Birth control

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nodito;10411424:
The couple is not required to have more children. They are just not permitted to contracept.

So what ways can a couple use to not get preganant? is it just abstinence? Ive heard that neither the men or women can get operated on?
Compendium issued by Pope Benedict XVI
  1. When is it moral to regulate births?
2368-2369
2399

The regulation of births, which is an aspect of responsible fatherhood and motherhood, is objectively morally acceptable when it is pursued by the spouses without external pressure; when it is practiced not out of selfishness but for serious reasons; and with methods that conform to the objective criteria of morality, that is, periodic continence and use of the infertile periods.
  1. What are immoral means of birth control?
2370-2372

Every action - for example, direct sterilization or contraception - is intrinsically immoral which (either in anticipation of the conjugal act, in its accomplishment or in the development of its natural consequences) proposes, as an end or as a means, to hinder procreation.

vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html
 
Where does it say complete abstinence? That is not accurate.
I reviewed this information from EWTN:
ewtn.com/vexperts/showresult.asp?RecNum=582250&Forums=0&Experts=10&Days=2008&Author=&Keyword=&pgnu=1&groupnum=7&record_bookmark=26&ORDER_BY_TXT=ORDER+BY+ID+DESC&start_at=

The pill can act as an abortifacient. I agree that abstinence is a tuff road to take for a married couple, but when on the pill (perhaps there can be an exception for someone completley sterile, as in they have no womb… so not baby could have every been concieved… but I cannot make any moral answer with certitude for this condition).
 
I reviewed this information from EWTN:
ewtn.com/vexperts/showresult.asp?RecNum=582250&Forums=0&Experts=10&Days=2008&Author=&Keyword=&pgnu=1&groupnum=7&record_bookmark=26&ORDER_BY_TXT=ORDER+BY+ID+DESC&start_at=

The pill can act as an abortifacient. I agree that abstinence is a tuff road to take for a married couple, but when on the pill (perhaps there can be an exception for someone completley sterile, as in they have no womb… so not baby could have every been concieved… but I cannot make any moral answer with certitude for this condition).
I have not seen any definite opinion that is binding. Fr. Serpa has an answer on this very site that separate physical evils from moral evils. He states there is no reason to abstain as long as the intention is not to contracept. I make this point because I do not want others reading this and think the Church has bound where She has not.
 
Faustina
Thank you!!! I knew I had come across something like that. I admit that there are extremely few reasons for the birth control, and not all of them are actually birth control. I used birth control for several years, despite the fact that I didn’t need it for that. I was unmarried and not sexually active. And this was with discussing it with a Nurse Practitioner who is a Catholic.
 
There is a lot of misinformation “out there” … and worse than misinformation … mis-placed emphasis.

What I wish is that decades ago when contraceptives became more “popular”, that the people conducting pre-cana classes would have focused more on the value and power of prayer … particularly prayer to the Holy Spirit.

We seem to have totally gotten away from prayer … and I think the Holy Father has been trying to get us back there … particularly with his emphasis on the Year of Faith.
 
I agree with your double up idea of prayer and NFP. However, I wanted to point out on EWTN that birth control can be used for legitimate medical purposes when accompanied by complete abstinence! One certainly has no right to endanger a unborn child.
ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage.asp?Pgnu=1&Pg=Forum4&recnu=2&number=623887
That is not birth control. The same medication that is used as a contraceptive can also be used to treat other medical conditions. That’s what the reply is saying. This is not birth control.

You can use the same medication for many other reasons. The secondary effect will be that the woman will not conceive. However, the intent was not to prevent conception, but to treat a medical condition.

Pregnancy is not a health problem. When the intent is to prevent pregnancy, the use of anything other than abstinence is a moral evil.

If the OP is saying it correctly, intent is to prevent pregnancy in order to prevent complications resulting from the effect of another medication. Observe the intent, “to prevent pregnancy.” Such is a direct contraception, not a side effect of a treatment for another condition.

Even when there is no intent to contracept, if there is an alternative medication, it should be used. One always has the moral obligation to choose the highest possible good.
 
Personal example; my wife is on “birth control” for valid medical reasons. I put it in quotation marks because to us it’s north birth control, it’s “medication being used to get her cycle back on track”.

For other medical reasons, we cannot have a second child right now. We already have gone several months without intercourse due to her cycle being irregular, we have no way of knowing when she is fertile. We used NFP (Sympto-thermal, then Billings) in the past 100% effectively, so the lack of knowing when her cycle is happening (plus her hormonal shifts) is a tad annoying.

Initially she was told by our family doctor “this is not an abortificant”. I remembered when my parish priest said to me in confession; be careful with these pills, it can thin the lining and then things can’t attach. It took five seconds of Google searching to see our priest was correct; it did have those qualities.

But we thought about it; what happens if we practice NFP while on this medication? What if we could figure out the usual times we would have been able to have sex without ovulation occurring? Then we’d have nothing to worry about, right?

Exactly right, We’d have nothing to worry about. So it’s a question of timing, and windows. Wait a month or two, figure things out, and then you can have sex a couple times a month. Which for us, is going to be better than the zero times we were doing it.
 
OP, you might also look at different causes of the headaches. My wife use to suffer from headaches until she stopped using soy, or any processed food that had soy in it. I’m not saying this might be what your wife is experiencing…just saying that there may be a cause for the headaches that the medication won’t treat (it treats only the symptoms).
I recommend following this advice. Headaches have a cause, and most western trained medical doctors simply will not find the cause. Many times headaches can be caused by allergic reactions, either from something in one’s diet (wheat, soy, etc.) or one’s environment. Allergists, Osteopaths, etc. can often find the cause and eliminate the problem simply by diet modification, removing the offending element from one’s environment, or by boosting one’s immune system (vitamin therapy, etc.).
 
Personal example; my wife is on “birth control” for valid medical reasons. I put it in quotation marks because to us it’s north birth control, it’s “medication being used to get her cycle back on track”

…these pills, it can thin the lining and then things can’t attach. It took five seconds of Google searching to see our priest was correct; it did have those qualities.

But we thought about it; what happens if we practice NFP while on this medication? What if we could figure out the usual times we would have been able to have sex without ovulation occurring? Then we’d have nothing to worry about, right?

Exactly right, We’d have nothing to worry about. So it’s a question of timing, and windows. Wait a month or two, figure things out, and then you can have sex a couple times a month. Which for us, is going to be better than the zero times we were doing it.
Melchoir,

I’m confused. Are you saying that while your wife takes Rx birth control pills that you will attempt to practice NFP so that you can have intercourse without the possibility of break through ovulations? Since there would be no ovulation, then you won’t need to worry about the abortifacient property causing your wife’s body to possibly abort your child conceived while on Rx birth control pills?

If that is what you are thinking, you will be unable to predict when your wife might have a break through ovulation. There is no usual time when you can know its ovulation time while on hormonal birth control pills.

The pill works first by trying to suppress ovulation. Second, in case ovulation does occur, it works to change the mucus with the idea that the sperm will not be able to reach the egg which was released during ovulation.

Finally if ovulation occurs, followed by fertilization (conception), the pill is designed to keep the newly conceived child from implanting in the mother’s womb by changing the environment of the woman’s womb to be hostile towards implantation. Therefore, the newly conceived child has no place to implant in the mother’s womb and your child dies from the abortifacient property of the birth control pill.

On a side note, your wife may be able to find a doctor who can treat her need to “get her cycle back on track” with Rx cream prepared by a compounding pharmacist based on hormonal testing ordered by her doctor or through other means.

Contact Couple to Couple League and Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction. Both of these places will be able to help you find a means other than harmful birth control pills to aid your wife. Aside from the abortifacient property, the pill is not healthy for women. Please call these places and speak with someone who can get you started down a healthy path away from the pill.

www.ccli.org
popepaulvi.com/

Blessings on you and your beautiful wife.
 
Melchoir,

I’m confused. Are you saying that while your wife takes Rx birth control pills that you will attempt to practice NFP so that you can have intercourse without the possibility of break through ovulations? Since there would be no ovulation, then you won’t need to worry about the abortifacient property causing your wife’s body to possibly abort your child conceived while on Rx birth control pills?

No, I’m not saying this. I’m saying for the next three or four months we can figure out the timing of things, and we can have intercourse once or twice a month.
RoseMary131;10433731:
If that is what you are thinking, you will be unable to predict when your wife might have a break through ovulation. There is no usual time when you can know its ovulation time while on hormonal birth control pills.

The pill works first by trying to suppress ovulation. Second, in case ovulation does occur, it works to change the mucus with the idea that the sperm will not be able to reach the egg which was released during ovulation.

Finally if ovulation occurs, followed by fertilization (conception), the pill is designed to keep the newly conceived child from implanting in the mother’s womb by changing the environment of the woman’s womb to be hostile towards implantation. Therefore, the newly conceived child has no place to implant in the mother’s womb and your child dies from the abortifacient property of the birth control pill.

On a side note, your wife may be able to find a doctor who can treat her need to “get her cycle back on track” with Rx cream prepared by a compounding pharmacist based on hormonal testing ordered by her doctor or through other means.

Contact Couple to Couple League and Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction. Both of these places will be able to help you find a means other than harmful birth control pills to aid your wife. Aside from the abortifacient property, the pill is not healthy for women. Please call these places and speak with someone who can get you started down a healthy path away from the pill.

www.ccli.org
popepaulvi.com/

Blessings on you and your beautiful wife.

I’m familiar with the science involved, I’ve looked into it extensively. I’m also familiar with the groups you looked into, I looked into them extensively as well. I’m also quite familiar with different NFP techniques.

The taking of “birth control” to assist with hormonal imbalances is nothing new. I equate it to the following;
  • Creighton would be like a surgical strike.
  • “Birth control” would be like carpet bombing.
I’m pretty sure we can figure out when we can have sex once or twice over the course of a month without running the risk of the abortificant qualities running amok.
 
No, I’m not saying this. I’m saying for the next three or four months we can figure out the timing of things, and we can have intercourse once or twice a month.

I’m pretty sure we can figure out when we can have sex once or twice over the course of a month without running the risk of the abortificant qualities running amok.
I am totally confused. How can any woman figure when she might have break through ovulation while on birth control pills?

What does “figure out the timing of things” mean?

Peace.
 
What does “figure out the timing of things” mean?

Peace.
There remains a possibility my wife may have her period while on this medication. Doing things conservatively, “timing” means we can have sex the day after the period stops, and then abstain the rest of the way.
 
There remains a possibility my wife may have her period while on this medication. Doing things conservatively, “timing” means we can have sex the day after the period stops, and then abstain the rest of the way.
A woman not on birth control pills has a period based on the change in hormones in her body. The hormones cause her body to have a period to slugh off the old lining and get ready to rebuild a new lining.

A woman on birth control pills has a “period” when she stops taking the pills for that time frame.(Some Rx birth control pills may have “sugar pills” to take, while other Rx simply have the woman taking nothing until time to begin the next set of pills.)

The woman not on birth control pills will ovulate as her hormones change. Her body also has a uterus which has prepared a healthy lining to support the implantation of a newly conceived child.

The woman on birth control pill can have break though ovulation from a variety of reasons that causes the hormones from the pill to not suppress the ovulation. This can happen at any time.

In your plan, you two can have intercourse the day after her “period” stops.

I think it is possible for your wife to have break through ovulation that day. If fertilization takes place, the newly conceived child has no place to implant in mother’s womb.

Another case: You have intercourse the day after her “period” stops. She has break through ovulation on day three after her “period”. If sperm are still alive on the ovulation day, then fertilization can take place. Again, the newly conceived child has no safe womb to implant and dies.

Peace.
 
Your use of the word “period” denotes that apparently these are fake periods? Most of the literature I have seen indicates that periods can still happen.
I think it is possible for your wife to have break through ovulation that day. If fertilization takes place, the newly conceived child has no place to implant in mother’s womb.
So you’re saying that ovulation can occur the day of a period. If you have some science to back this up, I’m all ears.

If you would, please let us continue this conversation via PM. I’d rather this thread not just be you and I talking back and forward.
 
Your use of the word “period” denotes that apparently these are fake periods? Most of the literature I have seen indicates that periods can still happen.

So you’re saying that ovulation can occur the day of a period. If you have some science to back this up, I’m all ears.

If you would, please let us continue this conversation via PM. I’d rather this thread not just be you and I talking back and forward.
Yes, I can PM the rest of our conversation after this post.

I think it is morally important that other people reading this thread know if someone uses birth control pills while sexually active that they can conceive a child who may die due to the abortifacient effects of this drug.

Break through ovulation can occur which can result in fertilization and the possible loss of their newly conceived child through the abortifacient affects of this drug.

I did use quotes around the word “period” of a woman on the pill.

The term period is used when the body has gone into a natural cycle of hormones that causes the body to slough off the lining of the uterus. The woman has a cycle of hormonal events that ends/begins with her period (Phase I of the woman’s Fertility Cycle) and then starts over re-building the lining of the uterus, followed by ovulation.

The “period” of a woman on birth control pills is because her Rx hormones are no longer at the level they were during the 21 days of taking the Rx pills. The Rx hormone drop causes the bleeding. So, she is not having a true period. The woman is no longer having a “cycle” of hormones. There are no phases of a menstrual cycle. She is not in Phase I of a Fertility Cycle when bleeding while using the pill.

Phase I of a woman not on the pill is an infertile time when ovulation is not taking place.

The woman on the pill does not have Phase I. She may be having bleeding, but she is not in Phase I.

There is no way to predict when break through ovulation will occur while on the pill. There are no Phases, there is no cycle.

Peace.
 
My wife is being put on a powerful headache medication and the dr wants to put her on birth control. The medication could be very bad for a fetus. Should I be ok with this or should we not have sex for years. I know about nfp but I want to “double up” on protection. Ps we have a child and we are looking into adopting another
I’m sure there is orthodox catholic doctor talk to your priest. I’m site there are a lot of other options in line with catholic teachings
 
I think it is morally important that other people reading this thread know if someone uses birth control pills while sexually active that they can conceive a child who may die due to the abortifacient effects of this drug.
Perhaps I’m not making myself clear here; I never denied this. In my very first post, I said we would actively do everything we can to avoid the abortifcant qualities. You have missed this throughout every one of your posts.

We’re not talking going hog wild and renewing the marriage covenant every day, multiple times each day. We’re talking having sex once after the period, which doctors and the literature I have read said that can happen while on this medication. If there isn’t a period, then we’re not having sex. It’s a straightforward concept.

I understand everything that you’re saying, however two pharmacists, two doctors, three nurses,and several websites I have seen have mentioned that, yes, you can have a real period while on the pill. Especially if you have not had one in some time. You have yet to provide links, papers, or documents to prove that after a real period, ovulation can happen the day you have an actual period.

You seem very determined to deny having a couple who hasn’t had sex in almost a year and a half due to a woman’s cycle being either irregular or non-existent from re-consummating their marriage once. Once. After a period, which medical professionals have told us would be fine. I understand your concern, it mirrors ours. Which is why we asked as many professionals as we could find. If you or anyone else have evidence from medical professionals that prove that we cannot have sex after her period (assuming that she gets a real period), please post it, as we do want to avoid any abortificantation,
 
I think it is morally important that other people reading this thread know if someone uses birth control pills while **sexually active **that they can conceive a child who may die due to the abortifacient effects of this drug.
Perhaps I’m not making myself clear here; I never denied this. In my very first post, I said we would actively do everything we can to avoid the abortifcant qualities. You have missed this throughout every one of your posts.

We’re not talking going hog wild and renewing the marriage covenant every day, multiple times each day. We’re talking having sex once after the period, which doctors and the literature I have read said that can happen while on this medication. If there isn’t a period, then we’re not having sex. It’s a straightforward concept.
You have made bold “sexually active” of my post. Let me explain why I wrote sexually active.

“I think it is morally important that other people reading this thread know if someone uses birth control pills while sexually active that they can conceive a child who may die due to the abortifacient effects of this drug.”

I wrote this as a statement about women who are taking birth control pills and who are sexually active as oppose to women who are taking birth control pills who are not sexually active. There are women who take the pill for some reason and refrain from sex (two examples: a single woman who takes the pill and does not have sex or a married woman who avoids sex while on the pill - to avoid the possibility of break through ovulation - which could result in conceiving a child - who she might abort through the abortifacient effect of the drug.)

It doesn’t matter if a woman has sex multiple times each day or sex once. If a woman has sex while on the pill and ovulation occurs, and the change in mucus does not stop the sperm from reaching the egg, and conception occurs, and the child can not implant because the hormones in the Rx pill has caused the lining of the uterus not to be able to support implantation, and the child dies… the woman has lost her child through the abortifacient effects of the drug the was taking.
We’re talking having sex once after the period, which doctors and the literature I have read said that can happen while on this medication. If there isn’t a period, then we’re not having sex. It’s a straightforward concept. - Melchior
My Dear Mechior, I admire your love for your wife, your love for any children you may conceive, and your love for the Church teaching. Please know that I am not trying to upset you.

I’m just stating that women (your beautiful wife included) do not know when they may have break through ovulation. Yes, a woman can have bleeding (when she stops the pills after day 21) which is the sloughing off of the lining of the uterus, but she is not in Phase I of a fertility cycle.

(I will answer more later when I can return to the computer).

Please know I only write to help anyone reading avoid the possibilty of losing a child through the pill.
 
You continually describe how the pill is an abortificant, which is good information for those who don’t know. I already am familiar with the mechanics of how this works though, and you have yet to provide scientific evidence that indicates a woman on the pill can ovulate on the same day as her period, which is a claim you made earlier.
 
QUOTE=Melchior_;10437127]You continually describe how the pill is an abortificant, … I already am familiar with the mechanics of how this works though, and you have yet to provide scientific evidence that indicates a woman on the pill can ovulate on the same day as her period, which is a claim you made earlier.

I am saying bleeding because a woman stops adding artificial Rx hormones (the pill) to her body is not the same as bleeding because she is having a normal hormonal change (a period) which puts her in Phase I of a fertility cycle.

A woman in Phase I is not going to ovulate. She will not ovulate until all her hormones line up to put her in the ovulation stage of Phase II.

The woman on the pill who ovulates does not ovulate because of the same changes in hormones. She ovulates for some reason in which the Rx hormone did not keep her body in the “I think I’m pregnant mode.” The level of Rx hormone in her body is not tricking her body into thinking she is pregnant, so her body ovulates.
Perhaps I’m not making myself clear here; I never denied this. In my very first post, I said we would actively do everything we can to avoid the abortifcant qualities. You have missed this throughout every one of your posts.
I have not missed the fact that you want to avoid the abortifacient qualities. That is exactly why I keep saying a woman is not going to know when her body decides to have a break through ovulation while on the pill.
We’re not talking going hog wild and renewing the marriage covenant every day, multiple times each day. We’re talking having sex once after the period, which doctors and the literature I have read said that can happen while on this medication. If there isn’t a period, then we’re not having sex. It’s a straightforward concept.
I’m saying the bleeding is not equal to Phase I - a period - infertile time. There are no Phase I, Phase II, or Phase III for the woman on a pill.
I understand everything that you’re saying, however two pharmacists, two doctors, three nurses,and several websites I have seen have mentioned that, yes, you can have a real period while on the pill. Especially if you have not had one in some time. You have yet to provide links, papers, or documents to prove that after a real period, ovulation can happen the day you have an actual period.
Not everyone uses terminology the same way. Maybe they are using “real period” in a different way than I am trying to express. I am trying to express that a period is a part of a fertility cycle with several different hormones cycling through the body so that the body has all three phases.

These hormones are shut off when you add a Rx hormone (the pill). The hormones are not going to function from the woman’s body. She only has a steady supply of the Rx hormone. If the Rx hormone level is not maintained at a specific level then the woman can ovulate, but she is not ovulating based on being in Phase II.
You seem very determined to deny having a couple who hasn’t had sex in almost a year and a half due to a woman’s cycle being either irregular or non-existent from re-consummating their marriage once. Once. After a period, which medical professionals have told us would be fine. I understand your concern, it mirrors ours. Which is why we asked as many professionals as we could find. If you or anyone else have evidence from medical professionals that prove that we cannot have sex after her period (assuming that she gets a real period), please post it, as we do want to avoid any abortificantation,
I am sorry that you think I am determined to deny anyone a sexual relationship through intercourse with their beloved spouse. I am sorry you and your beautiful wife are bearing the cross of having a fertility cycle that is not functioning properly. I admire you both for your faithfulness in love to each other and Church teachings.

My only concern is that if your wife has bleeding (withdrawal bleeding as it is sometimes called when on the pill) - what if she ovulates while your sperm have a chance to meet with the egg she released.

Maybe this will explain what I am not able to convey:
ccli.org/nfp/stm-method/hormones.php

Maybe the visual pie chart will be better:
ccli.org/nfp/stm-method/female-cycle.php

Looking at the pie chart, we see a woman with a healthy fertility cycle has a small “part of the pie chart” when she is fertile. We also see that she goes through a cycle of hormonal changes which causes physical changes in her body before and after the ovulation.

The woman who ovulates while on the pill is not going through this normal cycle. There is no way to predict when this will happen.

Maybe ask professionals if withdrawal bleeding is the same as being in Phase I of the fertility cycle. The withdrawal bleeding is a reaction to the change in the Rx hormone level. Some women choose to take Rx pills that do not take the break in hormones that offers the withdrawal bleeding. I am saying withdrawal bleeding and a period are not the same.

Maybe calling ccli and asking, “If my wife is on the birth control pill to help “regulate her cycle”, can we know beyond a doubt that if we have sexual relations on the last day of her “withdrawal bleeding” that she will not ovulate then or anytime until after my sperm have all died in her body.
Can we know we have nothing to worry about, as we do not want to experience the abortifacient properties of this drug?”

Peace my friend.
 
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