So you want to try natural family planning
By Tricia Ballad
So you’re ready to try natural family planning … Where do you go from here? It all depends on your style. There are small group classes, self-study courses or you could just hit the local bookstore’s health and wellness section.
Going by the book
The least expensive way to learn is to read the book – or rather, the books. The two most commonly recommended are The Art of Natural Family Planning by John and Sheila Kippley and Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. Both are excellent references that you will refer back to even after you’re comfortable with the rules of natural family planning (NFP).
The Art of Natural Family Planning is written from a strong religious perspective, while TCOYF is secular. Both cover the sympto-thermal method of NFP. The drawback to learning NFP straight from a book is the lack of feedback and support.
Homeschool style
The Couple to Couple League (started by John and Sheila Kippley) offers a home study course that includes a copy of their book, The Art of Natural Family Planning. The kit includes everything you will need to begin practicing NFP, including a basal temperature thermometer, a year’s supply of charts, membership in the CCL and the CCL newsletter.
Most importantly, the home study course includes a personal review of your first three charts. After your first month of charting, you interpret your chart and send a copy to CCL. Within a week or so, they review your interpretations and send your chart back with any corrections they’ve made and some helpful suggestions tailored to your personal situation.
This service is invaluable to couples just beginning to learn NFP, especially those who have serious reasons to avoid pregnancy and can’t afford to make mistakes. If you are the do-it-yourself type, this can be the best way to go.
Classroom study
If you’re one of those people who learns more easily in a classroom setting, classes are available too. The CCL has teaching couples all over the world who run classes on a regular basis. These classes usually consist of small groups of five to 10 couples. Classes include all the materials in the home study course.
Some couples find that they benefit from the support they receive at the weekly classes and from meeting other couples who are interested in NFP. You can find a local teaching couple at http://www.ccli.org/learn/search.shtml, then call and find out when their next class is starting.
Regardless of the method you choose, be prepared to spend some time during the first few months studying and analyzing your charts. Once you’ve charted for a few months and are comfortable with NFP rules, you can interpret as you go.
© Tricia Ballad
Tricia Ballad is a web developer by profession and a writer and natural family planning advocate by passion. See more about Tricia Ballad.
