Archive for April, 2009

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Natural Family Planning: A Unique and Complete Approach

Sunday, April 26th, 2009

Natural Family Planning: A Unique and Complete Approach to NFP Instruction

Last week we listed some of the factors that make NFPI instruction unique and complete.  This week’s blog continues that explanation.

Ecological breastfeeding as a form of natural family planning.
    Ecology is concerned with the relationships between two organisms and how each affects the other.  Ecological breastfeeding is the form of nursing in which the mother fulfills her baby’s needs for frequent suckling and her full-time presence and in which the child’s frequent suckling postpones the return of the mother’s fertility.  This pattern is easily described as the Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding in which each Standard is a maternal behavior that affects this interdependent relationship.  Research has shown that mothers who follow the Seven Standards experience, on the average, 14 to 15 months of breastfeeding infertility.  This has two great benefits.
    • Baby spacing of approximately two years between births, on average, without recourse to fertility awareness and periodic abstinence.
    • Maximization of the many health benefits for baby and mother alike.  These benefits are dose related; the longer the baby nurses, the more the benefits that both mother and baby receive.  However, only frequent nursing maintains the milk supply so that babies can nurse for an extended duration.  How long?  In 1995, Pope John Paul II endorsed the recommendations of WHO and UNICEF for mothers to nurse their babies for at least two years if at all possible.  This sounds strange to many Western ears, but it is based on sound public-health preventive medicine.   Just this past week we learned of research reported in the May 2009 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.   It describes the long term maternal benefits of breastfeeding.  We will blog on this in the week of May 10. 
 
    Only NFP International teaches ecological breastfeeding as a form of natural family planning in its regular course of NFP instruction.  Such instruction does not force anyone to breastfeed for any specific duration, but it does empower couples to make a well informed choice.  After all, human persons can choose only what they know. 

Modest cost
    Because the NFPI service is provided by volunteers who see teaching NFP as an apostolate, the costs for the student couple are minimal.  For example, the suggested donation of $70.00 includes an NFP manual, a thermometer, charts, the instruction in three 2-hour classes, continued free charts, and counseling as needed.

Interest in NFPI Teaching?  If any couple is interested in evanglizing through the teaching of the covenant theology, ecological breastfeeding, and systematic NFP with its several options, please contact us at nfpandmore@nfpandmore.org.

John F. Kippley
Sex and the Marriage Covenant: A Basis for Morality

Posted in Ecological Breastfeeding, NFP, NFPI | 1 Comment »

Natural Family Planning: A Unique and Complete Approach

Sunday, April 19th, 2009

Natural Family Planning:  A Unique and Complete Approach to NFP Instruction

    It must be logically apparent to every thinking person that not every system or method of Natural Family Planning (NFP) is the same as the others.  Each has its points of emphasis, inclusion, or exclusion that make that program different from the others.  This paper explains why certain inclusions make the instruction program of NFP International unique and the most complete approach to the teaching and practice of Natural Family Planning. 

A pastoral approach to contemporary Catholics
    Today’s culture challenges Catholics, “Why should you believe what the Catholic Church teaches about sexuality or anything else?”  Catholics are also challenged to explain why it is wrong to engage in marital contraception.
    The NFPI course provides Christ-centered answers to such questions and includes the Pope’s own shorthand form of his theology of the body.  The NFPI course is intended to be an agent of evangelization, not preachy but informative.

All the common signs of fertility and infertility
    Changes in cervical mucus, changes in the cervix itself, and changes in the levels of a woman’s temperatures are all valuable signs of fertility and infertility.  Each sign has certain strong points or advantages and weak points or disadvantages.  The NFPI course teaches how to use all these signs in a cross-checking way to get the most benefit from each.

The minimum time of abstinence
    For those seeking to avoid pregnancy, the NFPI rules provide the minimum amount of abstinence consistent with the available evidence and the couples’ needs.  In some situations, a cross-checking rule can indicate the start of post-ovulation infertility one or two days earlier than found by other systems.  Waiting another one or two days may not sound like much, but sometimes it means another week or two when one spouse travels.  NFPI instruction gives couples more than one morally legitimate choice. 

Positive identification of pregnancy
    For couples seeking pregnancy, the temperature sign has a special value.  Its elevation and continuity for three weeks provide a positive indication of pregnancy.  In some cases dealing with insurance coverage, this has been of significant help to clarify when conception occurred, saving thousands of dollars of medical expenses.

Universally available
    Free self-instruction is available at the NFP International website below.  Classroom instruction is available in certain fortunate locations.  Some of these are also listed at the website.

Next week: To be continued.

John F. Kippley
Sex and the Marriage Covenant: A Basis for Morality

Posted in NFP, NFPI | 1 Comment »

Jesus is risen from the dead!

Sunday, April 12th, 2009

The first Glorious mystery: Jesus is risen from the dead

   Our Christian faith is not a philosophy of ideas with which we happen to agree.  Rather, it is based upon the person of Jesus Christ and upon his teaching, his death and his resurrection.  So crucial is the resurrection that St. Paul wrote, “If Christ is not risen, your faith is in vain and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). The saving death and resurrection of the Lord are the foundations of our faith.  They are also the reasons for our being faithful to our Savior in the everyday things of life.
   We pray for an increase in faith and in daily fidelity to Jesus.  Our Father
   1. After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulcher.  Hail Mary
   2. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled back the stone and sat upon it.  Hail Mary
   3. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow.  Hail Mary
   4. For fear of him, the guards were terrified and became like dead men.  Hail Mary
   5. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  Hail Mary
   6. “He is not here; for He has risen, as He said.  Come, see the place where He lay.  Hail Mary
   7. “Go quickly and tell his disciples that He has risen from the dead.  He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him.”  Hail Mary
   8. They departed quickly from the tomb in fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.  Hail Mary
   9. “I am the resurrection and the life.  Hail Mary
 10. “He who believes in Me, even though he die, yet he shall live.”  Hail Mary
 Glory be

References: Matthew 28: 1-10; John 11:25

John F. Kippley
Seven Day Bible Rosary

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