NFP is very effective. Any method allows for the possibility of pregnancy, whether it’s vasectomy, tubal ligation, the pill or NFP. Saying one person or other was a result of a particular method is not fair. Although, it does touch on the subject of how much a child feels “wanted” growing up. I’m learning this thorugh my niece who was born when her mother was just out of highschool.
With NFP being just as or more effective than other methods, what’s wrong with it? Some folks, as pointed out here, do not like the extra work NFP entails. Any other method will take time as well. You have to remember to take a pill (the actual use for most hormonal contraceptives is around 90%, read the fine print in the box), you need a box of condoms ready, etc. Charting takes no time. Mucus can easily be checked while using the restroom. After a few months it becomes habit. With the new digital thermometers, it takes 30 seconds or a minute to take a temperature ( you can be half a asleep or do morning prayers). Perhaps 10 seconds to chart on the graph. Maybe 30 seconds to chart in the evening mucus or cervix signs.
I very much appreciate naprous’s comments and honesty. My wife and I teach NFP and I point out in our class that fertility is a “couple” condition. One is not really fertile, it’s the two of you together. So who is to say that the wife should bear all the responsibility. Does that mean when the baby is born, she should do all the diaper changes too? That is not a lovely respect for your spouse. Husbands must be invovled because their “fertility” is invovled! To separate one’s self from that is not right.
There is no reason a husband shouldn’t know the rules. I hadn’t admitted to my wife until recently, but one aspect of NFP that attracted me to it was the fact that I can play a role. You see often episodes on TV or movies where the wife pruposely puts a hole in a diaphragm or stops taking hormonal contraceprtives because she desparately wants a child. Husband is pretty helpless, the wife is pretty selfish. Not a very loving situation. With NFP, it’s out in the open. You both must be honest with yourselves and to each other. If you dont’ want chidren, then why? Is she tired because she’s doing all the house work and a child would be too much stress? Is it becuase he wants to save money for a boat for three weekends a year when she doesn’t really like water?
My last point applies to the abstinence complaint as well. It’s wonderful to show how much you love your spouse with the marital embrace. But how loveing is it if it’s just an “urge” or “desire” or simply a mood? If it’s not a choice, then I say it doesn’t mean much. It’s just an activity and satisfies an itch, not a loving action as it was intended.
The bottom point is that NFP is “safe, healthy, and effective”. I have never found anything “negative” about NFP, despite students trying. All they realize is some of the challenges it can present, only because they havne’t looked at their spouse or fiancee with those loving eyes that originaly brought them together.
FInally, I recommend locating a tape or CD of “Contraception, Why Not?” from Janet Smith. This can be found at
onemoresoul.com. She does a much more wonderful job at pointing out how NFP helps couples.
And dont’ worry, my wife was very skeptical at first. I was only aware of the general idea of NFP (not even the term NFP). She being a librarian, sent me to the public library with the theory I would learn myself there is no such thing. I’ll end it by saying, we’ve been married for 8 years, expecting our third (answered prayers) in two weeks, and have been teaching NFP for over a year simply because our friends kept asking why our marriage is so wonderful (their words).
Well, I don’t like long posts, but hopefully something was helpful. Good luck and let the Holy Spirit guide you and your future spouse.
) I know it can be hard to approach the leader of another faith, but I think it would be worth it. And by the way, God Bless you for being so open to challenging your own reservations! 
