Natural Family Planning: Does it work?

[HoneyBee]

Hello everyone,

So, I've been doing so much research on birth control methods today and how the Catholic Church does not accept the usage of it. I totally get the reasoning behind it, by the way, and so I started to look at natural family planning. There are ways to prevent pregnancy without contraception, if you know how to take your temperature or do the calendar method, but now I'm curious... how effective are NFP methods, really?

 

[chevyontheriver]

Hello everyone,

So, I've been doing so much research on birth control methods today and how the Catholic Church does not accept the usage of it. I totally get the reasoning behind it, by the way, and so I started to look at natural family planning. There are ways to prevent pregnancy without contraception, if you know how to take your temperature or do the calendar method, but now I'm curious... how effective are NFP methods, really?

Effective in two ways. First, if you really must not get pregnant and are highly motivated to follow the method, I think it's better than anything but sterilization and DevoProvera. But neither of those are good options. Sterilization is permanent and DevoProvera is like insecticide for humans. So, if for a while you need to not get pregnant, it works well. Way better than condoms, or pills, or any of the other methods. Some of those methods are frankly so bad that people who use them end up at the abortion center when they fail.

On the other hand, many people have trouble getting pregnant. It works exceptionally well for that as well. You can figure out when you are most fertile with NFP. Your doctor can also diagnose medical conditions based on NFP charts so you can cure problems rather than the typical fertility approaches.

But it's effective in other ways as well. Those who use NFP tend not to get divorced very often. In fact divorce is rare for them.

It's also healthy, because there are no hormones being pumped into a woman, risking cancer and the other fruits of too many hormones.

And it allows God to work, not telling God how it's going to be, but being willing co-operators with God in having children.

All Christians were against contraception up until just less than 100 years ago. Then the Anglicans broke with Christian teaching in 1928. And the rest began to fall like dominoes. The Catholic Church resisted this trend, and now here and there others are realizing what a mess contraception has made of the world.

 

[Gnarwhal]

I'm not married, but from what I've heard it's highly successful. My friend's wife is a Nurse Practitioner and teaches NFP at our parish, she recommends the Creighton Model since it seems to be the most effective according to her. I think she said it has something like a 96-98% effectiveness, which is higher than condoms or hormone-based birth control, IIRC.

 

[Mar R.]

Hello everyone,

So, I've been doing so much research on birth control methods today and how the Catholic Church does not accept the usage of it. I totally get the reasoning behind it, by the way, and so I started to look at natural family planning. There are ways to prevent pregnancy without contraception, if you know how to take your temperature or do the calendar method, but now I'm curious... how effective are NFP methods, really?[/QUO

Hello everyone,

So, I've been doing so much research on birth control methods today and how the Catholic Church does not accept the usage of it. I totally get the reasoning behind it, by the way, and so I started to look at natural family planning. There are ways to prevent pregnancy without contraception, if you know how to take your temperature or do the calendar method, but now I'm curious... how effective are NFP methods, really?

I've been using (successfully) a lazy alternative. It's an app called Natural Cycles. It calculates your fertile window based on body basal temperature. In order to be accurate, you must do it correctly every day (after at least 3/4 hours of sleep, skip when you're sick...). The app algorithm takes into account other factors like sperm survival, cycle fluctuations, etc. On those fertile days you simply abstain or use barrier protection (if your beliefs allow you to).

Fertility Awareness Method is highly effective, but you have to learn all the rules. Since I am not quite confident with my own calculations I prefer the app.

There's also a smart device, Lady-comp. I have used it too. Both gave me the same results. The main difference is lady-comp is way more expensive.

If you or someone is interested, here's a 30% discount link (free thermometer included)
Natural Cycles
‎

 

[Davidnic]

It's worked for my wife and I. I'll aff more later I just got home from work and have to get the groceries inside.

But it's worked for us so far every way it's supposed to. Some struggle with it and not everybody's body is the same. So it takes diligence but it's been worth it.

 

[Phil 1:21]

Hello everyone,

So, I've been doing so much research on birth control methods today and how the Catholic Church does not accept the usage of it. I totally get the reasoning behind it, by the way, and so I started to look at natural family planning. There are ways to prevent pregnancy without contraception, if you know how to take your temperature or do the calendar method, but now I'm curious... how effective are NFP methods, really?

I'm here are a result of my parents using it to avoid pregnancy.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

I'm here are a result of my parents using it to avoid pregnancy.

I think you are probably confusing NFP for the rhythm method. NFP is more recent and more advanced than the rhythm method. And NFP is very effective if the couple knows what they are doing and if they stick to it 100% of the time. If the couple is unsuccessful with it it's likely because they don't understand NFP or they decide to have sex during the fertile times anyway because the man can't wait. My wife and I have been using NFP for about 12 years, and, even though it's not easy for me during the times when I have to wait, NFP has been effective for us. NFP is different than the pill because NFP is natural with no side effects, and NFP can be used to help a woman get pregnant.

 

[Phil 1:21]

I think you are probably confusing NFP for the rhythm method. NFP is more recent and more advanced than the rhythm method. And NFP is very effective if the couple knows what they are doing and if they stick to it 100% of the time. If the couple is unsuccessful with it it's likely because they don't understand NFP or they decide to have sex during the futile times anyway because the man can't wait. My wife and I have been using NFP for about 12 years, and, even though it's not easy for me during the times when I have to wait, NFP has been effective for us. NFP is different than the pill because NFP is natural with no side effects, and NFP can be used to help a woman get pregnant.

You're right -- Rhythym Method. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Rhamiel]

some benefits of NFP are that it is effective, not 100% but very few things are, when we keep in mind that condoms are not fun to use and are less effective you use condoms multiple times in a single night and hormonal birth control has a lot of negative side effects

we also have to keep in mind other things
for one, natural family planning, while aimed at spacing the births of children, keeps in mind that children are a natural result of sex, while the contraceptive mentality sees children as "accidents"

another benefit of NFP is that it encourages communication between husband and wife

 

[PanDeVida]

Hello everyone,

So, I've been doing so much research on birth control methods today and how the Catholic Church does not accept the usage of it. I totally get the reasoning behind it, by the way, and so I started to look at natural family planning. There are ways to prevent pregnancy without contraception, if you know how to take your temperature or do the calendar method, but now I'm curious... how effective are NFP methods, really?

Searching, you stated: "how effective are NFP methods,". This is how effective NFP is, because it is God's Only way! Any other way, is of satan, because it is not natural, its murder!

 

[Meowzltov]

My husband and I used NFP and we had our two kids spaced three years apart, just as we wanted.

Remember that NFP is way more than the rhythm method. It means a woman becoming far more familiar with her own body, which is really very cool and earth mother.