Tricky Question about NFP vs. Pill

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cutiesmak

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When I was in college, I started on the Pill to help regulate my periods and for birth control (not a confirmed Catholic at this point and didn’t realize it can cause an abortion). Over the years, I realized that it kept some serious medical conditions under control, that had previously been untreatable (migraines and the like). Then I finally went on the Pill all the time, with no breaks just to keep myself from getting sick.

Over this time, when I first got married, my DH and I also used condoms (didn’t want an “accident”). Yeah, sinful, bad, I’ve confessed, so no haters! We stopped that a few years ago.

So, now I’m on the Pill mostly because of my health conditions. I am also on a new medication that causes severe birth defects, so it’s handy that it provides birth control. I guess what I’m saying is that that’s not the REASON I’m on it, I would be on NFP if that were the case, but the fact that it prevents ovulation is an ok side effect to me.

I was just wondering if anyone else was in this situation and what they decided to do, and also what their priest said. I had a priest tell me that as long as I abstain when I would normally be ovulating, it’s ok. But since I never get a period, I don’t even know when that would be!

We are going to adopt, so the “being open to children” part of our vows still holds true, even if it’s not being open to biological children.

Let me know personal experiences and how you felt about it. And for anyone who had these issues and DID eventually go to NFP if that worked for you. Thanks! I appreciate support and advice.
 
Birth Control for therapuetic reasons is not wrong because you are attempting to treat the disease and the contraceptive nature is a consequence that is not intended by you. With that said, I do not know all the complications of your medical history, but please be aware that there are alternative treatments to birth control that actually treat gynecological problems unlike bcp which creates false cycles (it treats symptoms, but not disease). Check out www.popepaulvi.com for alternatives and get in contact with them if you wish to learn more.
 
DH and I have been using NFP for 9 yrs. to avoid a pregnancy due to serious health problems I have (blood clotting disorder is one of them). We both knew that “the pill”, Depro, and other forms of hormonal contraception can cause serious problems ( depression, interfering with certain medications, break through ovulation, blood clots, stroke, and even death). We wanted something that was safe, morally acceptable, easy to learn/use and worked with my body’s functions and not against it. We first heard about it at precana and learned how to chart months before we got married w/a certified NFP practitioner. That way we were ready to use it and could ask questions when the time came.

With NFP, it’s a safe alternative plus it wouldn’t put me or an unborn child at risk. Also, I am able to determine when my illness would flare due to hormonal fluctuations so I could better prepare myself when I wouldn’t feel good. I could even tell when I was sick due to the illness itself or hormone levels.

It does require committment and communication on both the husband and wife, but isn’t that what marriage is all about? We have gained so much from using NFP and have lost nothing.
 
You will definately get better responses if you post what exactly your problems are that the doctor is prescribing the pill to fix.

You mentioned in the beginning of your post that while in college the doctor put you on the pill to regulate your cycles. This is a false reason. Unless you were having some hemoraging (sp?) or other major problems this is a false reason that doctors give young girls to put them on the pill because most doctors think every girl should be on the pill just because. Don’t trust these doctors, this is the way they were trained in med school. Its not entirely their fault.

Many doctors don’t even know of any alternatives to the pill, they believe there is no better alternative and would rather pump your body full of harmful chemicals. Don’t trust what doctors say. Do some research yourself. If you don’t already know, I would get your records from your ob/gyn and get the exact terms for all the problems the doctor has put you on the pill for. Then go on the internet and start doing research into treatments for each one. There are probably various treatments that don’t involved taking away your precious fertility, and would probably even make you feel much better with respect to your health.

I will post some resources down at the bottom of this post, but let me just encourage you to look around. Call people, talk to them personally, and don’t just take their word. Just because they act like they’re smart doesn’t mean they know everything. My wife and I pressed our doctors and found out they had no idea what even NFP was. Its pretty disturbing that some doctors dont’ even know that a women is capable of charting her own cycles. That’s why its up to US to educate THEM. I’m not trying to sound like a no-it-all, but talk to your doctors and ask them probing questions, and ascertain what they know or don’t know.

If your problems are only treatable by the pill (and there are instances like this) and these other medications that have serious birth defects, then you are not to fault for these indirect consequences. God knows your heart, and has given you these problems for another reason. Maybe for adoption, like you mentioned earlier.

Please contact me if you would like me to do some of the research for you, I wouuld just need the exact names of the problems that you are trying to treat. Thanks. Also please look at the resources below. The Pope Paul VI institute is the best place to start. I would call them as soon as possible and start talking to them, they can educate you and tell you what questions to ask your doctors. They are wonderful.
  1. One more Soul
    omsoul.com/
  2. Pope Paul VI institute
    popepaulvi.com/
You will be in my prayers and God Bless ! 🙂
 
Something you might like to think about…

There is a new scientific study that has just come out this week that confirms the findings about about 20 previous scientific papers that the OCP significantly causes breat-cancer.

Also, did you know that the oral contraceptive pill has been classified as a Type 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Cancer Research? That means that it is in the worst category for causing cancer (especially breast & cervical cancer).

I would get off that horrible mixture of posionous chemicals.

Here is the link to the recent paper if you would like to read it:

mayoclinicproceedings.com/pdf/8110/8110a1.pdf

From a medical point of view (which I am qualified to give), I’d suffer any migraine or period cramps than take the pill.
 
IlovemyChurch said:
From a medical point of view (which I am qualified to give), I’d suffer any migraine or period cramps than take the pill.
Click to expand...
I agree. The pill did horrible awful things to my system when I took it, causing long-standing infertility problems years after stopping it. And I have migraines too, that started when I was ON the pill.
Man I wish I would have been born Catholic so I knew better and never would have started it…
As PP have stated, do your research and try to get off it if you can. It’s bad stuff for your body, even if it appears to be helping in the short term. The pill is notorious for masking symptoms of other conditions, without doing anything at all to fix the underlying problem.
 
Thanks so much for your sensitive and insightful answers! I was kind of expecting “Sinner! Burn in hell!’” haha… Just kidding!

I used to bleed pretty severely, so going on the Pill was a recommendation from my doc. He was actually great about it, and suggested a bunch of alternatives, but that seemed to be the one that worked.

As for other conditions, being on the Pill continuously helps tremendously with my migraines and bipolar disorder. I have a pretty high level of suicidality with my migraines, and am also on Depakote for both, so the Pill just supplements those. The Depakote is also very bad for growing babies.

I guess I’m just scared that I’m doing ALL this work to control these conditions (which I had years and years before I was put on the Pill) and I really want to go to NFP, but maybe with all this stuff (and a heart condition to boot!) it’s God’s way of telling me to adopt! That’s at least what my DH thinks… but he’s hardly the most expert Catholic out there.

Thanks again, and if anyone else out there is on the Pill for medical reasons, please post.
 
I am a Practitioner for the Creighton Model, (which works with Pope Paul VI Institute), and you should definately get in touch with them!
402-390-6600. I have to disagree, the pill does not treat ANY medical conditions, only symptoms. It is a band-aid approach and you need to treat the real problem. The Institute is wonderful and they will answer any questions you have. I have taught several women that were on the pill to treat PMS, Polycystic Ovarian Disease, irregular cycles, cysts, endometriosis…all of them have been treated by a Naprotechnology doctor.
Take Care God Bless!
 
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