Motherhood: The Highest Calling

August 12th, 2012

In the evening of July 24, I happened to turn on talk radio while working in the kitchen and began listening to Dave Ramsey’s talk show on finances.  Mr. Ramsey is a popular national radio personality and a personal money-management expert who, to me, seems to stress being debt-free.  Several questions that night dealt with finances so that the mother could stay home with her children.

He listed the expenses a working mother with young children incurs, and it came to $25,000— similar to what the experts were saying about ten years ago.

I was especially impressed with his emphasis on the importance of being there for your children.  As he said, “the highest calling is motherhood.”  And he repeated himself, that he could think of no higher calling.  Thank you, Mr. Ramsey.  It is so rare to hear that kind of statement today.  I’m sure it was appreciated by many mothers who hope to stay home with their children.

Sheila Kippley

7. God, Church, and Breastfeeding

August 7th, 2012

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

Breastfeeding is God’s plan for the nurturing and nourishing the baby.

Breastfeeding protects the baby from certain diseases.  If baby gets sick, it is usually milder with breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding protects the mother from certain diseases.

Mother and baby are one biological unit during pregnancy and also during breastfeeding.  Like pregnancy, the breastfeeding keeps the mother with her baby.

The Church promotes systematic NFP through its many programs.  The Church should also promote the natural spacing of births with ecological breastfeeding.  This is the preferred method for couples to space their babies.  Unlike systematic NFP, you do not need a serious reason to use this most natural family planning method which usually requires little or no abstinence.  It’s a win-win-win-win situation with so many benefits involved for the mother and baby, for society, and for the Church.  And it’s following God’s plan!  What are we waiting for?  Let’s get the message out there!

An attempt to promote eco-breastfeeding.  The Wall Street Journal had an article early last year on how easy it is for anyone to do an animated video.  As a result of reading that article, I made an attempt to promote eco-breastfeeding with an animated video.  Obviously, the video was a new experience for me; the content better than the visual.  Hopefully, others will come up with some excellent videos promoting the Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding and all the benefits associated with frequent and extended breastfeeding.   There are many videos promoting systematic NFP but only two videos on YouTube that promote eco-breastfeeding.  Those two videos (one is mine) leave room for improvement.

Further reading: The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor.  Also, 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.

LAST DAY OF THE BOOK SALE30% off Kippley books in print at lulu through August 7.  This is the last day of the sale.

Sheila Kippley

6. God, Church, and Breastfeeding

August 6th, 2012

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

“I am working my way through the NFP manual, and have just finished reading The Seven Standards. It is immeasurably wonderful to have all of my mothering instincts validated in a society where formula companies and contraceptive manufacturers are using gorilla tactics to scare women into feeling guilty for not using their products. I cannot believe how people refuse to open their eyes to the facts that these methods alienate fathers from their God-intended roles and cheapen the blessing and hard work of motherhood. [her emphasis] After talking about your book last night with my husband, we realized that even though I had been having my period for several months after the birth of our second child (I had used the pill briefly out of fear of conception and started regular menses that continued after I went off the pill) we did not conceive until I had weaned our son at 14 months. We have since begun reading the NFP manual and checking my temperature so we can keep an eye out for my fertility, but we are both thoroughly enjoying eco-breastfeeding. We take our baby everywhere and both enjoy the extra cuddling at night, especially my husband who commutes for an hour each direction to work everyday and misses the children sorely 5 days a week. Your book and website are truly a blessing to our whole family, offering us invaluable support in our battle to raise our family with God’s will and His plan instead of giving in to social pressure. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“I just had my first postpartum cycle following the birth of my almost 18 month-old son. After both children, I had no transition period.  Just a few weeks of unmistakable mucus to get my attention, then right back to normal cycles.  I was very pleased.  I’ve only had 10 periods in 6½ years.”

“I’m new at NFP.  I didn’t practice ecological breastfeeding with my daughter and got pregnant with our son when our daughter was 6 months old.  I’m still nursing my son who is 13 months old and JUST got my cycle back.  I’ve been charting for a week now and I’m loving it.  So many of my friends use medical ways to control their fertility.  I feel it is so harmful to the body.  I’m so thankful for groups like this and glad I googled NFP!”

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