What is Natural Family planning?

A woman is only fertile 3-10 days per month. I guarantee that when any birth control method failed, it failed on the days she was fertile. You can't get pregnant when you are not fertile. Period.

The key, then, is to know when you are fertile.

It actually takes more than a sperm and an egg to make a baby. The sperm must get TO the egg. The woman's vagina is high in acid. Acid kills sperm. Also, the cervix is closed tight most of the month. But once per month, the cervix softens and opens up. At the same time, the body produces a clear mucus (about the consistency of a raw egg white), that is alkaline (neutralizes the acid) and is high in glucose (to nourish the sperm). It also has channels for the sperm to swim up.

Then the progesterone that causes you to release an egg also causes your temperature to go up half a degree. If you take your temperature (orally with a digital thermometer works fine) first thing every morning before you get up, drink or eat anything, and record it, you will see this happen. That means you have ovulated. The mucus will stop when you ovulate. It takes a few days for it to all go away and an egg is only viable for three days. So three days after you ovulate, you are no longer fertile.

So, if you want to get pregnant, enjoy your mate's companionship while you have mucus showing up to three days after it stops and your temprature raises. (Note, if you have been using a hormonal means of birth control, it may take a year or more for you to begin to ovulate again.)

If you do not want to get pregnant, avoid intercourse during these days. It is that simple.

Benefits:
· 100% natural.
· No chemicals.
· No side effects.
· It is FREE.
· It increases communication between partners.
· It is instantly reversible.
· It leaves things open for God to work.

How effective is Natural Family Planning?

For achieving pregnancy, I have read about one doctor, (who was a fertility specialist), having a conversion to Catholicism, a religion that forbids chemical or mechanical intervention in fertility even in getting pregnant. After her conversion, she began teaching her patients this method and had far better success than she had had with modern pills and procedures.

For preventing pregnancy; clinical trials have shown it to be as effective as the pill; 98%. In everyday practice, it is as effective as the condom; 89%. This is due to its being instantly reversible, not because of any flaw in the method itself. In other words, no one is getting pregnant while faithfully adhering to the method. They are getting pregnant because they decide to risk a pregnancy during their fertile time.

I have only hit the highlights here. There is a great deal more that can be learned about fertility. For more information, check your local library for "Your Fertility Signals."Or contact the Couple to Couple League