Natural Family Planning

Great for your body.
Great for your marriage.

Natural Family Planning gives couples a natural approach to understanding the cycles of fertility and infertility. This method respects the love-giving and life-giving purposes of marriage and enriches the bond between husband and wife.

Is it possible that the Catholic Church’s stance on contraception has been right all along?

Find out the truth for yourself.

“The contraceptive culture treats fertility like a disease. However, God’s design is that men are fertile 24/7 and that women have monthly fertile windows, and his design is perfect. Human fertility does not need to be controlled or ‘fixed;’ it’s a gift that needs to be used responsibly.”

Source

The issues of sex, children, and the relationships between men and women have always been complex.

It isn’t easy for married couples to navigate the complexities of planning their family.
70 years ago, well-meaning people thought the wide-spread use of contraception would solve a lot of problems.
They were wrong.Women, men, and children are now suffering the consequences.

There is a way forward.

You want options that are good for a woman’s body and mind.

There has to be a better way of looking at human sexuality and planning families.

You want to honor God’s laws and reap the benefits.

Abandoning Christian morality hasn’t made the world a better place and it never will.

You’re open to learning more about this way of life.

There has to be a better way of looking at human sexuality and planning families.

Through using the Sympto-thermal method of NFP, I walked into my doctor’s office with evidence that I might have a thyroid condition. Sure enough, I did! I’ve had other health issues over the years and knowing so much about what is happening in my body has been empowering.

Christine H.

Dive into fertility awareness and discover why women—and the men who love them—get hooked!

The Catholic Church has resources to equip you for your vocation. And it doesn’t end at the wedding.

NFP and fertility awareness based methods work.

This is not the rhythm method. If you need to plan pregnancy, these methods are extremely effective.

Women experience greater health in mind and body.

Hormonal contraception isn’t good for women, but learning how the body works is.

Be more spiritually free and whole.

Using contraception closes us off to the grace of the sacrament of marriage.

Gain a whole new perspective.

The teaching of the Church and fertility awareness offer women and men a new, hope-filled perspective.

Spouses learn to communicate and respect one another.

It is easier to exploit one another sexually when using artificial contraception.

FABMs can help women achieve pregnancy.

Whether from years of using hormonal contraception or from some other reason, women may have difficulty conceiving.

Steps for engaged couples.

Either step one or step two will fulfill diocesan marriage formation requirements.

Take the class.

Take the introductory class here.

Pick your method.

Choose and learn the fertility awareness method of your choice.

Reap the rewards.

Experience the benefits to your life, marriage, and relationship with God.

Watch your introductory class.

Vitae Fertility Education: An overview of NFP to help a couple choose their preferred method.

Decided on your method? Sign-up for a complete course.

Want help deciding? Read this article.

Billings Ovulation Method

Billings Ovulation Method Available in English or Spanish Learn more

Couple to Couple League

Sympto-Thermal Method Live, Skype, and Self-Paced Online Classes available in English and Spanish. Learn more

Marquette Method

Available in English or Spanish.

Learn more

Creighton Method

Fertility Education and Medical Management

English: Learn more

The Fertility Awareness Database

The Fertility Awareness Database where science and real life intersect. Practical resources and helpful tools for women and couples.

Learn more

“One of the great things about NFP is that there’s a method for everyone! Because different families have different needs, some couples may find that one method is easier for them to understand than another.”

— Deanna M. Johnston, Real Talk on Natural Family Planning

The Church supports fertility awareness for women in every stage of life.

Whether you are a teenager, single adult, married, or perimenopausal, fertility awareness provides physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits to women. It enables women to gather invaluable information to diagnose hormonal, reproductive, or other health problems while helping them understand how their fluctuating hormones affect them on a day-to-day basis. Fertility awareness helps women love their bodies and cooperate with the extraordinary design of the female body.

The Church supports couples who practice responsible parenthood.

Both women and men, when they follow the law of God, become free to love and be loved.

Observation shows us that the good of the family is dependent on the strength of a marriage. The good of society is dependent on the strength of the family. Saying yes to chastity within marriage is not always easy, but, like any other gift from God, the good that comes from it has profound immediate and eternal consequences for every single person on the face of the earth and for future generations.

NFP/FABM allows husbands and wives to plan their families without compromising the nature of the marital act. “Natural family planning is in no way contraceptive. The choice to abstain from a fertile act of intercourse is completely different from the willful choice to sterilize a fertile act of intercourse. NFP simply accepts from God’s hand the natural cycle of infertility that He has built into the nature of woman.” -Archbishop Charles J. Chaput

You are not alone

More information and resources about Natural Family Planning (NFP) and Fertility Awareness Based Methods (FABMs)

Local, live classes.

Sign up to be alerted for any Live Sessions for NFP/Fertility Awareness in the Diocese of Tyler.

Sign up here.

Challenged with infertility?

Springs in the Desert is a resource for couples who are faced with the challenge of infertility.

Learn more.

One-on-one consultations

All of the online classes offered on this page have opportunities for online consultations.

NFP Ambassadors

Coming soon to the Diocese of Tyler. Find an individual or a couple at a parish who will help you find the resources you need.

NFP and Fertility Awareness Resources

NFP Medical Providers

My Catholic Doctor

Website
Variety of medical professionals available for in-person or telemedicine consultations.

Dr. Sarah Chavez, M.D.

Hesed Health Clinic, Longview
Phone: 502.550.6462
Email
: HesedHealchClinic@oudook.com

Dr. Cami Jo Tice Harouff, DNP, APRN-FNP

Hesed Health Clinic, Longview
Phone: 502.550.6462
Email
: HesedHealchClinic@oudook.com