Natural Family Planning International

What every woman, man, and Catholic bishop and priest need to know about God’s plan for spacing babies.

More witnesses:

“As far as I understand it, Ecological Breastfeeding, the non-systematic form of NFP,  is meant to be the main form for Catholics to use, and the systematic form is meant for use in only “grave circumstances.”  Not only does breastfeeding  provide infertility that will make it possible to avoid the cancer-causing pill and still achieve healthy spacing between babies, breastfeeding also greatly reduces the risks of breast cancer. The longer a woman nurses, the more her risks decrease. And there are many other health benefits to the mother.  My youngest is 15 months old and I have not had any signs of my fertility returning.”

“Still nursing my 19 month old full time (a few times an hour as needed) and we are both in love :-)”  —from a Jewish mother practicing eco-breastfeeding

“I am just finishing your book, Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing. What an informative, well written book!  By way of information, I am a 33 year old Catholic, working mother of a 19 month old.   My husband and I are both attorneys.  I pumped the entire first 15 months while at work.  I met my daughter for lunch feedings.  I did not begin introducing solids until 8 months.  I co-slept from the beginning.   I feel that all of these practices enabled me to establish a strong breastfeeding relationship and a bond with my daughter. People often think I’m crazy for nursing this long.  I really have enjoyed your book and it gives me hope about my life’s plan.
I am writing because I am concerned about the amenorrhea.  As I mentioned, it has been 19 months and still no period.  I am eager to have another baby or two. I am concerned because of my age. We are not ready to wean.   In fact, we are co- sleeping and she still nurses frequently throughout the night. I do not nurse during the day.   I love my nursing relationship and would prefer to continue nursing through a pregnancy. Thank you for your time and all of your efforts.  It is because of individuals such as yourself that I have managed to work and still mother the natural way.”

Further reading: The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor.  Both Catholic laity and clergy should read Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood.  It applies the papal Theology of the body to the bodily activity of breastfeeding.

Book Sale:  30% off Kippley books in print at lulu through August 7.

BREASTFEEDING SAVES BABIES video

Sheila Kippley

What every woman, man, and Catholic bishop and priest need to know about God’s plan for spacing babies.

Below are more witnesses from eco-breastfeeding mothers.

“In brief, we chose ecological breastfeeding based on receiving a copy of The Art of Natural Family Planning 4th Edition as an early wedding gift.  Just under 5 months postpartum, I experienced a very short (less than a hour), very light (less than 1/4 tsp, including a small bit of tissue or blood clot) episode of spotting.  I really have no idea what caused it, as I experienced no signs of mucus before this and no signs after until a couple weeks after solids were introduced at about 7 months.  I charted for a very short time when this mucus started but stopped when the mucus went away.  I did not chart after that but just sort of kept an eye out for fertile mucus.  I observed fertile mucus beginning when my daughter was about 18 months old and started charting a couple weeks later.  At about 19.5 months, I experienced a day of spotting.  We successfully charted my first postpartum ovulation at about 20.5 months postpartum, followed by my first true postpartum period after an 8-day luteal phase.  My next three cycles also had 8-day luteal phases.  This was followed by a cycle with an 11-day luteal phase, so my first “fertile” ovulation was when my daughter was about 25 months and 1 week old.  We then switched to trying to conceive and were blessed with the conception of our son (over 5 weeks into that cycle – good thing we were charting and had accurate dates!) when our daughter was a few days less than 27 months old.
Thank you for your research and teaching of ecological breastfeeding.  It has certainly been a blessing for our family.
God Bless,
Jeana (and Dominic) Jones”
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“Many of the women said that ecological breastfeeding didn’t work for them, but they also mentioned pacifier use and their babies sleeping through the night.  I think some moms think they are practicing eco-breastfeeding but they haven’t read Sheila Kippley’s books. Of course, there is a group of women whose periods return earlier than the average and yet they do practice eco-breastfeeding.  I practice ecological breastfeeding  and my period returned at 29 months with my last baby.”
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Further reading: The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor.  Both Catholic laity and clergy should read Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood.  It applies the papal Theology of the body to the bodily activity of breastfeeding.

Book Sale:  30% off Kippley books in print at lulu through August 7.

Sheila Kippley

What every woman, man, and Catholic bishop and priest need to know about God’s plan for spacing babies.

—-A handful of witnesses—-

“This is the only method of child spacing that appeals to my husband and me in every possible way.  Myself, I look for simpler answers—ones that women in non-technological societies might discover—and in breastfeeding I found it.”

“I am currently nursing my 17 month old without a return of my periods.”

“My son nurses on and off during the nights.  He is 22 months old and I have not had a period yet.”

“Breastfeeding has a very definite effect on child spacing.  With my bottlefed children I conceived again at 8 months after childbirth despite other contraceptives.  It has been 15 months since the last baby was born.  No period yet.”

“I was just on the verge of buying another copy of the Seven Standards book, as I had lent mine to a friend and have another pregnant friend who I wanted to pass this book on to. That book has been an incredible resource and I have read it many times! It gave me the courage to co-sleep with my babies (against societal pressure to the contrary), as well as inspiring me in many other ways. I have passed it on to other pregnant friends in the past. For myself, following the recommendations of your book, I had 22 months of amenorrhoea with my first child, and now my 2nd baby is 10 months old and I am still in amenorrhoea. I still re-read sections of your book even now for encouragement and information.”

Tomorrow: More witnesses

Further reading: The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor.  Both Catholic laity and clergy should read Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood.  It applies the papal Theology of the body to the bodily activity of breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding in an emergency situation:  For the displaced in a refugee crisis, in drought, for lack of clean water, in earthquakes, during disease, or any emergency, the best prevention from sickness and disease is breastfeeding.  Some countries have brought the breastfeeding rate among mothers from 10% to 60%.  As this video shows, “breastfeeding is an absolute priority!”  This video is less than 3 minutes.

Book Sale:  30% off Kippley books in print at lulu through August 7.

Sheila Kippley