Natural Family Planning International

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that mothers should do six months of exclusive breastfeeding (no solids and no liquids other than breast milk) and then continue to breastfeed for at least 12 months, or longer if they wish.

The huge problem experienced by many breastfeeding mothers is that even if they want to follow that recommendation, they are so influenced by western cultural breastfeeding practices that their milk supply dwindles and then disappears.  The main reason is that they were not nursing frequently enough.

The bottom line is that if mothers would like to experience six months of exclusive breastfeeding and continued breastfeeding for 12 months or longer they need to nurse according to the Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding provides a classic example of demand and supply. Suckling is the demand that stimulates the milk supply. The frequent suckling of Ecological Breastfeeding provides that sort of demand for months and months until the nursling is no longer interested. It also typically provides the mother with months of natural infertility (no menstrual cycles).

And that’s why NFP International promotes and teaches Ecological Breastfeeding. We are convinced that parents have both a need and a right to learn about this wonderful way of nourishing and nurturing their babies. Unless they learn these things well before the baby arrives, how are couples going to make informed decisions about the care of their children?

We know that many parents will also appreciate this abstinence-free form of natural baby spacing.

NFP International is currently the only NFP organization in the United States that teaches Ecological Breastfeeding, so we are a distinct minority. We think that the Catholic Church should require every NFP program operating under its auspices to teach Ecological Breastfeeding. We find it difficult to understand why any NFP program would want to avoid this subject. We are convinced that the evidence makes it clear that we provide a great service both to babies and parents. But how are typical young couples going to learn about this if marriage preparation programs avoid it?

August 2017 NFPI newsletter by Stephen Craig, NFPI Executive Director