Natural Family Planning International

God Himself made woman in such a way that the frequent suckling of her baby at her breasts postpones the return of fertility.  Scientific research has demonstrated that frequency of suckling is the key to the normal postponement of fertility.  Mothers who breastfeed according to the Seven Standards of ecological breastfeeding (EBF) will experience, on average, 14 to 15 months of amenorrhea (the absence of periods) before their first postpartum menstruation.  These mothers will also provide the best nutrition with resultant better health for both baby and themselves; and they will save well over a thousand U. S. dollars with each baby—funds not spent on formula and baby foods.  Mothers also enjoy a number of health benefits.  (There are currently at least 21 recognized health benefits for breastfed babies and eight health benefits for breastfeeding mothers.)  It is God Himself who created this mutually health-enhancing mother-baby relationship, and God Himself created the side effect of natural baby spacing.  It is part of the New Evangelization to teach God’s personal causation of these beautiful natural realities.  Every engaged and married man & woman deserves to know this part of God’s creation.

God Himself made woman in such a way that pre-ovulation estrogen causes a healthy discharge of mucus from the cervix.  God Himself made woman in such a way that pre-ovulation estrogen also causes several physical changes in the cervix.  Both the mucus changes and the cervix changes can be detected and evaluated by informed women.  Every engaged and married woman deserves to know these aspects of God’s creation.

God Himself made woman in such a way that post-ovulation progesterone causes her basal (i.e., resting) temperature to rise enough that it can be readily noticed with accurate temperature taking and recording.  A sufficiently elevated temperature pattern provides a positive assurance that she is past ovulation.  The NFP husband can become involved in the process of fertility awareness through the simple act of giving the thermometer to his wife in the morning, taking it back after a minute or so, and recording the temperature on their chart.  Every engaged and married couple deserves to know this aspect of God’s creation.

BOOK SALE:  30% off Kippley books in print at lulu through August 7.  Plus 20% off any order at lulu though July 27; use code SILVER when ordering.

John F. Kippley
Battle-Scarred: Justice Can Be Elusive

By John F. Kippley
(to be run in 7 sections daily during NFP Week)

The reason for the existence of NFP International is to provide the right kind of instruction in Natural Family Planning (NFP), something that is much more than “Catholic birth control.”  The right kind of instruction in NFP has to address the whole person.  Within the Catholic Church, the entire body of Catholic teaching on love, marriage and sexuality needs to be presented in the context of Christian discipleship.  The NFP course and the rest of the marriage preparation need to present Jesus as the reason for all teaching about love.  He is love incarnate, so it is a great omission to try to teach about love and marriage, including sexual love, without letting Jesus show us the way.

Some negative aspects
The right kind of NFP instruction is both negative and positive, and everyone has a human right to learn both.  There are serious problems with unnatural forms of birth control, and they need to be addressed.  Hormonal birth control (the Pill, injections, implants, and coated intrauterine devices) can have long-term harmful effects.  Everyone should learn that every form of hormonal birth control has the potential to cause an early abortion.  Every couple deserves to know that the Pill increases the risk of breast cancer.  They should also know that vasectomy is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer.  Lastly, they should realize that the traditional barrier methods of birth control are by no means 100% effective.  The Catholic Church is truly being a friend of women and men alike when it teaches against contraception.  If this information does not help a couple to eschew all unnatural forms of birth control when they start their marriage, at least it may help them to discontinue these unhealthy and immoral practices in the future.

The positive aspects
The New Evangelization involves raising the consciousness of ordinary people about God’s personal interest in the things of nature as well as in specific doctrinal teaching.  The right kind of NFP course provides an excellent opportunity to teach and explain some important parts of God’s plan for us. The positive aspects of natural family planning are beautiful in themselves and even more attractive in comparison with the unnatural forms of birth control.

BOOK SALE:  30% off Kippley books in print at lulu through August 7.

John F. Kippley
Battle-Scarred: Justice Can Be Elusive