Natural Family Planning...

[mark_a]

I’m confused by the glee. So, you’re thrilled that NFP is so effective at preventing births? Somehow this is not coming off as being “open to life”, when people are jumping for joy to have a method that rivals ABC in “effectiveness” at thwarting God’s reproductive plan for them.

The midset of using a method to as much as possible control your fertility, isn’t really that different whether you are using NFP to do it or ABC to do it.

People keep saying that it is more loving, more giving, more holy, more sacramental, etc. etc to make love to your spouse when you know that the union might produce a child…and then jump for joy when they find their “method” as effective as ABC at preventing unplanned pregnancy.

You might not have ABC in you dresser drawer, but if it is in your heart, what’s the difference?

There is more than one way to use NFP. And it’s nearly as Catholic as Mary.

 

[Sr_Sally]

I’m confused by the glee. So, you’re thrilled that NFP is so effective at preventing births?

For those who have a ‘grave reason’ for postponing or preventing conception, than yes, they are happy that NFP is effective at preventing it. I wouldn’t automatically assume that everyone who uses NFP has an artificial birth control heart or mindset. NFP also is a wonderful way to plan for pregnancies–especially to be sure both parents are in good health when conceiving.

 

[argon091076]

This is too cool!!

Thanks!

 

[LittleDeb]

I also found the article to be very helpful. I plan to print it out and take it to my next pre-natal appointment. See, I have one of those doctors who says, “NFP doesn’t work.” It is terribly annoying to have him question my intelligence at every appointment.

I have marginal fertility and using NFP only had to try for one month before conceiving the next month. My children will be a planned 3 years apart and I get told that using NFP is unreliable. My fertility returned at 9 months post-partum.

I really don’t care what my doctor thinks of me morally. He has no idea of the prayerful life we have in asking for God’s complete guidance for spacing and family size. He has no idea how difficult my health problems are on a day to day basis. He had no idea how incredibly difficult emotionally, and financially it was to handle our son’s severe health problems early in life. My doctor has a contraceptive mentality and that is fine with me. I can’t change his heart.

I can however, live a life of turning over my entire sexuality to God. My husband and I can commit our marriage entirely to God’s will for us. My doctor’s uninformed opinion that “NFP doesn’t work,” probably won’t change. But at least I can print this article and ask for it to be added to my file. Then when he again asks me about going on contraception because it “works” I can point to the article and again refuse. Maybe with that he will at least stop treating me as though I am the one who is uninformed!