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.
No Side Effects
One of the primary reasons couples choose NFP is that NFP doesn’t use synthetic hormones or invasive procedures, which often come with side effects such as weight gain, mood swings, or decreased libido. If you don’t want to put a bunch of bad chemicals in your body, NFP could be a great solution for you! NFP relies on observing and understanding your own body’s fertility signs and cycles, and working with your body’s natural rhythm, making it a non-invasive and hormone-free alternative to other forms of birth control.
Increased Body Awareness
NFP involves closely monitoring and understanding your body’s natural signs of fertility and ovulation. This heightened awareness can empower you to understand how your fertility fits into the bigger picture of your overall health, fostering a deeper understanding and connection with your body. Knowing how your body works can be an important part of your physical and emotional health, and you can use this knowledge to better understand other parts of your life, such as your own performance and training for sports. Learning NFP can be a big benefit if you want to learn more about your own body!
Eco-Friendly
NFP can be much more friendly to the environment than other methods of avoiding pregnancy. Unlike many conventional forms of contraception that involve the production and disposal of synthetic hormones, packaging materials, or single-use devices, NFP relies solely on understanding and monitoring your body’s natural fertility cycles. The absence of manufactured products means there’s no contribution to landfill waste or pollution from discarded contraceptives. If you choose to practice NFP, you not only take control of your reproductive health but also contribute to sustainable living practices by minimizing your environmental footprint!
Cost-Effective
NFP can be less expensive than other methods of avoiding pregnancy. Most other forms of contraception entail recurring expenses for contraceptives, doctor’s appointments, or medical procedures. In contrast, NFP relies on understanding and monitoring your natural fertility signs. Though you’ll probably have to pay up-front for a class to learn an NFP method, some NFP methods (e.g. Creighton) don’t require purchasing any products on an ongoing basis. This can be a life-saver if you’re on a tight budget or don’t have access to comprehensive healthcare coverage that includes contraceptive products.
Religious Reasons
The Catholic church considers artificial birth control to be immoral because it removes the procreative aspect of sexual union. The church teaches that sex between a married couple should be both unitive and procreative. In contrast, NFP does not violate Catholic moral teachings because it does not forcibly remove the procreative aspect of sexual union, relying instead on your body’s natural cycle to have more control over when you choose to start a family. Many Catholics choose NFP as a way to plan when to have children without violating the moral teachings of the church about marriage.
NFP Isn’t Only for Avoiding Pregnancy
Though NFP is most commonly used to avoid pregnancy, it can also be used to achieve pregnancy. Practicing NFP means learning about your body’s fertility cycle, and you can use this knowledge to decide when you want to be intimate with your spouse to achieve pregnancy when the time is right! This can be a great benefit for any couple that’s struggled with infertility in the past since it can help you identify any irregularities in your fertility that might be making it hard to get pregnant. It can also help you understand when you’re most likely to conceive!
If you want to learn more about NFP, NFPcharts.com is a great place to start! The Research page shows several studies about the efficacy of natural family planning. Our Blog has information and stories that can help you along the way. And of course, we have digital NFP charts for you to use if you decide NFP is right for you!