What is NFP?
Natural Family Planning or NFP is the use of a Fertility Awareness Based Method (FABM) alongside prayer and discernment with your spouse on family planning intentions.
FABMs can be used to avoid or achieve a pregnancy.
FABMs track certian biomarkers present throughout a woman’s cycle and use evidence-based rules to establish the regularly occuring times of fertility and infertily throughout the cycle. Married couples using a Fertility Awareness Based Method to avoid pregnancy would abstain during the fertile window, and couples looking to achieve a pregnancy would make use of the fertile window for marital intimacy. There are three different categories of FABMs:
Mucus Only Methods
Cervical mucus based NFP methods focus on one primary sign of a woman’s fertility—cervical mucus.
LEARN MORESympto-Hormonal Methods
Central to Sympto-Hormonal methods is the fact that when fertile, a woman’s urinary metabolites carry trace elements of her reproductive hormones (estradiol and luteinizing hormone). SHMs make use of fertility devices to help married couples pinpoint the woman’s time of fertility. Depending upon the SHM, the device can be a fertility monitor or test strips.
LEARN MORESympto-Thermal Methods
Sympto-Thermal Methods provide information on the primary sign of fertility, cervical mucus and include basal body temperature readings as a support or double check to confirm the end of fertility.
LEARN MOREWhy does the Church teach NFP?
Natrual Family Planning 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 natures of marriage, NFP can enrich the bond between husband and wife. (USCCB Standards for Diocesan Natural Family Planning Ministry, p. 23)
Tell me more…
Natural Family Planning allows a married couple to practice responsible parenthood and work within the natural bounds of our human design to plan their family.
The Church sees a need for family planning
The Church cares for us. She understands that family planning is needed. Our world isn’t the same as it was 200 years ago. There are cases and situations that don’t allow for more than a few children in families.
Responsible Parenthood
This is a term coined by Pope Paul VI in Humanae Vitae. He insists that married couples have an awareness of what he calls responsible parenthood. This involves having an awareness of the proper functions of our God designed biological functions, understanding that marital intimacy is a gift and we cannot use our spouse rather we must be a gift to our spouse, and that responsible parenthood is exercised by those who decide to have more children or to avoid having children for a time or indefinitely due to physical, economic, psychological and social conditions.
Discerning Family Size
An important aspect of using NFP in your marriage involves discernment and prayer with your spouse on family size. This invites regular, deep conversations with your spouse about your family, your children, your mental and physical wellbeing, and more. It is a beautiful outcome of NFP that it leads couples to communicate more regularly.
Have more questions about discernment and where to start? Take a look at this great discernment guide from the diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph, Missouri:
NFP week 2021
National NFP Awareness Week is July 25-31. Holy Spirit is bringing you lots of events and opportunities to learn more about NFP starting July 23.
Facebook Live with Fr. Ken and Ellen Holloway
Recorded Video available on Facebook
Join Fr. Ken and Ellen for a discussion on the theology of NFP and its use in marriages on our Holy Spirit Facebook Page Did you miss the live event? It’s available for replay on our Facebook Page, just click the link below
Q&A after Masses
July 24-25 | After all Masses | St. Francis Plaza
Have some questions about NFP? Want to sign up to attend one of the Zoom sessions later in the week? Want to learn a method but not sure where to start? Stop by the table after Mass and talk with Holy Spirit’s NFP ambassador Ellen Holloway.
What is NFP? Zoom Session
Monday, July 26 | 7:30 pm | Zoom
Join Ellen Holloway, SymmptoPro Instructor and host of Charting Toward Intimacy for an introduction to what NFP is and why it’s important for your life and marriage. Email ellenholloway100@gmail.com for questions. Register at the link below!
NFP in your Marriage Zoom Session
Thursday, July 29 | 7:30 pm | Zoom
How do we live out NFP in our marriages? Where do we turn when things get difficult or we have questions. Come for this open session to share, ask questions, and get support in using NFP in your marriage.
Have Questions about NFP or want to learn a method?
Contact Ellen Holloway, Holy Spirit’s NFP Ambassador at ellenholloway100@gmail.com