The Curious Single's Guide to Natural Family Planning: Part 1

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Natural Family Planning.

What does that title mean to you? Reactions might look different for everybody. An eye roll from modern society. Curiosity from natural-living enthusiasts. Confusion from many Christians. A plain old “What is that?” from the majority of folks.

From you on CatholicMatch, you probably are nodding your head thinking, yep, that’s in my future.

But what else do you know about it? There are many misconceptions about natural family planning out there. Some are minor, some are extremely misleading, and others lead to disappointment. So in this article, we’re going to address some common misconceptions and lay out the foundations of how NFP looks in the real world. (Keep an eye out for Part 2, where we’ll go into user frustrations with NFP!) 

What is Natural Family Planning (NFP)?

According to the USCCB, NFP is “the general title for the scientific, natural, and moral methods of family planning that can help married couples either achieve or postpone pregnancies.” Essentially, all practices of NFP (yes, there are many different methods!) are based on “observation of the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman's menstrual cycle. No drugs, devices, or surgical procedures are used to avoid pregnancy.”

And the final sentence in their definition is where the Catholic part comes in: “Since the methods of NFP respect the love-giving (unitive) and life-giving (procreative) nature of the conjugal act, they support God's design for married love!” Pretty cool, right? NFP is an option for anyone, not just Catholics, and is one of the most inexpensive ways to plan your family, and is also just as or more effective than conventional birth control.

Another helpful thing is to discuss what NFP is not.  It is not: 

  • Outdated, a.k.a. the “rhythm method” of the 70's
  • Less effective than other birth control, because when done properly it is more effective
  • Impossible to learn, as many beginners think; or 
  • The answer for every fertility problem; stay tuned for more on that...

Why use NFP?

The USCCB provides a quick list of the benefits of NFP:

  • Supports reproductive health
  • Has no harmful side effects
  • Is environmentally friendly
  • Is inexpensive
  • Cooperates with a couple's combined fertility
  • Is useful to either achieve or avoid pregnancy 
  • Can be used throughout the reproductive life cycle
  • Requires shared responsibility and cooperation by husband and wife
  • Fosters mutual communication between husband and wife
  • Encourages respect for and acceptance of the total person
  • Promotes marital chastity
  • Values the child
  • Honors God's design for married love!

 Check out some more nice perks of NFP on this CatholicMatch article!

Marriage preparation is not NFP.

A quick disclaimer: marriage preparation class is not a class to teach you an NFP method. It prepares you for marriage, only one aspect of which is planning for children. The actual NFP class is a separate topic, taught by professionals of various methods. Marriage prep often “glazes over” this topic simply because they have so much to cover in just a few classes (or one retreat.)

To find classes and get a consultation with one of the many professionals, check out this CatholicCouples page. You can also tell your marriage prep mentors that you want more information, and they’ll probably be happy to do some digging for you. Feel free to ask other couples you know who practice NFP for some resources! 

There are various types of NFP.

Generally, most types of NFP will include an observation chart where a woman can write down her daily observations, and/or a temperature-keeping record. Some do both. The USCCB offers a page with a summary of the basic practice methods, and the Diocese Of Green Bay offers this resource page, too. From these Cervical Mucus, Sympto-Thermal, and Sympto-Hormonal methods, many other structured methods have sprouted: Marquette, Creighton, ClearBlue Monitor, Billings Ovulation, and plenty more. (See links at end of article.)

Let’s not forget about the technological aids that have recently come on the market for NFP couples!  The Daysy, TempDrop, and various other temperature monitoring devices offer an easy way to track temperature, and there are dozens of apps that can make charting simple. Ovulation test strips also exist to monitor luteinizing hormone spikes.

Visiting a NaProTechnology doctor is especially helpful for couples who struggle with NFP one way or another. Personally, I would recommend any beginner to learn the “hard copy” paper charting first. Since NFP is all based on the female cycle and her individual patterns, technology is often most effective when the user already understands her own patterns.

Yes, you can prepare for NFP while dating!

If you’re engaged, please take NFP together as a chaste couple. My husband and I did this before we were married, and it was a fantastic way to communicate and plan what our expectations and thoughts were on sex and a future family.

Single women, you can start charting your cycles with NFP whenever you want! Many religious sisters who lead celibate lives often chart to monitor their health. (Yep, NFP can do that, too!) Even if you think you will never need to use NFP, it’s good to know how to do it anyway—infertility and health problems can crop up at any time during a marriage, and this is a great tool to have in your pocket.

If you’re a single male, there’s nothing wrong with taking an NFP class to learn about it. (I can’t blame you thinking it’s a little bit weird to do alone, but it’s an option!) Another way to embrace the mindset of NFP is to think about being affectionate and supportive to your dates, without expecting anything in return. Having this skill will be ESPECIALLY important for your marriage during times of abstinence, and obviously you can work on that during your chaste dating.

If you’re looking to find NFP classes, check out the following:

Stay tuned to read about the most common frustrations NFP users run across in their marriages! That’s coming in Part 2 . . .

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