“In my 30 years in Brazil, I saw many promising apostolates rise and then fall as they abandoned the charisms of their founders.”—Bishop Karl Jozef Romer, Pontifical Council for the Family, 2002 CCL Convention.
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Need for a news release by CCL on the breastfeeding
Some might wonder why I have blogged about eco-breastfeeding and the possibility that CCL will drop this teaching. The purpose of this blog is to illustrate how important the teaching of eco-breastfeeding has been over the years with CCL. If CCL is dropping this teaching, then I believe CCL should issue a news release about this major change. CCL had two news releases about incorporating the Theology of the Body throughout their teaching, and one of their news releases dealt with the changes in the teaching of the sympto-thermal method. Certainly the changes that seem to be occurring with eco-breastfeeding require a news release by CCL.
The teaching of the Seven Standards or ecological breastfeeding has been a major part of the teaching in the regular series of CCL classes since 1971. To drop this teaching or to replace it with something else is newsworthy. Catholics and former CCL attendees should know that the CCL teaching in this area is now different. The teaching we brought to CCL has changed with respect to the “triple strand,” and the most drastic change appears to be the elimination of the teaching of the Seven Standards of eco-breastfeeding during the regular series of CCL classes.
The teaching of ecological breastfeeding in 1971 was similar to what it is today. We did research prior to 1971 (the beginning year of CCL) on the standards listed below, and this study resulted in a 1972 publication in a scientific journal. As you will see below, the criteria for this research on ecological breastfeeding or natural mothering were quite similar to what we teach today at the NFP International website. The criteria listed in the 1972 published research were these:
No pacifiers used
No bottles used
No solids or liquids for 5 months
No feeding schedules other than baby’s
Presence of night-feedings
Presence of lying-down nursing (naps, night-feedings)
To see how ecological breastfeeding (EBF) and the “triple strand” are important parts of CCL, I went to the CCL website on April 28-29, 2007 and looked for these two concepts. The message at the website is certainly different from the messages I have been hearing from others and have reported in my recent blogs. As you will see, CCL needs to update its website.
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What follows is what I found at the CCL website on April 28-29, 2007. I have added the boldface emphasis.
“NFP…can also refer to the spacing of pregnancies through Ecological Breastfeeding.”
“Regarding the effectiveness of ecological breastfeeding, it provides an average of 14 to 15 months of postpartum infertility for those women who follow its guidelines.” [more info on EBF followed]
“CCL teaches two basic forms of Natural Family Planning (NFP) — Sympto-Thermal Method and Ecological Breastfeeding. …Ecological breastfeeding is actually the world’s oldest form of NFP.” [more on EBF followed]
“Ecological Breastfeeding is a type of nursing that respects and follows the natural order…It is actually the world’s oldest form of family planning because by providing her baby nourishment and nurturing according to the standards of Ecological Breastfeeding, a mother will almost always experience an extended time of infertility following childbirth.”
“Over the years at CCL we have found that teaching about Ecological Breastfeeding has been the most appreciated aspect of our classes. Many women tell us that they find Ecological Breastfeeding to be truly life-enhancing.”
“The League also teaches the world’s oldest form of natural child spacing — ecological breastfeeding. This is a form of breastfeeding that typically provides over a year of natural infertility after childbirth.”
“A Lesson Learned” expresses one mom’s gratitude for learning about ecological breastfeeding and child-centered mothering.
The following are excerpts from CCL’s official CCL documents, Bylaws and Constitution, both dated July 10, 2005 (not quite two years old).
BYLAWS
“The mission of the Couple to Couple League and the Foundation for the Family is…to teach ecological breastfeeding and encourage its use.”
“Permanent employees of CCLI, both full-time and part-time, shall be fully able and willing to publicly uphold and promote all aspects of the fundamentals of CCLI including its religious and moral teachings, the science and the practice of the sympto-thermal method of NFP, ecological breastfeeding, and the CCL Statement of Principles.”
“All CCL courses will introduce ecological breastfeeding..”
“Promoters who make public presentations and Teachers must fully approve the triple strand of the CCL approach to NFP education. This triple strand includes the STM, ecological breastfeeding and morality education.”
“Teachers, Public Promoters, and CCL staff counselors who have yet to experience childbirth and ecological breastfeeding or are beyond the childbearing years must fully approve of and promote the triple strand of the CCL approach to NFP education.”
“As such, a Teacher or Public Promoter who is a mother will normally breastfeed her baby during the first six months of life by providing 100% nourishment from her breasts, day and night, according to the demands of her baby. Once the baby begins solids, mothers normally continue to let the baby nurse as often as baby wants until baby-led weaning occurs.”
“The magazine, in-house publications and brochures published by CCLI shall focus primarily on the subjects of CCL’s triple-strand approach to NFP.”
CONSTITUTION
“Clarifying the League’s principle on ecological breastfeeding. (Appendix 1)”
“To teach the techniques of ecological breastfeeding and encourage its use.”
“To train couples to teach the CCL triple-strand program of instruction. (See Article XI)”
“To carry on an active program of teaching and counseling married and engaged couples in fertility awareness, its virtuous application within marriage and the techniques of ecological breastfeeding.”
“CCL…teaches the techniques of ecological breastfeeding and encourages its use.”
“Teachers and promoters must support and promote the concepts of mother-baby togetherness and ecological breastfeeding. Teachers are expected to practice ecological breastfeeding unless there is a serious reason that makes this impossible.”
“Permanent employees of CCLI, both full-time and part-time, shall be fully able and willing to publicly uphold and promote all aspects of the fundamentals of CCLI including its religious and moral teachings, the science and the practice of the sympto-thermal of NFP, ecological breastfeeding, and the CCL Statement of Principles.”
“Therefore it has adopted the Triple Strand approach to teaching natural family planning.”
“In its Triple Strand program of NFP education, the CCLI shall teach ecological breastfeeding,[etc.].”
“Ecological breastfeeding can be an appropriate exercise of responsible parenthood; it is not just a child-spacing technique.”
CCL PRESS RELEASES
March 10, 2005: “CCL Teaching Couple Richard and Vicki Braun explained the Sympto-Thermal Method as taught by CCL, the moral aspects of NFP, and the role of ecological breastfeeding in family spacing.”
March 31, 2005: “CCLI remains committed to its “triple strand” educational approach, which combines the Sympto-Thermal Method of NFP, moral theology as it applies to marital intimacy, and the importance of ecological breastfeeding and its effect on the natural spacing of children.” [The main purpose of the release was to announce the incorporation of the Theology of the Body “throughout all of CCLI’s teaching materials and the organization’s affairs.”]
October 17, 2005: [announcement again on CCL’s teaching reflecting “the theological thought of Pope John Paul II” plus the new retooled version of the STM. Nothing was said about breastfeeding in this news release. If CCL can have a news release in March and October 2005 on the changes in two parts of the “Triple Strand,” why not a news release on the changes in the third part of the “Triple Strand?”]
Also found at the CCL website was my “Summary of Ecological Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing Program.” A similar summary is found in the original mimeograph first edition of The Art of Natural Family Planning. The brochure “Breastfeeding: Does It Really Space Babies” which John wrote for CCL is still at the CCL website. Both items have much to say about ecological breastfeeding.
As of May 28, 2007, in its website capital campaign promotion, CCL continues to promise several times the promotion of ecological breastfeeding.
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From Sheila:
Eco-breastfeeding has been a major teaching in the CCL’s “triple strand” approach to NFP. Is CCL going to promote this teaching in their new main NFP program? From what I hear, it’s not likely.
If CCL plans to drop the teaching of ecological breastfeeding, I would ask the members of the CCL Board to reconsider their decision on this. If, however, CCL does not teach the Seven Standards of eco-breastfeeding in its regular series of classes, then I recommend the following: 1) CCL should make the necessary changes at their website; 2) CCL should produce a news release to inform people of the breastfeeding changes. And 3) CCL should explain why it continues to promote ecological breastfeeding in its capital campaign drive and at their website, especially the by-laws and constitution, if, in fact, that’s not the case. For example, what happened since July 2005 (date of the CCL by-laws and constitution and since early 2006 (date that the promotional capital campaign brochure was sent) to the present day in 2007 that caused CCL to change its teaching?
The Sin of Onan
My husband’s article on that subject was published in the May 2007 issue of Homiletic & Pastoral Review. It is now available at our website. The unnamed priest in the article is Fr. Richard Hogan, a member of the CCL Board of Directors.
New Blogger: You will soon be hearing from John in these blogs. I plan to return during World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, for daily blogging on the merits of breastfeeding, including the theme for this year: the importance of breastfeeding during the first hour after birth.
An appeal for donations: This is our 9th week of blogging without a “commercial.” We have helped many couples and are now asking for help in our current mission. The mission of NFP International is to promote and teach Natural Family Planning here in the United States as well as in other countries. We teach ecological breastfeeding, systematic NFP, marital chastity, and the call to generosity in having children and raising them in the ways of the Lord. A secondary mission is to uphold traditional Christian teaching about love, marriage and sexuality and to provide materials that people can use to improve their spiritual lives. We also support the NFP apostolate over in Slovakia and in Georgia. Interestingly, the folks in Georgia were trained in the CCL method and later a bishop had the CCL teachers trained in the Roetzer method. The CCl teachers in Georgia, however, prefer the CCL method and want Jozef Predac of Slovakia and David Prentis of Czech Republic to give assistance in teacher training so they can train others in the “old” CCL method.
CCL has assisted other countries for years but in 2005 CCL decided to help only those who were teaching their program in English or Spanish. Thus funding was cut to Slovakia. Jozef and his wife have five young children and Jozef desires to remain in the NFP apostolate. NFP International provides his salary from donations. David Prentis is living off his retirement pensions and works as a volunteer, but Jozef needs a salary to support his family. Jozef sends NFPI a quarterly report of his activites. Some of his work is listed at International Mission at the NFPI website. If you can, please send a donation to:
NFPI at P.O. Box 11216; Cincinnati OH 45211.
We will greatly appreciate your help.
Sheila Kippley
NFP International
www.nfpandmore.org
Author: Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood (Sophia, 2005)
Natural Family Planning: Question-Answer Book (e-book
at this website, 2005)