My husband and I learned Natural Family Planning (NFP) the month before we were married. We conceived 6 mos later (on purpose) and found out 3 mos after that that we had a rare form of miscarriage. The follow-up care required 12 mos (or 15 mos for a more conservative waiting period) without conception, so we really put NFP to the test.
15 mos later we can say that NFP Rocks! We have experienced so much closeness since our loss, which I do not believe would have been possible if we were to have contracepted for that period. Instead, we shared that long period of waiting together and healed along the way through the mutual support that NFP promotes between spouses. I am so grateful for this tremendous gift that I can't keep it to myself.
So...For married couples eager to conceive or with a serious reason to abstain...or interested in knowing an ethical and natural method in the event that these two could occur in their married lives...NFP Rocks!
Here are only Ten Reasons why (when I think that even ONE of these reasons makes NFP worth learning):
1) It actively and spiritually unites spouses in their family planning...leading spouses to talk more and to sacrifice more for the good of each other
2) Husbands know and appreciate their wives' fertility and vice versa (how cool!) There is a great respect here between spouses that includes respect for their sexuality and their combined fertility
3) Children are received with love...There are no "accidents"...and even if that below 1% chance results in a new life, the pregnancy is a surprise and NOT an accident since every act of intercourse is open to life
4) The honeymoon effect that follows the short periods of abstinence
5) Many of the other important dimensions of marriage are strengthened during abstinent periods (including the spiritual, intellectual, creative, and emotional aspects of relationships). This leads to enhanced intimacy in marriages and higher satisfaction
6) Children will never happen upon contraceptives in the home
7) The divorce rate is below 4% for NFP couples
8) No adverse side effects (for mother and baby--if a baby were conceived) since there are no drugs/spermicides/etc used
9) There is a complete self-giving on the part of both spouses since they are open to life and not using any barriers to separate sexual union from its natural end, procreation
10) For couples with normal fertility, there is approx. 75% chance of conceiving the first time using the fertile period and approx. 95% by the third month and the method has been shown to help many infertile couples become parents ethically and economically
I think I could come up with a much longer list, but these are the 10 that come to mind right now...feel free to leave comments adding advantages/benefits/blessings that I have neglected :)
Here are some resources:
creightonmodel.com (Creighton Model)
ccli.org (Couple to Couple League)
*Or most Catholic dioceses have NFP teachers if you call
