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fertility appreciation
The
Diocese of Fargo has instituted a new Policy on the Instruction of Natural Family Planning
(NFP) for couples preparing for marriage.
To read the Policy on NFP Instruction as outlined by Bishop Aquila, click
here.
The Diocese of Fargo NFP Program is endorsed by
the Diocesan Development Program for Natural Family Planning of the USCCB
Committee for Pro-Life Activities. This program has met the established
standards for diocesan programs in providing quality NFP services that integrate
Catholic Church teaching on human sexuality and marriage.
Click here
for frequently asked questions and their answers regarding the
Diocese of Fargo
Policy on the Instruction of Natural Family
Planning for Couples Preparing for Marriage.
Click here for video resources available
from the Respect Life Office on NFP and Theology of the
Body.
What is
Fertility Appreciation (FA)?
Why is
FA an acceptable and morally good way to plan your family?
Is Fertility Appreciation
geared towards having as many babies as possible?
How does
Fertility
Appreciation work?
Is Fertility Appreciation
Rhythm?
What’s the
big difference between practicing fertility appreciation and artificial methods
of birth control?
Does
Fertility Appreciation limit sexual spontaneity?
How can my
spouse and I achieve Fertility Appreciation?
What are the
signs of fertility?
Does a
husband have any role in observing these signs?
How
effective is Fertility Appreciation?
What are the different
methods of natural family planning from which I can choose?
Diocese of Fargo Policy on the Instruction of Natural Family Planning for
Couples Preparing for Marriage
 What is
Fertility Appreciation?
Fertility Appreciation, also known as natural family planning, is an umbrella
term for certain methods used to achieve and avoid pregnancy. These methods are
based on observation of the naturally-occurring signs and symptoms of the
fertile and infertile phases of a woman’s menstrual cycle. Fertility
Appreciation reflects the dignity of the human person within the context of
marriage and family life, promotes openness to life, and recognizes the value of
the child. By respecting the love-giving and life-giving nature of marriage,
fertility appreciation helps enrich the bond between husband and wife. It
enables the couple to appreciate and accept their combined gift of fertility.
Why is
Fertility Appreciation an acceptable and morally good way to plan your family?
To live well morally, we
live according to the way God wants us to live - according to God’s plan for
human life. God’s plan for human life is reflected within the structures God has
established in human nature.
God’s plan for human
sexuality is reflected in the nature of sexual intercourse, which is both
love-giving (unitive) and life-giving (procreative). By nature, sexual
intercourse both radically unites a man and a woman and is the only human act
that can worthily bring another person into the world. If either the love-giving
or life-giving nature of the conjugal act is artificially removed, sexual
intercourse becomes something less than what God created it to be.
God calls us to live fully
the gift of our sexuality. Couples can respond faithfully to this call by
cooperating with God’s natural design when they attempt to achieve or avoid
pregnancy. Fertility Appreciation helps couples to live fuller lives in a
morally good way.
Is Fertility Appreciation
geared towards having as many babies as possible?
No!
Fertility Appreciation is geared toward our living as responsible stewards of
fertility. In a mature, moral sexual relationship, married couples carefully
weigh their responsibilities to God, each other, the children they already have,
and the world in
which they live when making decisions about the number and spacing of children.
How does
Fertility
Appreciation work?
Fertility Appreciation methods help couples to identify the most opportune times
to achieve or avoid pregnancy. Through Fertility Appreciation, a woman can
determine on a day-to-day basis whether she is fertile or infertile.
Understanding that
intercourse or genital contact during the fertile phase can result in pregnancy,
couples using Fertility Appreciation act in accordance with their family
planning intention - that is, whether they wish to achieve or avoid pregnancy.
Couples wishing to achieve
pregnancy have intercourse during the fertile phase of the
woman’s cycle. Couples wishing to avoid pregnancy abstain from intercourse and
genital contact during the fertile phase. Fertility Appreciation enables couples
to adjust their behavior to the naturally occurring cycles of a woman’s body.
Fertility Appreciation is not a contraceptive - that is, it does nothing to work
against conception. With Fertility Appreciation, no drugs, devices, surgical
procedures, or other artificial methods are used to avoid pregnancy. As a
method of natural family planning, fertility appreciation:
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is based upon
scientific research |
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treats each menstrual
cycle as unique and teaches a couple to observe their signs of fertility on a
day-to-day basis |
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is effective for
those wanting to achieve, space, or avoid pregnancy |
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can be used
throughout the reproductive cycle |
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can be used in
special circumstances, such as postpartum, during breast-feeding, and
pre-menopause |
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has no harmful side
effects |
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is virtually cost
free |
Is Fertility Appreciation
Rhythm?
No! The Rhythm
(or Calendar) method was used widely in past decades, but today its use has
subsided dramatically. The Rhythm Method was based on the theory that the time
of ovulation could be determined by calculating from previous menstrual cycles.
Although this approach had sound scientific underpinnings, in practice it often
proved inaccurate because of the irregularities of some women’s ovulation
cycles.
What’s the
big difference between practicing fertility appreciation and artificial methods
of birth control?
Unlike artificial methods of birth control, methods of fertility appreciation
are based on the natural biology of the person, and does not rely on drugs,
devises, or surgical techniques. Fertility appreciation enables its users to
work with the body rather than against it. With fertility appreciation,
fertility is viewed as a natural reality to be lived, not a problem to be
solved.
Fertility Appreciation is
different from artificial methods of birth control because it does not produce
negative side effects. In contrast to fertility appreciation, artificial methods
of birth control may include serious contradictions and side effects.
Very importantly, it
should be noted that various methods of artificial birth control, including the
Pill, can act as abortifacients - that is, as a method of abortion. Even with
the Pill, ovulation is not always suppressed. Therefore, an egg may be
fertilized, but prevented from implanting on the uterine wall - thus aborting a
developing human life.
Some of the possible
negative consequences and side effects associated with a variety of methods of
artificial birth control include:
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blood clots (causing
heart attacks or strokes) |
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birth defects |
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high blood pressure |
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headaches |
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mood swings |
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depression |
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weight gain |
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loss of libido |
The most
important difference between fertility appreciation and artificial methods of
birth control is that fertility appreciation is morally good.
Does
Fertility Appreciation limit sexual spontaneity?
Fertility appreciation does not hinder sexual spontaneity. In fact, fertility
appreciation encourages couples to explore many wonderful ways of expressing
their love for one another. Sexuality includes more than just the act of genital
intercourse! Loving gestures, caresses, kisses, loving words, etc., are
all part of a healthy sexual relationship. They contribute to the marital
relationship as much as sexual intercourse. In addition, the spontaneity with
which a couple unites in love-making during each cycle in something that
husbands and wives using fertility appreciation find to be very special.
If by “spontaneity” one
means freely engaging in sexual intercourse whenever the desire arises, then
fertility appreciation does require periods of personal sacrifice. But
then, respect for your spouse - whose desires may not always be exactly the same
as yours at any moment - is also in tension with that kind of “spontaneity.”
The sacrifice involved with fertility appreciation is the kind of sacrifice
required in the mature sexual relationship of a loving husband and wife who
respect one another and God.
Any limitation on
“spontaneity” associated with fertility appreciation should be judged in the
light of the freedom couples gain by not using artificial methods of
contraception. Spiritually, psychologically and physically, the benefits of
fertility appreciation are overwhelmingly enriching to a marriage!
How can my
spouse and I achieve Fertility Appreciation?
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Realize that God loves you and your spouse and created both of you in His image.
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Realize
that your love for your spouse is to be an imitation of the love between Christ
and His bride, the Church.
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Become
familiar with Catholic teachings on human sexuality and the marriage covenant.
For more information on these teachings, contact: Rachelle, Respect Life Office,
701-356-7910 or by
e-mail.
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Learn a specific method of natural family planning by contacting a certified
instructor near you.
Click here for a list of instructors and their class schedules.
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What are the
signs of fertility?
A woman’s body provides occurring signs to identify the fertile and infertile
phases of her cycle. A primary
sign of fertility is the mucus released from a woman’s
cervix. A woman learns to identify a changing mucus pattern that indicates
the days that intercourse is most likely to result in pregnancy. Another primary
sign of fertility is the change in a woman’s basal body temperature (her body
when she is at rest). Due to hormonal activity, a woman’s resting
temperature changes during the menstrual cycle. Before ovulation the temperature
is lower. A sustained temperature rise indicates that ovulation has most likely
occurred. In addition to these primary signs of fertility, secondary signs -
such as change in the consistency and position of the cervix, minor abdominal
pain or pressure at the time
of ovulation - may also be observed. Recognizing the pattern of these physical
signs forms the basis for the various methods of fertility appreciation.
 Does a
husband have any role in observing these signs?
In Fertility Appreciation,
both spouses learn about the nature of fertility and work with it, either to
plan a pregnancy or to avoid a pregnancy. Husbands support their wives by
gaining an understanding of fertility cycles. Couples who use Fertility
Appreciation know that they have a shared responsibility for decisions regarding
family planning. Both spouses are encouraged to speak openly about their sexual
desires and their ideas on family size. Fertility Appreciation helps couples
grow together.
How
effective is Fertility
Appreciation?
When couples are taught by
certified teachers, understand the methods, and follow them, methods of natural
family planning are up to 99% effective in spacing or limiting births. The
effectiveness of methods of natural family planning depends upon the spouses’
following the rules of the method according to their family planning intention
(i.e., achieving or limiting births). For those attempting to achieve pregnancy,
natural family planning is highly effective at identifying a woman’s fertile
period.
What are the different
methods of natural family planning from which I can choose?
Three varying methods of natural family planning are
offered in the Diocese of Fargo.
These include:
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Ovulation Method
The Ovulation Method is a scientifically proven method,
researched by Dr. John Billings, based on the simple recognition of natural
signs of fertility that appear for a few days during the woman’s menstrual
cycle. By keeping accurate records, a woman can confidently identify the
fertile and infertile phase of her cycle. Variations of this method include
the Billings Method (BOMA), Families of the Americas, and Creighton
FertilityCare System. |
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Marquette Model
The Marquette model offers the latest in NFP technology and
research. It teaches couples the following signs of fertility that have been
scientifically proven effective as well as medically safe: observation of
cervical mucus, basal body temperature, and monitoring urinary hormones.
Instruction includes 3 sessions and individual follow-up with the teacher.
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Sympto-Thermal Method
Couple to Couple League (CCL) teaches the Sympto-Thermal Method
of NFP. In this system, a couple cross-checks signs of fertility: cervical
mucos, waking temperatures and changes in the cervix itself. Couples are
also taught the benefits of breast-feeding including a delay in fertility
after childbirth, improved health of the baby and a decreased likelihood of
postpartum depression. Instruction is classroom style involving 3 classes,
each a month apart. |
Couples should plan to devote a three month period to attending
instruction and beginning to practice a method. The woman will be asked to chart
her fertile signs and apply what she observes to method rules. Couples will also
receive instruction in Theology of the Body and marriage building skills. They
will learn from a person/couple trained in teaching NFP that has experience in
practicing the method. Costs for a particular course depend on the method of
instruction.
For more information contact the Respect Life Office,
701-356-7910.
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