Bedroom question [intimate subject]

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Polak

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Excuse the question, as it might be embarrassing for some. I have this question [not regarding my personal experience, I am just curious]. It is about a married couple. Obviously we do not use contraceptives or anything like that, in the bedroom. So, while this might be obvious to some, I used to think, this means, pretty much, whenever the couple make love, the woman would fall pregnant.

I assume there is some sort of cycle though, where a woman knows if making love on a particular day will get her pregnant? Is this how a Catholic couple would avoid having to use any contraceptives? Does a female know how her cycle works? Is she able to tell, what days are safe, and what days would be likely to get her pregnant? Obviously in some cases that woman might want to get pregnant, and pick a day when that is to be the most likely result.
 
A woman can learn to time her cycle and know what days she is able to become pregnant and what days she is not. Women don’t instinctively know this or anything like that, but they can get training to learn how to tell if they are about to ovulate. There are a few different methods to be used. The method I use is called Creighton model. It works well for me, but some women don’t find it as effective as methods that include checking temperature. Even if a woman did not time her cycle, she will still not concieve everytime she and her husbnd have intercourse. Women are only actually fertile for a few days each month. The trick is accurately determining which days they are.
 
Read up on “Natural Family Planning.” This is exactly that: reading the signs of a woman’s natural cycle to know when she is likely to conceive and when she is not likely to conceive.
 
A healthy, fertile woman is only able to get pregnant about a week each cycle (a cycle starts with the first day of her period/menstruation and ends the day before she gets her next period). She is most fertile when her body is approaching ovulation. A woman’s body changes as she approaches ovulation; there are physical signs and symptoms that a woman could learn to observe. It’s not instinctual, though, and unless a woman (or man) has read about these fertility signs and/or natural family planning, it’s likely that she will not know when she is fertile. Once she can identify her fertile period, she can choose to engage in intercourse during this time to maximize the probability of conceiving, or she can choose to avoid intercourse and therefore avoid becoming pregnant.

There are a number of methods of NFP. Some of them require users to track cervical mucus or temperature or both. Some employ simple tools to help women keep track of their cycles. If you’re interested in learning more about them you can usually find information and classes from your diocese.
 
Polak said:
I assume there is some sort of cycle though, where a woman knows if making love on a particular day will get her pregnant? Is this how a Catholic couple would avoid having to use any contraceptives? Does a female know how her cycle works? Is she able to tell, what days are safe, and what days would be likely to get her pregnant? Obviously in some cases that woman might want to get pregnant, and pick a day when that is to be the most likely result.
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You might be interested in the website for Couple to Couple League and in literature they offer.

Couple to Couple League ccli.org/

You may want to check with your parish or diocese and take a class in Natural Family Planning (NFP).

Most women are not even aware of the workings of their body. With NFP, a woman can learn signs from her body that show when she is in a fertile or non-fertile state.

God designs for the woman’s body is wonderful.
 
No offense intended but this is NOT a bedroom question; this is a question that should be asked and answered often. Too many women and men do not understand how the female and male reproductive cycle works. And it is not a Catholic thing, it is a human thing. Our contraception world has wreaked havoc with a proper understanding of our own innate biology.

Too many males and females think of a woman’s cycle as being only about menstruation so they miss the whole gift and human biology lesson. I wish that young teens would learn this first with all of the other lectures. My niece was taught in seventh grade about sex appliances and abberrant behaviors but not about how her own cycle works. And I have met too many young women who have turned their bodies into dangerous messes due to chemical contraceptives ruining their natural cycle.

The shorter story: Consider a man to be 100% fertile at all times. Those little swimming sperm are pretty live and active, sometimes for more than three days. A woman has ovulation, the release of an egg (or two eggs if fraternal, not identical twinning is to occur.) once a month, after (and sometimes close to, or during) menstruation. Ovulation can come earlier or later since certain things can “throw off” the cycle. NFP helps look at women’s symptoms (thermometer, mucus observation, cycles, etc). to gauge that ovulation is about to occur, is occurring, or has already occurred. The couple will abstain from anything that can unite a sperm with that egg.

This can help enhance or decrease fertility, the premise always being that we take responsibility and be open to life, (not abortion). Many women have found it more accurate than artificial contraception, more empowering since the women learn about their bodies and the men learn as well and COOPERATE.

NFP can work well for anyone who uses it responsibly and cooperatively, even in the secular world, BUT a loving marriage is the area where it works best because of mutual and long-lasting commitment and respect.

There are many books on it. I actually liked the one written by the old hippie commune The Farm called “A Cooperative Method of Birth Control”. It is easiest to read and teach others, and has lots of pictures, photos, and diagrams that are non-offensive and helpful.

I know this is a Catholic website but sometimes such things need to be explained for everyone to avoid illusions.
 
Google natural family planning…you will find a wealth of information. Practiced correctly, NFP is as effective as things like birth control pills. There is only a short window each month when a woman can become pregnant, usually around five days. The most effective NFP methods involve a woman taking her temperature each morning when she gets up, recording the results on a chart (or computer program or app), and being able to tell when she has ovulated. Once she can confirm ovulation has passed, her fertile time has passed for that month. Another sign involves cervical mucous.
Many women reject NFP because they think it’s either ineffective (not true) or burdensome. It’s really neither. Taking your temperature isn’t that hard.
 
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