Archive for the ‘NFP’ Category

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Teaching Ecological Breastfeeding to the Engaged and Newly Married

Sunday, September 18th, 2011

Should engaged couples learn systematic NFP prior to marriage?  Or just ecological breastfeeding?  Some couples have told us they would like to teaching natural family planning—but only ecological breastfeeding.

You do not have to be trained to teach generosity in having children and God’s plan for spacing babies by breastfeeding.  However, the right kind of breastfeeding must be taught because only eco-breastfeeding is associated with an extended period or natural infertility.  In such a course it must be stressed that the needs of the baby come first, that the physical as well as the emotional benefits of breastfeeding are very important for the baby. The benefits to the mother should also be taught.

How does one teach the engaged or newly married couple about eco-breastfeeding using the NFPI manual?
If I were teaching such a course, I would teach it in two classes.  I would split the content of Chapter One; half to be taught in the first class and half to be taught in the second class.  I would review the fertility signs in the fertility cycle without teaching the rules.  These signs aid in achieving pregnancy and can help a couple determine whether or not they achieved pregnancy.  I would review pages 68-70 (in Chapter 4) which cover additional information on achieving pregnancy and determining the due date and offers helpful information when a couple has low fertility.  I would also teach the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby in the first class.  Parts of Chapters 2, 3, and 6 would be used in Class 1.

In the second class I would finish Chapter One and then head into Chapter 6 with special emphasis and support for eco-breastfeeding.  Some couples will be told by health-care professionals that they should never sleep with their baby.  A person or couple teaching eco-breastfeeding can refer such couples to the links at the NFPI website where proper information on bedsharing between mother and baby is provided.  This second class is a good time to handle any concerns that class attendees might have pertaining to exclusive breastfeeding or eco-breastfeeding.

Anyone can teach the above information in their parish or to their friends.  Those couples who have a sufficiently serious reason later to avoid pregnancy know that information on systematic NFP is available in their NFPI manual.

Couples who desire to follow God’s plan by using only breastfeeding to space their babies will appreciate such a course.  This course will also help couples understand Church teaching, and hopefully they will develop a deeper appreciation and love for their Church.  It is hoped that these couples will be more open and accepting of children.  The Catholic Church needs more babies, and generosity in having children would be well taught in such a course.

Sheila Kippley
The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor

Posted in Ecological Breastfeeding, NFP | 1 Comment »

Battle-Scarred: Justice Can Be Elusive

Sunday, September 11th, 2011

We have lived in interesting, even revolutionary, times within the Church, and John has been involved in the birth control debate since well before Humanae Vitae.  Together we formed an organization to provide the practical help to live the teaching.  To say the least, the reactions to these efforts have been mixed—sometimes joyful, sometimes painful but certainly interesting.  Thus, we’ve been getting excellent comments from readers of John’s memoirs, Battle-Scarred: Justice Can Be Elusive.

What have others said about the book?

I have enjoyed reading your book.  It is fascinating from several perspectives and also a most valuable history of a significant part of the NFP movement.
—Mary Shivanandan, STD, Professor specializing in the Theology of the Body

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I was living in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, at the time the events described in the [earlier chapters of this] book took place. I was one of a very few who believed that John was being unjustly dealt with by Fr. Mooney. The events in this book are described exactly as I remember them.
—Wilf Oberthier, retired Human Resources director, Canada
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John’s book came today.  It is so good.  I’m on page 66 and it is so hard to put down, but I must put it down and do some work!
—NFP Teacher, Texas
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I have ten more pages to read. I’m on page 248. It is an excellent book. When Tom Ruwe’s name appeared in the book, it brought back memories of information regarding him.
—Cincinnati
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I truly enjoyed John’s book; it filled in a lot of blanks for me.
—former NFP teacher, Iowa
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I restarted reading and I just finished chapter 3 [dealing with the Canadian experience].  Wow!
— Illinois parish priest
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Once I started the book I could hardly put it down and grieved as I read it.
—longtime promoter of generous family life, Michigan
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The cost of the book is worth it just to read about the history of the dissent from Humanae Vitae from someone who was in the thick of it.
—Priest, retired professor of English, Minnesota

Buy the book and enjoy!  Or you can get a 15% discount at lulu.com on Battle-Scarred and any of our other lulu books up through September 30, 2011 by writing in the code  AWESOME305 at checkout.  One can save up to $25.

Sheila Kippley

Posted in About Us, Humanae Vitae, NFP | 1 Comment »

Couple Helped by Natural Family Planning International

Sunday, September 4th, 2011

To: John and Sheila Kippley at NFP International
I am emailing you because my husband and I may be interested in teaching the “complete approach” NFP method from nfpandmore.org.

Our NFP history:   When we were engaged to marry in the Catholic church in 2004 we were told our only choice was the Creighton model introductory class. We took it and also spent $165 on the follow up one-year class. We were open to life right away after our wedding day, but we didn’t conceive until 11 months into our marriage.  I feel it took 11 months to achieve pregnancy because of stress issues.  My Creighton model charts showed that I was experiencing constant fertile-type mucus, but that was probably seminal residue (SR) making it very hard to learn and follow the Creighton model. Between failing at breastfeeding and failing at using the Creighton method to space my children I gave birth to 3 blessings (children) in 2 ½ years.  I asked my Creighton model teacher questions about the sympto-thermal method (STM).  She told me misinformation about STM and refused to help me.

So we self-taught ourselves the STM after the birth of my 3rd baby.  I feel that the basal body temperature charting and cervix checks illuminate the confusion about SR and are an invaluable tool in the cross-checking method of STM. We feel the NFP STM is a way of life we have, and we use the knowledge to be responsible parents and have a choice each day/month to postpone pregnancy or to be open to conception and life. Therefore we feel we are living God’s plan. We feel breastfeeding is so important especially for those who feel using NFP is immoral, and therefore ecological breastfeeding is a moral and very healthy way to space children for them too.  We also feel that by teaching ecological breastfeeding and STM that you teach young engaged/married couples to live on one income and live according to God’s plan.

I thank you both for the knowledge we have learned about breastfeeding and NFP. We live in an area where the Creighton method is dominant, and most of my Catholic mother friends buy pregnancy tests by bulk and take them every two weeks or so because they don’t know where they are in their postpartum cycles.  Some have also bought expensive fertility monitors to help. I have been slowly trying to explain to them that with STM you don’t need pregnancy tests or fertility monitors.  We would be interesting in teaching the “complete approach.” We think both of you have heroic virtues and encourage others to have trust in God.  Thank you for making such a difference in our lives; we love your writings.  We have read Natural Family Planning: The Complete Approach and we feel we could teach it.
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NFPI requests a donation of $70 for the NFPI classes or for the Home Study Course.  We also have an introductory online NFP course available.  For those who can afford it, a donation of $10 is requested for the download of the NFPI manual mentioned above.  For the truly poor the downloading of our online manual is free.  We believe most couples can teach themselves from the NFPI manual.  Our classes are limited to a few states.  If anyone is interested in teaching with us and using the NFPI manual, please contact us.

Sheila Kippley
www.NFPandmore.org

Posted in Ecological Breastfeeding, NFP, NFPI | 1 Comment »

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