NFP - Natural Family Planning

I realize that hawking NFP (Natural Family Planning) here on a Catholic homeschool blog is a bit like preaching to the proverbial choir, but you never know who's out there who might read this....

A friend asked me to write the following brief article (brief?  from me!?  ha!) a few years ago about our successful use of NFP, and I felt called to repost it to share.  Some people's mission in life is not to have children, because God has chosen another purpose for them to exemplify His greater glory.  But, if you or someone you know and love is despairing of having any or more children, yet feel certain that it is God's Will for you, don't give up!  Believe!

"For nothing is impossible with God!" (Luke 1:37)
 

Now do you see why Luke is my favorite gospel!?

Please be assured of my prayers for any of you who are searching for His Divine Will and purpose in this regard.  And remember, especially during this 40 Days For Life, that adoption is an option, too!

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NFP ARTICLE

“Infertility.”  The diagnosis is a death knell to someone who wants a large family.  The fact that it is even a “diagnosis” (like terminal cancer or emphysema) is intimidating enough.  But, infertility also seemingly robs one’s future of the dream of a family, children, grandchildren.

It is a rough pill to swallow.

I swallowed a lot of pills after being diagnosed with infertility.  First came the vitamins and “natural” remedies.  Then came endless rounds of pharmeceutical drugs.  Finally, one day, I had enough of being an overdosed infertility lab rat.  There were plenty of children already in the world, I thought.  Let’s start buying them up!

And we did.  We adopted a beautiful baby boy from Ukraine.  Two years later, after eleven years of marriage, we began paperwork for a second adoption.  But instead, the Lord surprised us:  I became pregnant with our daughter.

Whoa.

“Pregnancy” had been deleted from my mental and emotional radar screen.  But now....  If it could happen once, maybe it could happen again!

Surprisingly, although raised Catholic, I never considered Natural Family Planning (NFP) to conceive.  I assumed it was a way to avoid conception, and not a very successful one at that – The Rhythm Method, my mother called it disparagingly.  “You don’t know how many rhythm babies there are out there!” she snapped.

Thankfully, a dear friend stepped in and gave me accurate advice.  And a gift – a set of NFP study materials, with the command to use them.  Following NFP, it took only one cycle for us to hit the jackpot.  Nine months later, our third child was born.

For nothing shall be impossible with God.

As faithful Catholics, my husband and I were at peace using NFP, because it honors the fullness of the marriage covenant between a husband and wife, yet allows them to delay or attain pregnancy.  NFP’s only drawback is poor or inaccurate P.R.  If other obstacles to pregnancy have been ruled out for you, get an NFP counselor, get the materials -- and believe!

“Blessed the barren woman, if she be blameless.  Better to have no children, yet to have virtue.  It holds triumph through eternity, having emerged the victor.”  (from Wisdom 3:13, 4:1-2)

“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord.” (Psalm 127:3)