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!

Is it revolutionary to put natural family planning charts in Google Sheets or Excel? No. In fact, it’s easy to find many free chart options on the internet. Unfortunately, all the charts we found were designed with a “paper-first” approach. The charts used Excel more like a printing layout than a computer program. Of course, there’s really no reason to print your chart unless you need to bring it in person to show your doctor or instructor, and even that can be done digitally – especially since you might already be meeting over Zoom anyway.

At NFPCharts.com, our charts are different. Our charts are “digital-first”.

We design our charts in Google Sheets – not Excel – because we know Google Sheets is the easiest way for you to share your chart with your spouse. Our charts are made to look nice on your computer screen or phone (though of course they can be printed if needed). And, most importantly, our charts do as much of the work for you as possible. For the Marquette Method, our charts can automatically calculate the fertile window and estimate the remaining number of days you need to abstain to avoid pregnancy – because when you’re filling out a chart on a computer, the computer should do as much of the work as it can.

Currently, we have digital charts for the Marquette method, the First 6 Breastfeeding Cycles (Marquette Method), (update!) and the Creighton Model. We’ll consider adding more chart types in the future after we fine-tune our first ones, but we like the Marquette method a lot, and we think it’s the most simple, modern, data-driven approach to natural family planning that works well with technology. If you haven’t heard of it or given it a try, you should look into it! Start by looking at the research, and find your own professional Marquette method instructor if you want to learn more. (And give our charts a try too!)