and

Encouraging fertility awareness while respecting God’s plan for love within marriage When You Marry What is NFP? Who can use NFP?

Breastfeeding

Regular / Irregular Achieving / Avoiding Menstrual Cycles

Pre-menopause Post-hormone NFP is not Contraceptive NFP works by… • Understanding Fertility • Observing Signs • Keeping Charts • Making Decisions Together • Abstaining / Engaging Develop Fertility Awareness

**Completing a certified course achieves highest rate of effectiveness** FABMs: Fertility Awareness Based Methods 1. Cervical Fluid (Ovulation Method) a. Billings-most popular internationally 97+% effective b. Creighton- most recommended for couples struggling with 98+% effective

2. Cervical Fluid + Temperature (Sympto-Thermal) - 99+% effective a. Couple to Couple League b. SymptoPro

S-T Method - most popular form of FABMs in United States

*Effectiveness requires certified instruction. *Kindara app is highly rated, with 1.6 million users Spiritual

Philosophical

Relational

Biological Reasons To Take A Class 1. Learn about reproductive health 2. Confirm your personal signs of fertility Infertility 1. 1 in 6 couples experience subpar fertility

2. Inability to get pregnant (with frequent intercourse) for at least a year

3. 10 – 18% of couples have trouble getting pregnant or having a successful delivery

4. ⬆ after age 30 ⬆⬆ after age 35 Typical Cervical Fluid Ovulation and the Role of Cervical Fluid • Ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovary.

• It occurs on one day each cycle.

• The egg lives only 12 to 24 hours.

• need cervical fluid to survive.

Without it they die within hours. With good cervical fluid, sperm can live 3 to 5 days. Typical Temperature Pattern Check Your Temperature Pattern

Do you have at least 10 high temps? Hormones Typical Sympto-Thermal Chart Tools for S-T Method

KINDARA APP Ovulation Method Chart

Normal Fertile Cycle Achieving Pregnancy When does ovulation occur? Conception

Fallopian Tube Conception

Ovary Yellow Body

Cervical Mucus (helps sperm to live)

Vagina Implantation

c b

d Uterus a Tube e

12 Ovary days f Implantation (complete)

Lining (Spongy)

Yellow Body (Active until 3rd month Cervix of pregnancy) Closed

Mucus Plug Chorionic sac

Amniotic sac

Ear

Eye Rib

Yolk sac Spleen Umbilical cord Types of Contraception Relationship Differences Fertility Awareness Contraception

• Shared responsibility • Individual responsibility

• Enhances couple communication • Diminishes need for communication

• Abstain if avoiding pregnancy • Engage while avoiding pregnancy

• Fosters mutual respect • Creates environment to “use” partner

• Connects intimacy with pregnancy • Separates sex from pregnancy Medical Differences Fertility Awareness Contraception

• No health risks • Potential side effects

• Works with fertility • Suppresses or eliminates fertility

• No impact on future fertility • May impact future fertility

• No environmental impact • Environment impacted by artificial hormones in waterways Effectiveness Rates

Fertility Awareness Contraception

• Sympto-Thermal and • Pill, patch, rings - 92% Ovulation Methods – 99% • Injectables - 97% • IUD - 98-99% *if properly learned and • Diaphragm - 84% used according to • Cervical Cap - 68-84% instructions for avoiding or • : Male-85% delaying pregnancy Female-79% • - 71% • Withdrawal - 73% • Surgical - 99% The Effectiveness of NFP Depends on You 2 Important Questions

What is the purpose of INTERCOURSE?

1. 2.

What is the purpose of MARRIAGE? NFP Respects Marital Love

Dr. Gregory Popcak, “Beyond the Birds and the Bees”, p.187 Ovulation Methods Billings: www.learnnfponline.com Creighton: www.fertilitycare.org

Sympto-Thermal Methods SymptoPro: www.symptopro.org Couple to Couple League: www.ccli.org

Sympto Hormonal Marquette: www.vitaefertility.com