This is a guest post by Michele Boda in the Women Speak on NFP Series about her experience with NFP using the Creighton method. This series of women’s experiences is not meant to serve as training in NFP, if you are interested in learning more about the Creighton model, please visit: www.creightonmodel.com
www.naprotechnology.com
or www.fertilitycare.org to find a Practitioner near you
When Zac and I were married just two years ago, doctors told me not to risk using natural methods because surely I would get pregnant and that would be dangerous, both for me and the baby. I have Type 1 Diabetes and getting pregnant before my blood sugars were totally in control would mean serious complications. Those doctors were, however, quick to push the pill, the implant and all sorts of IUDs, all methods with lengthy lists of side effects and dangerous health risks (Increased risk of breast cancer? Perforated uterus? Decreased libido? No thanks). Because of my disease we are dedicated to a healthy lifestyle and these methods just didn’t sit well with us. And as faithful young Catholics we were looking for a system that respects the dignity of women and marriage. So we took a leap of faith and began charting with the Creighton Model FertilityCare System, a completely safe, all natural and effective method of avoiding (or achieving) pregnancy, and reaped lots of benefits we were not expecting.
It’s not always easy, but Zac and I feel peace knowing that I am not loading my body with artificial hormones, but that we are avoiding pregnancy naturally and benefiting my reproductive health at the same time. So when we are able to start our family I know I will be the healthiest I can be. My wonderful husband and I now talk to engaged couples about the awesomeness of this natural method. In true Letterman style we call this our Top 11 reasons why we use Creighton (because 10 were just not enough):
11. NaProTechnology! Creighton is the first method of NFP to be fully integrated with a new women’s health science. My PCP and OB/GYN were unconcerned with my abnormal cycle, faulting stress and offering birth control pills as a swift solution. Thankfully, my Creighton practitioner saw the irregularity in my chart and referred me to a NaProTechnology (Natural Procreation Technology) doctor. Because of the Creighton System, I was able to connect with NaPro docs who were not interested in masking my symptoms with destructive drugs but who tackled the cause of my symptoms with a cooperative and healthy approach.
10. Affordable– and who doesn’t appreciate that?
9. Zero side effects– Nothing bad is going in, and I’m feeling pretty great.
8. Natural– Nothing artificial about this gal!
7. Eco-friendly– Using my own body to monitor my fertility- talk about true organic living.
6. Morally acceptable – We have a problem with the post fertilization effects of artificial birth control- with that and any barriers limiting our marriage and lowering the dignity of the human person. Using NFP we are open to life even when we are avoiding pregnancy.
5. Increased communication– Natural methods involve attentive communication about charting signs of fertility and also our intentions in using the system. And if you can talk about “biological markers,” you can talk about anything.
4. Easy to learn- With the help of a dedicated practitioner, Creighton Model System is easy to learn and easy to interpret. Checking for biological markers (cervical mucus) is as quick and easy as going to the bathroom. (No internal exams, no thermometers, no monitors. Just you and your toilet tissue).
3. Effective- 99.6% perfect use and 96.8% typical use effectiveness is a number we could really stand behind (Sorry oral contraceptives, 91% typical use is not gonna do it (Trussel 2011)).
2. Shared System- I observe, he charts, and we use the system together- because we always knew we were a great team.
1. There are possibly, I suppose, a few things my husband wishes he could change about me- my dangerous habit of using dish towels for ovenmits, my unbearable reliance on morning coffee, or perhaps my insistence to always sing the harmony to our favorite tunes– but my fertility is not one of them.
We believe in this system so much I am now not only a satisfied user but a proud FertilityCare Practitioner Intern out of the Pope Paul VI Institute in Omaha. NFP is a part of our Catholic lifestyle and is now my vocation and career. Creighton has changed our lives and it’s a privilege to share the good news about natural methods with other young couples.
Michele Boda, FCPI & Zachary Boda
Michele is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and John Cabot University in Rome. She lives in small town Butler, PA with super-husband, Zac. Wed in 2011, they love to talk to fellow young couples about the awesomeness of the Creighton Model System. Michele recently started her education as a FertilityCare Practitioner Intern in Omaha, NE at the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction under the instruction of Creighton and NaProTechnology founder Dr. Thomas Hilgers. She is totally excited to share the system with you to make for healthier women and happier marriages! She can be reached at michele.a.boda@gmail.com or visit her blog: http://bodafide.wordpress.com/.
www.creightonmodel.com
www.naprotechnology.com
www.fertilitycare.org to find a Practitioner near you!
Thanks for this great post! We are huge fans of Creighton, and it has helped us deal with problems with infertility and other issues. Such a great method!
Michele (with 1 L!) I’m so glad you found Creighton. It is such a blessing to work alongside couples with NaPro docs and see incredible results for women with infertility issues. Blessings!
Great start to a great series! We started charting using the Creighton Model during our engagement, and it is THE BEST gift we have given our marriage. Thank you for sharing your story, Michelle!
I so wish we had learned as an engaged couple! I don’t I had even HEARD of NFP at that point.
Haley, you are more than catching up on your NFP knowledge now! Loving this blog.
Nice! Rocking the pre-cana Creighton Model, Catherine! Inviting NFP into your marriage changes everything. Blessings!
Loving this series! So helpful to people trying to find the difference between the models. 🙂
Totally!
I have a question for Michele –
How do you find a NaPro ob/gyn who will help with the irregularities in charting? I know how to find NFP only docs, but could you point me to some specifics?
You should be able to find a FertilityCare Practitioner trained in the Creighton Model in your area at http://www.fertilitycare.org/. If there’s no one nearby, you can send them your charts and discuss what’s going on with your chart over the phone. Pope Paul VI Institute in Omaha has FertilityCare Practitioners that are able to help you over the phone as well.
Thanks Catherine! The fertilitycare.org is a great resource. NaPro docs are still unfortunately few and far between. We drive 4 hours from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg to see our (fabulous) NaPro doc. But so so worth it and lots of times you can do blood work in your town, have it sent to the NaPro doc and communicate long distance. Let me know if you have more questions~ Blessings! michele.a.boda@gmail.com
Great post, Michele! I also experienced the warnings of doctors about the risks of pregnancy with my illness and the medications I was taking. Do you have a medical background? I was speaking with another instructor the other day and she said they’ve been relaxing requirements about having a medical background to teach Creighton. And did you receive financial support from your diocese or anything for your training? It’s sooo expensive!
Hi Kelley, I’m replying on behalf of my darling Michele [I’m guessing she hasn’t seen your comment yet and I hope this doesn’t make her mad or I’ll be on the couch : ) ]. We do not have any background in the medical field and just grasped the system so quickly we decided to dive head first into practitioner-ship (if that’s a word). Also, we did not receive any financial support from our diocese. However we did ask the diocese (as well as our home parish). Your diocese may be able to help you out or find a scholarship or grant to help with the finances. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any help but by God’s grace we’ve found a way to pay for the tuition, Michele’s first trip out and back, and our second trip (which we will be road-trippin’ to Omaha in a couple weeks!). Peace.
Thanks huz : )
Thanks Kelley! Reading your guest post today really hit home for us- beautiful story. You do not in any way need a medical background to be a Creighton Instructor. I am a teacher by day and work evenings with couples. It takes two trips to Omaha and a 13 month intensive internship, some travel and lots of time- and like you said a tuition payment. I suggest writing letters to Knights of Columbus, contact your diocesan Family Life Office, and even reach out to local parishes for financial support. Our community needed NFP and we felt God pulling our hearts, so we jumped in- Praying for you!
Hi there; I am glad you are so pleased with Creighton; they do good work. Please do look at John + Sheila Kippleys’ website http://www.nfpandmore.org {Natural Family Planning International } when you need their 40 years expertise on symptothermal method, PLUS, NFP while Breastfeeding { + the well-researched “Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding”} as well as their moral basis when you teach NFP { Blessed John Paul the Second taught that NFP must be taught in a moral context}. We are RNs and believe no one does as complete a job with NFP as they do. Best wishes in all you do; please pray about teaching ALL the signs of fertility when teaching NFP – seems more of an informed approach ethically
Thanks Ana, the Kippley’s do great work. I think you’ll agree that whatever NFP method a woman chooses it’s important that she is comfortable with it and that it is reliable and proven effective. Dr. Hilgers research of this standardized mucus method goes back to the 1960s. Lots of choices and this series is doing a great job giving real life testimony to those methods. Peace!
As someone who is brand new to the Creighton Model (due to infertility) it is so comforting reading this post. I live in a world without a lot of Catholic friends so sometimes you feel like you’re out on this isolated island. I know we are doing the right thing but it’s hard when you have no one to talk to. For the longest time we were part of the “IVF is the only option for infertility” club but at the last minute, by the grace of God, we felt called away from that practice and even called back home to the Church. Shortly thereafter NaPro and Creighton Model fell into our laps. It is nice to find other women out there who at least understand the basic concepts of Creighton (and those that are using it for the same reasons we are) when you are confused or just need the support of choosing this way over the more popular infertility treatments out there. Sorry for the rant, my whole point really was to just thank you for speaking up and sharing this great new “technology” with the world.
Erin, thank you for sharing your story! I can’t agree with you more. Zac and I feel like an island most of time, too. We are among the few NFP practicing Catholic married kids in our friend zone. That’s one of the biggest reasons I started blogging, it feels like home when I meet other young women who are as passionate about this healthy, cooperative, and truly life changing approach to fertility and marriage. God bless you and rant away lady!
I used the Creighton Model as a single woman for 2 years and continue to use it as a married woman for about 6 years now. I trully appreciate the gift and power in understanding my body and knowing about my health and fertility. Using the Creighton Model has been a tremendous blessing for our marriage and family, and my husband and I vouch for the benefits. We’re believers in this apostolate too, so I’m a Practitioner Intern as well! Thanks for sharing your story, Michele.
Thanks Rowena! We met during our first trip to Omaha in October as interns at the Pope Paul VI Institute. See you back in Omaha in a few weeks!
I am the oldest poster on this site, I suspect. I first learned NFP in the mid-1970’s. I went on to teach it for more than 25 years. I practiced and taught the sympto-thermal method via Couple to Couple League, Inc. May I suggest that Reason #12 is FREEDOM. Free to be as you are — not strapped up by artificial implements (IUD, condoms) or pumped up by chemicals (BC pill)– but free of all that and allowing the body to function in its natural, normal way. Enjoy the freedom, ladies! Be fertile and multiply.
“Free to be as you are”- sing it, sister! I just love that, Sherry. Women can feel good in their own bodies by not suppressing a natural function. They can avoid pregnancy naturally based on their biological signs while still being open to life and accepting the beauty of their womanhood, and then use that same system to achieve pregnancy and even monitor their gynecologic health. True freedom! God bless!
I have some questions about the Creighton Model. My understanding of the Creighton Model is that it’s a very detailed mucus only method (if I’m incorrect about this, please let me know). My first question is how do you know if you’ve experienced a double peak (two patches of fertile mucus in ine cycle with ovulation occurring around the second patch/peak day)? My other question is, with the CM how does one account for things like illness or medications that have an effect on the quality/quantity of your mucus? Thank you! And I just loved this series.
Hi Amy! That’s great that you are interested in natural methods. And you would be right that Creighton is a method where you observe and chart your cervical mucus to identify days of fertility and infertility in your cycle. But more than that, after years of research on this method doctors have identified that certain charting patterns can help identify and diagnose conditions like PCOS, hormone problems and infertility, and then treat these conditions. As you see Creighton is an extremely comprehensive system and so it is not self taught. It is necessary to learn the method under an awesomely trained practitioner. They will give you 8 follow ups in one year that are totally tailor made to your situation (and you will learn all about double peaks and how certain medications- and even stress- can affect your fertility). You can find one of us in almost every state and nearly every continent at http://www.fertilitycare.org. Blessings on your NFP journey!
Hi, is this method for women only? unfortunately, my hubby was diagnosed with azoospermia. he had tests on his genes and so far the results are okay. he went on fruit and veggies diet but sperm count is still zero. he is frustrated and sad as he wanted to have a child. we are mid-30s already. the ob gyne did not focus much on me as he said the main issue is my hubby. please help. thanks
Fran, I’m sorry to hear of your struggles. In answer to your question, NaPro docs do typically focus on improving the woman’s reproductive health. By treating any underlying problems that may be affecting the woman’s fertility and using fertility focused intercourse the couple together can have a greater chance of achieving pregnancy. I encourage you to find a NaPro medical consultant or FertilityCare practitioner in your area to meet and ask more questions: http://www.fertilitycare.org ~God Bless!
Hi,
I’m struggling with secondary infertility. I am 31 and have been told that I have diminished ovarian reserve and my time
Is running out. My son is 2 and was conceived on the first month of trying which made it harder to hear the news I heard as I wasn’t expecting it.
Sorry for the ramble , a friend of mine told me about the cleighton method today and highly recommends it. My question is does it deal with my type of issue or is it all too late for me??
Many thanks
Emma
Hi Emma, Zac here (Michele’s hubby). Yes, Creighton does deal with the type of issues you are having. If you are serious into going this direction I would suggest stopping over at http://www.fertilitycare.org/ and find a NaPro doctor in your area. If you have any other questions feel free to forward them directly to Michele at michele.a.boda@gmail.com. God Bless!
Thanks so much for ur reply. I have booked an initial consultation with someone in my area. Fingers crossed
Thanks again
Has anyone been able to use this method with tubes 90-100% blocked with scar tissue and conceive?
I’ve noticed that most people posting want to use the system to achieve pregnancy, and to that end, I can say it will help. My husband and I just got married a few months ago, and tracked my cycle for almost a year using the Creighton method. We were abstinent, but spent the time trying to make sure that there would be no confusion after the wedding. By that I mean, we wanted to make sure we could successfully use the system to avoid a pregnancy. We followed all of the rules, and conceived on my 2nd normal cycle. . . It’s not a safe system. If you’re planning on using the system to avoid, I would suggest that you use a different method.