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Lillith
Guest
when I was in RCIA back in 1986 I was told about the rhythm method of birth control…
What is the difference between the rythm Method and NFP?
What is the difference between the rythm Method and NFP?
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Feanaro_s_Wife
Guest
Ok, since I have been practicing the sympto thermo method of NFP for just over a year now I will try to help you…
simple answer:
the “rhythm” method was based on previous cycles. It assumed that your cycles would follow a pattern so you could look at when you ovulated last month to estimate when you would ovulate this month.
We now know that there are many factors that can contribute to ovulation and that it does not always happen when you expect it to.
With NFP (a few different methods exist) you chart your symptoms and your body tells you when it is preparing to ovulate. It then tells you when ovulation has occurred. That way women with irregular cycles etc can be sure of ovulation.
There is no guessing with NFP. It is very scientific and reliable. (95-99% effective last I read).
Just ask if you have anymore questions… there are many couples here who use (and some teach) NFP. I’m sure they will be glad to help.
Malia
simple answer:
the “rhythm” method was based on previous cycles. It assumed that your cycles would follow a pattern so you could look at when you ovulated last month to estimate when you would ovulate this month.
We now know that there are many factors that can contribute to ovulation and that it does not always happen when you expect it to.
With NFP (a few different methods exist) you chart your symptoms and your body tells you when it is preparing to ovulate. It then tells you when ovulation has occurred. That way women with irregular cycles etc can be sure of ovulation.
There is no guessing with NFP. It is very scientific and reliable. (95-99% effective last I read).
Just ask if you have anymore questions… there are many couples here who use (and some teach) NFP. I’m sure they will be glad to help.
Malia
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Lillith
Guest
TY…God Bless…
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GoodForm
Guest
My wife and I were able to throw out the charts after a while. We got to where we could tell by mucus, cervix and other things like moods, and increased desires to be intimate all pointed to ovulation time. Checking the cervix really helps. : high vs. low, open vs. closed, firm vs. soft. Very helpful.
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DJgang
Guest
I want to learn NFP as soon as possible. I am 8 months pregnant…so my question is…how soon after birth can I start to “learn” everything and when do I start “using” the method? I will be nursing my baby, but hey, I got pregnant when my last child was only four months old and I was nursing him…I don’t think my body is ready for that again.
So, should I seek out someone to start teaching me now? Or wait…just any advice… Or is there a book I can purchase that will teach me just as well?
I’m not Catholic, but have already contacted a couple who teaches NFP.
So, should I seek out someone to start teaching me now? Or wait…just any advice… Or is there a book I can purchase that will teach me just as well?
I’m not Catholic, but have already contacted a couple who teaches NFP.
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mari319
Guest
I bought the book The Art of Natural Family Planning and followed that. I’ve never taken a class because none were offered in our immediate area. The book was very helpful but I’d check websites too. I got a lot of information about how to really use NFP that way too. It really is a great method. We used it to get pg and we’re now expecting our first. 
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1ke
Guest
Yes, start learning now. I definitely suggest taking a class. I learned the Creighton Model (www.creightonmodel.com and www.fertilitycare.org) but you can also learn Sympto-Thermal through most parishes (www.ccli.org)).
There are a couple of good books for the Sympto-Thermal method:
The Art of Natural Family Planning by Kippley
Taking Charge of Your Fertility (also has a website)
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cheddarsox
Guest
It will take your body a time to return to it’s regular non pregnant cycles. Especially if you are breastfeeding, and while your sleep schedule is chaotic with a young baby. Also, breastfeeding, even complete breastfeeding does not automatically equal infertility for all women. So do give yourself plenty of time to familiarize yourself with the method, your body and the interplay between them, unless you want another child very quickly.
NFP can be a very accurate but it does take some time to learn, and if you do not have previous experience, and your body is fluctuating due to natal and post natal hormones, it might be hard for you to interpret.
You might be able to find a support group for NFP or NFP users in a local LLL that could help you get started. It helps a lot to have real people with real life experience to talk to.
cheddar
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kristacecilia
Guest
DJgang,
If you are interested in trying to postpone the return of your cycles using ecological breastfeeding (which is the only type of breastfeeding that does this) you need to go to this site: ccli.org/nfp/ebf/summary.php
Also, if you go into the online store at that site (www.ccli.org) you can order a book called Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing by Sheila Kippley. I highly recommend this book to nursing mothers. With it I was able to successfully postpone the return of my fertility for about 11 months (no periods for 7 months, anovulatory periods for about 4 cycles). I got pregnant with this baby on about my 3rd fertile cycle after giving birth to my son, and he was 14 months old. I am also convinced I could have postponed my cycles returning even longer by taking a daily nap (I stopped doing this when my baby was about 5 months old.)
My husband and I learned NFP through a CCLI class while I was still not having periods. Look up on their website (at the bottom) to find a couple in your area. If there is none listed on their website, contact them. There were none listed for us, but I contacted them anyway and there were several not too far from us that were not listed on the website.
The class is definitely worth it. It isn’t hard to learn, even if you aren’t having cycles. My husband and I were able to start charting with no problems once my cycles returned.
If you are interested in trying to postpone the return of your cycles using ecological breastfeeding (which is the only type of breastfeeding that does this) you need to go to this site: ccli.org/nfp/ebf/summary.php
Also, if you go into the online store at that site (www.ccli.org) you can order a book called Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing by Sheila Kippley. I highly recommend this book to nursing mothers. With it I was able to successfully postpone the return of my fertility for about 11 months (no periods for 7 months, anovulatory periods for about 4 cycles). I got pregnant with this baby on about my 3rd fertile cycle after giving birth to my son, and he was 14 months old. I am also convinced I could have postponed my cycles returning even longer by taking a daily nap (I stopped doing this when my baby was about 5 months old.)
My husband and I learned NFP through a CCLI class while I was still not having periods. Look up on their website (at the bottom) to find a couple in your area. If there is none listed on their website, contact them. There were none listed for us, but I contacted them anyway and there were several not too far from us that were not listed on the website.
The class is definitely worth it. It isn’t hard to learn, even if you aren’t having cycles. My husband and I were able to start charting with no problems once my cycles returned.
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spacecadet
Guest
i did this. i took classes after i was already pregnant because i got pregnant in my 2nd month of marriage and didn’t want to have another one to soon. i took billings and a sympto-thermal method as well as read BREASTFEEDING AND NATURAL CHILDSPACING by Shelia Kippley and having Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni something or other. I decided to follow the guidelines of ecological breastfeeding in the Kippley book and had 14 months with no periods. I’ve had one and still no ovualtion. I chart on a computer program but don’t trust it to decide when i’m fertile, I just like to be organized and hi-tech
. I plan on nursing until 2 or 2 1/2 so it may be a while before I really know what my regular fertility cycles are like, but I still have felt very confident that we can avoid until we’re ready again.
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AggieMommy
Guest
I recommend that you contact Marquette university for their NFP method that uses the Clearplan fertility monitor. DH and I are using this method right now, and I highly recommend it. I have two babies too, and I know that, at least for some women, the CM postpartum is very very difficult to figure out. The cervix thing is useless for me, because after 2 kids it is always low and open. And the temperature thing, well I may try that when I get enough sleep to get an accurate reading. I do not have to worry about those things with the Marquette model, and having clear fertility signs is really helpful and necessary for NFP to work. It has taken a lot of the anxiety away for us, because we were seriously considering abstainance.
Congratulations on your babies!!
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DJgang
Guest
Thanks for all of your responses…
I didn’t mention that my first child…age 4…I nursed him for over 16 months and didn’t ovulate for a year…hence the reason for my “surprise” when my youngest was only 4 months old…so…baby #3 on the way!
I had no idea there were so many “methods”. Funny, but I was just about to start classes when I found out that I was pregnant this time.
I may start with books since I will an infant soon. Easier to read than travel and take time for classes right now. As for classes…the couple that I was going to start taking them from said there would be “exercises” to chart, etc…can’t see where I could really do that completely if I am nursing.
I look back and my second child (1 yo) starting wanting food sooner than my first and he actually didn’t nurse as much as my first, maybe that’s why my fertility came back so soon and I wasn’t aware. Usually I am very aware of when I ovulate, so NFP shouldn’t be hard for me at all…just maybe harder when I am nursing.
Thanks again! As I have said … I am not Catholic, but I have found in the past BCP are horrible! They actually feel like they are “killing” me whenever I take them…mentally and physically. Therefore I REFUSE to take them any more! I want to know my body…not have a pill control it for me.
I didn’t mention that my first child…age 4…I nursed him for over 16 months and didn’t ovulate for a year…hence the reason for my “surprise” when my youngest was only 4 months old…so…baby #3 on the way!
I had no idea there were so many “methods”. Funny, but I was just about to start classes when I found out that I was pregnant this time.
I may start with books since I will an infant soon. Easier to read than travel and take time for classes right now. As for classes…the couple that I was going to start taking them from said there would be “exercises” to chart, etc…can’t see where I could really do that completely if I am nursing.
I look back and my second child (1 yo) starting wanting food sooner than my first and he actually didn’t nurse as much as my first, maybe that’s why my fertility came back so soon and I wasn’t aware. Usually I am very aware of when I ovulate, so NFP shouldn’t be hard for me at all…just maybe harder when I am nursing.
Thanks again! As I have said … I am not Catholic, but I have found in the past BCP are horrible! They actually feel like they are “killing” me whenever I take them…mentally and physically. Therefore I REFUSE to take them any more! I want to know my body…not have a pill control it for me.
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StratusRose
Guest
Woohoo! Tell it like it is sista’!
…you know, Scott and Kimberly Hahn became aquainted with the church through it’s stance on birth control…I feel a conversion coming on…
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cheddarsox
Guest
I wouldn’t even touch BCP for so many reasons, just not good at all.
I did practice ecological breastfeeding and still got pregnant when baby #1 was 3 months old. We did family bed, no pacifiers, nursing on demand, the whole shebang.
This was 18 yrs ago, when there were fewer methods around, hopefully some of the suggestions can help make postpartum time more accurate to predict.
Best to you and your whole clan,
cheddar
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DJgang
Guest
Yep! And tell everyone I know my experience with BCPs!Woohoo! Tell it like it is sista’!
…you know, Scott and Kimberly Hahn became aquainted with the church through it’s stance on birth control…I feel a conversion coming on…
I have read Kimberly’s book Life Giving Love…it’s wonderful…
Conversion? Well, that’s a touchy subject. I am Episcopalian…up in arms about the church, ie gay bishop, abortion views, etc. my last priest was very liberal…hard to get him to get involved with some pro-life projects that I wanted to start, etc. Our church will be getting a new priest in about a year…maybe he will be “less liberal”…I don’t know. However, convincing my DH to convert may be hard…my parents…oh my gosh, they would hit the roof (I was raised southern baptist) I know, it’s my life but converting is touchy for alot of folks. I will just continue to listen to Catholic Radio…say my rosary…wear my miraclous medal…go to the Episcopal Church until something just happens…who knows…Just say a prayer for me, I would appreciate it! Everyone!
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StratusRose
Guest
Read their book Rome Sweet Home, it’s beyond awesome. It’s a short read too, you can finish it in like 2-3 days.
Prayers going up!
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