The NFPcharts.com Blog
Is NFP For Me?
From condoms to the pill, you have lots of options when choosing the right method for you to avoid pregnancy. Natural Family Planning (NFP) is one way to avoid pregnancy that you might not have considered! Studies have shown that NFP can be as effective as well-known methods of birth control like condoms or the pill, and it avoids some of the downsides of hormonal birthcontrol! If you’re interested in exploring different ways to avoid pregnancy, NFP might be right for you! Here are some reasons why couples choose NFP.
What is Natural Family Planning?
Natural Family Planning (NFP) means understanding a woman’s natural cycle and using that knowledge to achieve or avoid pregnancy based on her fertility. Most women are fertile for only a few days per month (though most methods will extend this “fertile window” a bit to account for uncertainty). If a couple avoids having sex when the woman is fertile, they can avoid pregnancy without using artificial birth control.
Example NFP Charts for the Creighton Method
The Creighton Method is a method of Natural Family Planning that relies on daily observations to understand the menstrual cycle. Each time you use the restroom, you observe your mucus, and record the observation in a chart to track your cycle and fertility over time. You can use this information to decide when to have sex to achieve or avoid pregnancy. An example chart can help you visualize what this looks like. If you’re new to the Creighton Method, seeing an example chart might help you understand what the method entails to decide if it’s something you want to try. While you might see slight variations in the way charts look with different instructors, most charts will look pretty similar to our examples. You can learn more about the Creighton Method at https://creightonmodel.com.
Example NFP Charts for the Marquette Method
The Marquette Method is a method of Natural Family Planning that relies primarily on using the Clearblue Fertility Monitor to determine when you’re fertile. The monitor prompts you for a daily urine test, and you enter the results in a chart to track your fertility over time – it really is that easy! You can use this information to decide when to have sex to achieve or avoid pregnancy. An example chart can help you visualize what this looks like. If you’re new to the Marquette Method, seeing an example chart might help you understand what the method entails to decide if it’s something you want to try. While you might see slight variations in the way charts look with different instructors, most charts will look pretty similar to our examples.
Understanding The Numbers: How to Compare NFP Methods
Our Research page cites several different NFP studies. Some of these studies are looking at things like “typical use failure rates” and “perfect use failure rates” of different NFP or contraception methods, but what does that even mean? Let’s break it down so you can understand how the methods compare to each other.
How does the Marquette Method compare to other NFP methods?
The Marquette Method of natural family planning is a relatively new method that’s growing in popularity. It was developed by the Institute for Natural Family Planning at Marquette University. If you practice NFP, you might be wondering how the Marquette Method compares to other methods you’ve heard of, why people like the Marquette Method, and if you should consider using it yourself.
We Think We Can Make NFP a Little Better!
It’s 2021, and it’s time for NFP charting to be better. When my wife and I first learned natural family planning, we were taught the Creighton method with paper charts and stickers. But it was a pain to use paper charts when we’re both so comfortable with technology. By creating digital charts that are helpful and easy to use, we think we can make NFP a little better!