NFP resources and experiences

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rosejmj

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I am super interested in NFP methods of tracking a woman’s cycle and fertility using temperature, cervical fluid, and menstruation as helpful indicators. I have heard there are different methods of NFP or fertility awareness and am wondering which ones people have found most effective and resources that could help someone interested in learning more and tracking the signs to get to know their body better
 
I know there is a facebook page where women talk about their experiences using NFP.
 
I use the Sympto-Thermal Method. I learned it from the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility, which is a great resource though it technically teaches FAM instead of NFP. (FAM allows for barriers to be used during the fertile period, going against Church teaching. But the concepts are the same and an NFP couple would just abstain on those days. )

It’s worked pretty well for us so far. I’ve also considered the Marquette method which uses a monitor to test hormone levels. I have also heard great things about Creighton and Billings.
 
The method who use temperature (Basal Body Temperature) and Cervical mucus is the Sympto Thermal Method.
There is different symptothermal methods, the rules can changes a little, and if the woman wishes internal observation can be add.

I supposed that you are an American, so the way to be learn it is through the Couple to Couple League, maybe by start by their book and after classes when you would be engaged. https://ccli.org/

An other alternative is through Natural Family International the dissent association found by the founders of the Couple to Couple League, if you prefer, here: http://www.nfpandmore.org/nfpresources.shtml

If your goal is just to know you better and not linked with procreation yet, I have had good heards from this book, but I don’t know what is the year of their last 5th edition. Marylin M Shannon, Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition
Fertility Cycles and Nutrition 5th Ed | Natural Family Planning | Fertility Awareness | NFP Classes Couple to Couple League

I can help with personal experiences as we have different organizations in my geographical area. But I used the free print chart of the NFPI. (not the best as the size of the blank where to chart are too small, but the only free thing I have found at this time).
 
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My husband and I learned a sympto-thermal method (STM) through the Couple to Couple League before we got married. I was charting for about 9 months (3 of those months after marriage) before we got pregnant with our first. We weren’t really trying or avoiding, I was just charting to get the hang of it.

After our son was born, I got an instructor who taught me Marquette for the postpartum phase. Marquette is a little more expensive due to purchasing a fertility monitor and test sticks, but it tends to be a little more objective, which we were looking for during the complicated postpartum phase. I did get a Tempdrop to use to cross-check temps with the fertility monitor. The Tempdrop was super helpful postpartum as well since I was waking up frequently with the baby but still able to get reliable temperatures. We used that method successfully for 18 months, when we decided to no longer “try nor avoid,” and we are now expecting our second. I’m sure we will return to Marquette once this baby is born.

It is neat to track my particular symptoms and signs. Because of this, I was able to recognize this pregnancy two weeks earlier than I did with my first, since I was paying more attention to more things. Pretty fascinating.
 
My husband and I went to classes through the Couple-to-Couple League through our diocese, years ago.

They teach the Sympto-Thermal method, as others have mentioned, where you cross-check your symptoms.

You use a basal body thermometer to record your basal body temperature, and do charting of your cycles.

It’s different than a fever thermometer.

I used to be able to rely more on my basal body temp. with sleep, but I have chronic illnesses where the hours of uninterrupted sleep that I need for temperature-taking are no longer reliable for me, so I just chart and watch for other visible signs that are still there for me.

My cycles are skipping, due to my age and due to heading towards menopause, but not being quite there–yet.

I’m just sharing this, for anyone else who might also be going through this.

I’m sort of in between still being peri-menopausal and menopausal, and my doctor ran female hormone blood tests and did a pelvic ultrasound too, just to make sure that I was still having my cycles and wasn’t having any abnormal bleeding.

Nope–still normal. I’m just going to have a very late menopause for my age.

I’m headed towards my late 50’s.
 
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