Natural Family Planning (NFP) is quite simply using the natural signs of human fertility to understand the natural fertility cycle of a woman, and then using that understanding to plan a family. In creating and using this understanding, it develops a couple's respect for fertility, and for each other, as they grow in knowledge of each other and of the gift of fertility.

Because of its reflection of the openness to the creative power of God which lies at the heart of married sexuality, it is the only form of family planning which is supportive of the ideals of Christian marriage, and as such it is the only method accepted by the Roman Catholic Church.

NFP can be used either to plan pregnancy or to avoid it - it has an effectiveness level as high as artificial contraception, and it is safe to use with no unpleasant side-effects.

The Natural Signs of Fertility

There are various signs of fertility which can be observed by a woman to gain an understanding of her fertility patterns. The main signs are:

• the mucus secreted before and during the time of ovulation,
  
• the small but measurable rise in basal body temperature which occurs after ovulation, and
  
• the changes in the cervix occurring around ovulation.

There are also secondary signs, such as ovulation pain and breast tenderness, which may be helpful.

These signs can be used individually - the Billings Method (also called the Ovulation Method), for example, relies upon the mucus sign alone - or together in a cross-checking way in the Symptothermal Method as taught by the Couple to Couple League.

Further Information on NFP

Much more information about NFP is available on the NFP Information Site - or, of course, from a CCL Teaching Couple