Catholics may use a barrier method (like a condom) at this time.
