NFP, which method is best?

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I know there are a couple of different methods of NFP. I’m not sure which one is taught at the Catholic hospital that I will be giving birth at, the website didn’t say and I haven’t called yet since I’m not due until October. The hospital also charges a $50 fee for the class.

There is no place else in my area that offers any kind of NFP classes. I looked into it already.

Any helpful info that I could use after the birth of # 4? I’m having a difficult time with this pregnancy and can’t help but remember that the doc did recommend no more after # 3.

I will be breastfeeding for as long as possible with this baby. I know the first 6 months you have about a 1% chance of conceiving if you strictly breastfeed. I don’t have any menstrual cycles while breastfeeding. I got pregnant with # 4 only two months and one cycle after I stopped breastfeeding # 3. I feel like I’ve been pregnant for the last 2 years straight.

Any good websites or someone I can contact when the time comes to begin practicing NFP, would be really appreciated. I’ve never used NFP before, only ABC, and it’s been a few years since I’ve used that. My body can’t handle it and what is the use of a condom when it’s only 80% effective anyway. Permanent solutions are OUT of the question for both hubby and me so that’s not an option either (besides our Faith now playing an important role).

I’ve read some recent threads on NFP but didn’t see any info that would help me out other than some statistics.

Thanks!
 
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Princess_Abby:
Creighton!!!

Simple, easy and very effective.
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Thanks! I looked up Creighton and found a great website on this method. creightonmodel.com/#teacher, lo and behold the hospital I will give birth at was listed in the providers for my area.

God bless!
 
Just to counterbalance:

COUPLE TO COUPLE SYMPTO THERMAL!

There is a “home kit” that is pretty easy to understand as well as a great network of people that are more than willing to help you.
I use it, even though I am the biggest moron ever…it is great to have a cross-check of temperature and mucus signs…makes you feel a lot more sure about your fertile and infertile signs.

Good luck and I hope that your delivery goes well!

Jess Havin
 
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JessHav:
Just to counterbalance:

COUPLE TO COUPLE SYMPTO THERMAL!

There is a “home kit” that is pretty easy to understand as well as a great network of people that are more than willing to help you.
I use it, even though I am the biggest moron ever…it is great to have a cross-check of temperature and mucus signs…makes you feel a lot more sure about your fertile and infertile signs.

Good luck and I hope that your delivery goes well!

Jess Havin
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I found the sympto-thermal method to be very time-consuming and slightly overkill with all the rules…endless, endless rules.

Creighton is soooooooooooooo simple and equally effective.
 
Lest this thread get into a mud wrestling match, a few points to ponder.

The Sympto-Thermal Method taught by the Couple to Couple League is taught by other practioners in the Northeast. The Couple to Couple Leagues philosophy about NFP is that it is the business of a couple, and should be learned by the couple. The single greatest determining factor over a woman’s successful pratice of NFP is the support of her husband, so CCL includes the hubby from stage one. The hope is to lessen the “gate-keeping” and “gate-crashing” issue where the woman tells hubby when it is “okay” for relations. We want husband to be in on the process so that the decision to postpone or achieve pregnancy is always a shared decision.

The STM method is scientifically more rigorous, and while they teach the use of many fertility signs, whether a woman uses all of them or not is up to them. The complaint about “all the rules”, while interesting to say, is a bit hollow since most couples have one or two rules they rely upon because of the unique pattern of their cycles. The goal of the STM method, as taught by CCL, is to offer as many days as possible for a couple to engage in the marital act if they are seeking to postpone, and the best opportunity for success if they are seeking to achieve. The method has to be a bit more rigorus to accomplish that goal.

Creighton is a method that has it roots in the medical industry. It is taught usually in medical settings - hospitals usually - and usually by nurses. It focuses usually on the woman only, taking the tack that NFP is a woman’s issue, and while you could never describe it as “feminist”, the inclusion of hubby is largely the responsibility of the woman who is learning the method. We have had a number of former Creighton couples take our classes because they desired a bit more rigor and accuracy in determining the limits of the fertile time, if they are seeking to postpone, and the best times to achieve, if they are seeking a pregnancy.

To Creighton’s credit, they have done great research on fertility issues, and continue to fight the good fight against an OB-Gyn industry that is anti-fertility, and determined not to heal women, but to maniuplate them for financial gain.
 
I teach and use sympto-thermal NFP and love it!

I find that couples usually use one or two rules, but it’s nice to have others to fall back on for irregular cycles,etc. Plus, this past year they have developed a super easy way to use the rules quickly on a little business card. The CCL is also in the process of revision- making the materials more up-to-date, etc. In the process, they are developing simpler ways to use the rules, so it should get even better!

I’m not trying to say that sympto-thermal is better than Creighton or Billings. I find that couples will find whichever method works best for them. I personally like the cross-checking security of the S-T method and don’t find it to be a hassle at all. My hubby enjoys having a role in it also- he gives me the thermometer in the morning and charts my temp. He also likes to do interpretation of the rules,etc. I also know people who love Creighton.

I think it’s a good idea to look into what each method is about and decide which would work best for you!👍
 
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johnnyjoe:
The Sympto-Thermal Method taught by the Couple to Couple League is taught by other practioners in the Northeast.
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I don’t know where you get the idea it is only taught in the NorthEast. There are practitioners all over. I can name 5 teaching couples in CO without blinking. It is all over.
 
Um…I don’t think you understood my point. The Couple to Couple League is not the only organization teaching a Sympto-Thermal Method of NFP. I believe the other organization is called the “Symptothermal Method”, and is a non-aligned teaching organization. My understanding is that they take a much more “secular” approach to NFP, including advocation of the use of barrier methods during the fertile phase.

I cannot speak as to whether or not there are 5 Symtothermal Method teachers in Colorado, but I am certain there are quite a few CCL teachers in Colorado. My wife and I teach for CCL.
 
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JessHav:
Just to counterbalance:

COUPLE TO COUPLE SYMPTO THERMAL!

There is a “home kit” that is pretty easy to understand as well as a great network of people that are more than willing to help you.
I use it, even though I am the biggest moron ever…it is great to have a cross-check of temperature and mucus signs…makes you feel a lot more sure about your fertile and infertile signs.

Good luck and I hope that your delivery goes well!

Jess Havin
Click to expand...
I highly doubt you are a big moron Jess 🙂

I have heard that using 2 methods together increase the success rate. I’m tired of everyone making fun of me that we’ll be saying “We’re done” after number 8 because they know we’ll be practicing NFP. I’d love to prove them wrong of course but they don’t understand that our faith plays a very important role to having children. If God chose for us to have yet another, He would provide for us, health wise, financially, etc. People (especially Christians) think that we are tempting God and are being foolish. My parents aren’t all that happy about me having another baby. My mom and dad both said one of us should have something done. Mom tells me that she doesn’t regret having her tubes tied right after I was born. She was 34 when she had me. My brother and sister were 6 and 7 1/2 when I was born. She thought her family was complete then I came along.

My SIL just had a miscarriage after using ABC. She isn’t all that devastated since the baby was an unwelcome surprise. Her boyfriend was horrified that she was pregnant and said her only options were adoption or abortion. He said he was sorry afterwards but still…they make a combined income of over $100,000 a year. There is no reason to say those options when you can afford a baby. She has 2 older children (8 and 10) from her second marriage.

It’s a shame how society looks at children being a financial burden more than anything nowadays.
 
Kelly,

I think you got it exactly right. The real issue behind the world’s mistrust in NFP is that at the heart of the matter, NFP is open to life, and what is really the matter is a general anti-child mentality that grips this culture.

The only time you see children really championed in this culture is when the ones doing the crowing can use children to progress their agenda. I was on a talk show the other day, and was telling the host about the recent pronouncement from the WHO that oral contraceptives were carcinogenic. He seemed to think it was a good risk to keep from having “unwanted” children.

When did we become the masters of “having” children? People say, “I’m gonna HAVE a baby”…people used to think they were GIVEN children, by a power higher than themselves. This shift in perception regarding the value of a child is at the heart of our Culture of Death.
 
I have seen other threads questioning this very thing. It amazes me that we are arguing about this sort of thing using this sort of info. While I am sure that this post was meant in all sincerity there is a lot of misinformation about both Creighton and STM and I urge you to do some research to find out what is right for you.

Having taught FertilityCare (Creighton) for 3 years (out of my home, as a former high school teacher), I have only once recommended that a couple consider switching from CCL to FC. This couple had very serious reason to avoid a pregnancy (her needed meds were dangerous to a baby) and became pregnant. The fluctuations in her cycle were not something that she was able to acount for using STM. It was easy to see that they used their method correctly and also why they missed the time of fertility.

God bless you on your search. Send me a PM if you have any questions.

The Sympto-Thermal Method taught by the Couple to Couple League is taught by other practioners in the Northeast. The Couple to Couple Leagues philosophy about NFP is that it is the business of a couple, and should be learned by the couple. The single greatest determining factor over a woman’s successful pratice of NFP is the support of her husband, so CCL includes the hubby from stage one. The hope is to lessen the “gate-keeping” and “gate-crashing” issue where the woman tells hubby when it is “okay” for relations. We want husband to be in on the process so that the decision to postpone or achieve pregnancy is always a shared decision.

The STM method is scientifically more rigorous, and while they teach the use of many fertility signs, whether a woman uses all of them or not is up to them. The complaint about “all the rules”, while interesting to say, is a bit hollow since most couples have one or two rules they rely upon because of the unique pattern of their cycles. The goal of the STM method, as taught by CCL, is to offer as many days as possible for a couple to engage in the marital act if they are seeking to postpone, and the best opportunity for success if they are seeking to achieve. The method has to be a bit more rigorus to accomplish that goal.

Creighton is a method that has it roots in the medical industry. It is taught usually in medical settings - hospitals usually - and usually by nurses. It focuses usually on the woman only, taking the tack that NFP is a woman’s issue, and while you could never describe it as “feminist”, the inclusion of hubby is largely the responsibility of the woman who is learning the method. We have had a number of former Creighton couples take our classes because they desired a bit more rigor and accuracy in determining the limits of the fertile time, if they are seeking to postpone, and the best times to achieve, if they are seeking a pregnancy.

To Creighton’s credit, they have done great research on fertility issues, and continue to fight the good fight against an OB-Gyn industry that is anti-fertility, and determined not to heal women, but to maniuplate them for financial gain.
 
I’m tired of everyone making fun of me that we’ll be saying “We’re done” after number 8 because they know we’ll be practicing NFP.
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NFP is effective. I speculate that those who pick on NFP users are guilty of ABC use and justifying their own actions or maybe trying to make themselves feel better about their choice. It is a shame people find it so easy to make fun of a person’s religious beliefs and morals. :hmmm:
If God chose for us to have yet another, He would provide for us, health wise, financially, etc.
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You can’t explain Faith to those who refuse it.
People (especially Christians) think that we are tempting God and are being foolish.
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Huh? This is very sad for them.
My parents aren’t all that happy about me having another baby. My mom and dad both said one of us should have something done.
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My ILs are not supportive of us having more children. Two is enough they believe. I don’t think this made my DH feel to good about his existence (he is 3 of 4).
It’s a shame how society looks at children being a financial burden more than anything nowadays.
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:amen: And society views fertility as something that needs to be stopped… SUPPRESSED! Talk about suppressing women! Fertility is unwanted :(. Do you ever feel like it is viewed the same as a disease?

NFP is effective and you don’t have to answer anyone but the Lord. Take care and God bless!

Autumn
 
I just switched to Fertilitycare, Creighton, after the birth of our second child. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I started out with Bilings Ovulation and then tried to learn STM, but am now pleased as punch to have found a Creighton instructor in my area and learning this.

It’s an individual thing, in my opinion, some love STM and others find it too many things to remember (that was me).

Research things and be prayerful about it and you’ll find the NFP that fits you best!

www.fertilitycarepittsburgh.com

God Bless!
 
I did get pregnant while strictly breastfeeding #1 and before periods returned. So do be careful!

cheddar
 
So, two summary questions:

Are the two methods equally effective if used properly?

Does STM involve the husband more than the Creighton model?

Thanks
Eamon
 
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turboEDvo:
So, two summary questions:

Are the two methods equally effective if used properly?

Does STM involve the husband more than the Creighton model?

Thanks
Eamon
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“Effective if used properly” is a more complicated phrase than you might think.

We monitor my fertility with the Creighton model (and we love it, after starting out with the sympto-thermal method.) It is considered “proper” use of the instructions, for example, to say, (maybe not in these exact words!): “Hmm. We had a romantic evening planned for tonite. It looks like I am fertile. Shall we ask God for a baby tonite, or shall we continue to postpone?” This is considered proper use, believe it or not!

My understanding (please correct me if I am wrong) is that with any method of family planning, when it comes to the husband’s involvement in charting, etc., each couple needs to figure out what works best for them from a practical standpoint as well as a level of comfort with whatever is involved in the monitoring.
 
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