I just wanted to add on to the other posters on your OP, I am an NFP instructor for CCLI, and I felt compelled to write because the predicament you are going through is so similar to my MIL’s in her younger days. My MIL had 8 kids, some cycles using Calendar Rhythm because that was what was available in her day, and other cycles just leaving it open to God in her life. During her last few pregnancies, she had terrible pregnancies with huge health risks, and at the birth of her 8th child (my husband), she actually died on the birthing table for a number of minutes from extreme hemmoraging before being resuscitated.
Due to her life circumstances with a lower paying job that my FIL worked at (and that she was the major “bread winner”) and if she died there would be nobody to take care of the kids, the doctor recommended Vasectomy. They both knew this was against church teaching, so this was not an easy decision. She consulted three priests, a conservative, moderate, and liberal one, all of who said to do it, that the sin would be on their shoulders because she was more needed to raise her family than be dead.
So they had the Vasectomy.
I can say that happily she’s still alive today, and her kids are all grown with kids of their own. But what was the cost? I believe there was great spiritual fallout in her family due to their decision to disobey God’s natural law. A couple of her children no longer practice the faith. Many of them use any number of different artifical contraceptives or barriers. One has also gotten a vasectomy. They live knowing what the Church teaches, but choose not to follow it. I believe that this in great part has to do with the fact that they know their parents choose this and so that in a way has given them permission to also do that in their lives.
Now there is much complexity to the subject that I’m not describing, but it sounds very much like the future that this OP may experience if they choose not to live in God’s love by obeying his natural laws. I am not telling you what to choose, as we are all given free will, but you must weigh your choices with all gravity and know what the possible outcome may be if you choose to let sin and temptation enter your lives. And this may very well be the greatest temptation you will face in your live, and cause you to give the greatest sacrifice possible - your life to Christ, or even your womanhood.
But if Christ asked that of you, would you give it to Him for all He’s given you???
I mentioned previously that I am an NFP instructor. It sounds like NFP has just been spotty in your life, thus you have conceived while practicing it. It’s not always the case that you’ll conceive, especially as others have said, when practicing it in the most conservative manner. You might also take a brush-up course
www.ccli.org, to help you become more comfortable in practicing the method. I would also concur with the others that you can even practice it and also use a fertility monitor to help p(name removed by moderator)oint days of fertility, so you can know with a certainty which days to avoid, and thus eliminate possibility of unintended pregnancy. If you choose to be diligent, it works like a charm. If you choose to be wishy-washy, you’ll be surprised by the turnout.
With that, I wish you the best and God bless you always!
Blessings,
Stacey
Mama to 4 beautiful girls
My new website,
www.glutenfreefamilies.com