6. God, Church, and Breastfeeding

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

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