Natural Family Planning International

What every woman, man, and Catholic bishop and priest need to know about God’s plan for spacing babies.

Breastfeeding is God’s plan for the nurturing and nourishing the baby.

Breastfeeding protects the baby from certain diseases.  If baby gets sick, it is usually milder with breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding protects the mother from certain diseases.

Mother and baby are one biological unit during pregnancy and also during breastfeeding.  Like pregnancy, the breastfeeding keeps the mother with her baby.

The Church promotes systematic NFP through its many programs.  The Church should also promote the natural spacing of births with ecological breastfeeding.  This is the preferred method for couples to space their babies.  Unlike systematic NFP, you do not need a serious reason to use this most natural family planning method which usually requires little or no abstinence.  It’s a win-win-win-win situation with so many benefits involved for the mother and baby, for society, and for the Church.  And it’s following God’s plan!  What are we waiting for?  Let’s get the message out there!

An attempt to promote eco-breastfeeding.  The Wall Street Journal had an article early last year on how easy it is for anyone to do an animated video.  As a result of reading that article, I made an attempt to promote eco-breastfeeding with an animated video.  Obviously, the video was a new experience for me; the content better than the visual.  Hopefully, others will come up with some excellent videos promoting the Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding and all the benefits associated with frequent and extended breastfeeding.   There are many videos promoting systematic NFP but only two videos on YouTube that promote eco-breastfeeding.  Those two videos (one is mine) leave room for improvement.

Further reading: The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor.  Also, both Catholic laity and clergy should read Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood.  It applies the papal Theology of the body to the bodily activity of breastfeeding.

LAST DAY OF THE BOOK SALE:  30% off Kippley books in print at lulu through August 7.  This is the last day of the sale.

Sheila Kippley

What every woman, man, and Catholic bishop and priest need to know about God’s plan for spacing babies.

“I am working my way through the NFP manual, and have just finished reading The Seven Standards. It is immeasurably wonderful to have all of my mothering instincts validated in a society where formula companies and contraceptive manufacturers are using gorilla tactics to scare women into feeling guilty for not using their products. I cannot believe how people refuse to open their eyes to the facts that these methods alienate fathers from their God-intended roles and cheapen the blessing and hard work of motherhood. [her emphasis] After talking about your book last night with my husband, we realized that even though I had been having my period for several months after the birth of our second child (I had used the pill briefly out of fear of conception and started regular menses that continued after I went off the pill) we did not conceive until I had weaned our son at 14 months. We have since begun reading the NFP manual and checking my temperature so we can keep an eye out for my fertility, but we are both thoroughly enjoying eco-breastfeeding. We take our baby everywhere and both enjoy the extra cuddling at night, especially my husband who commutes for an hour each direction to work everyday and misses the children sorely 5 days a week. Your book and website are truly a blessing to our whole family, offering us invaluable support in our battle to raise our family with God’s will and His plan instead of giving in to social pressure. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“I just had my first postpartum cycle following the birth of my almost 18 month-old son. After both children, I had no transition period.  Just a few weeks of unmistakable mucus to get my attention, then right back to normal cycles.  I was very pleased.  I’ve only had 10 periods in 6½ years.”

“I’m new at NFP.  I didn’t practice ecological breastfeeding with my daughter and got pregnant with our son when our daughter was 6 months old.  I’m still nursing my son who is 13 months old and JUST got my cycle back.  I’ve been charting for a week now and I’m loving it.  So many of my friends use medical ways to control their fertility.  I feel it is so harmful to the body.  I’m so thankful for groups like this and glad I googled NFP!”

Further reading: The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor.  Both Catholic laity and clergy should read Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood.  It applies the papal Theology of the body to the bodily activity of breastfeeding.

Book Sale:  30% off Kippley books in print at lulu through August 7.

Sheila Kippley

What every woman, man, and Catholic bishop and priest need to know about God’s plan for spacing babies.

More witnesses:

“As far as I understand it, Ecological Breastfeeding, the non-systematic form of NFP,  is meant to be the main form for Catholics to use, and the systematic form is meant for use in only “grave circumstances.”  Not only does breastfeeding  provide infertility that will make it possible to avoid the cancer-causing pill and still achieve healthy spacing between babies, breastfeeding also greatly reduces the risks of breast cancer. The longer a woman nurses, the more her risks decrease. And there are many other health benefits to the mother.  My youngest is 15 months old and I have not had any signs of my fertility returning.”

“Still nursing my 19 month old full time (a few times an hour as needed) and we are both in love :-)”  —from a Jewish mother practicing eco-breastfeeding

“I am just finishing your book, Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing. What an informative, well written book!  By way of information, I am a 33 year old Catholic, working mother of a 19 month old.   My husband and I are both attorneys.  I pumped the entire first 15 months while at work.  I met my daughter for lunch feedings.  I did not begin introducing solids until 8 months.  I co-slept from the beginning.   I feel that all of these practices enabled me to establish a strong breastfeeding relationship and a bond with my daughter. People often think I’m crazy for nursing this long.  I really have enjoyed your book and it gives me hope about my life’s plan.
I am writing because I am concerned about the amenorrhea.  As I mentioned, it has been 19 months and still no period.  I am eager to have another baby or two. I am concerned because of my age. We are not ready to wean.   In fact, we are co- sleeping and she still nurses frequently throughout the night. I do not nurse during the day.   I love my nursing relationship and would prefer to continue nursing through a pregnancy. Thank you for your time and all of your efforts.  It is because of individuals such as yourself that I have managed to work and still mother the natural way.”

Further reading: The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor.  Both Catholic laity and clergy should read Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood.  It applies the papal Theology of the body to the bodily activity of breastfeeding.

Book Sale:  30% off Kippley books in print at lulu through August 7.

BREASTFEEDING SAVES BABIES video

Sheila Kippley