are you ready to become parents if you become pregnant using this method? If not, I would suggest seeking a more reliable method of birth control.

My sister, who was largely brainwashed by this church (read: cult) she attended at the time, tried nfp when she first became married. Within two months she was pregnant even though they had both attended the classes that the "church" offered on the subject. The "church" also told her that if she breastfed my niece that she wouldn't become pregnant for at least two years after my nieces birth. My sister was pregnant with my second niece three months after the birth of my first niece. After both of my nieces were born, they attended the classes again thinking it was their fault why the "system" was not working for them. Within three months again, she was pregnant again. After my nephew was born, she requested a tubal ligation. The church found out and asked them not to return as tampering with your fertility was a big no-no to them.

When my sister and her husband were trying nfp, they literally only had sex during two weeks out of the month. The week directly following her period and the week before her next period. By skipping the large middle section, they were hoping to skip their fertile time. Even by taking her temperature daily and trying to read the cervical mucus consistency, she still became constantly pregnant.

I don't advise this "method" unless it does not matter whether you become pregnant right away or later. If you are trying to plan your family carefully, as I am, I would suggest a more reliable method or even a barrier method with spermicide.
Peace,
jenn

I understand your comments, however nfp when followed properly like all other contraception is as reliable as the pill. Nothing is 100% effective, other than not doing it lol.

i have to disagree with you. With typical use, that is the use calculated with human error, the pill or other hormonal methods are still much more reliable than nfp. Barrier methods used typically are much more reliable than nfp.

As you can see by this site www.Contraceptivetechnology.Org/table.Htm (be sure to check your capitalization), typically about 25% of .Women using some form of nfp will become pregnant in a year. That is 1 in 4 .Women using nfp.

Comparitively, 15% of .Women relying on the male condom will become pregnant in a year. That is 3 .Women in 20. Already, that is better odds even with only typical use of these two methods.



With the combined pill and mini-pill, typically 8% of .Women will become pregnant in a year. That is 2 .Women out of 25.



With an iud, the chances are even lower, between .8% and .1%. That is less than 1 .Woman out of 100.



As you can see, with typical use of nfp, 1 in 4 .Women relying on that method will become pregnant in a year. With a condom, that chance is slightly smaller. With a hormonal method, that chance becomes even smaller. And, with an iud, that chance is as low as it gets without resorting to sterilization.



Again, if you have decided on nfp then I wish you good luck. However, if you have a greater need to more accurately plan your family then I would recommend going with a different method. Even a barrier method will offer you more protection, with typical use, than nfp.


Peace,
jenn

Get a copy of "taking charge of your fertility" by toni weschler

Buy a basal thermometer (more accurate than a regular digital) and start charting today... It takes only about 3 cycles to get the hang of it.

This method (nfp) works best for women who have very regular cycles, because they can better track their fertile times. If your period tends to be irregular, I wouldn't recommend it.

:?

Hmm... Making charts, testing fluids, checking temperatures... Sounds like a lot of unnecessary work when you could just pop a pill every day, or slap on a patch every week.
Not to mention what a buzz kill... "gee whiz honey, im totally in the mood, but according to my charts and calculations, these next couple weeks arent any good for sex... Sorry"... Lame.

:shock:

I have to seriously disagree with you on this.

First, we do not have any physical signs of our ovulation that other species do. Other mammals can become pregnant when they are in heat and are bleeding. Our monthly bleeding is not accompanied by any increased chance of successful implantation. We, also, do not have the physical changes that other species have to let eachother know when they are most likely to become pregnant.

Second, our vagina's, cervix, and uterus are all highly acidic. This acidity kills large numbers of sperm before they can even near the fallopian tubes. And, from the moment of ejaculation, the .Woman's body fights what it views as invading foreign bodies. Of the millions of sperm which are introduced in a single ejaculate, only a few hundred will actually reach the uterus. Of those few hundred, half will go down the wrong fallopian tube as typically, only one egg from one ovary is released at a time.

Third, the surface of the egg is hard for a specific evolutionary purpose. It is meant to only allow the strongest, healthiest sperm to fertilize it. Of the few hundred sperm that make it this far, none may be able to enter the egg successfully in any given month.

Fourth, we can only experience a fertilization less than one day a month. If the purpose of our bodies were to become pregnant, if our bodies were actively working to that end, our window of opportunity would not be as small as it is.

Fifth, even if fertilization occurs, there is no gaurantee that the fertilized egg will implant into the lining of the uterus. This action, too, has a very limited window of opportunity. The lining of the uterus softens during 24 hours when the hormone levels are optimal. Ideally, this would occur exactly 6-7 days following fertilization. However, it seems as though our bodies do not follow the ideal as the softening can occur at any time and is not subject to whether you experience a fertilization or not. If the lining has not softened, implantation will not take place. This happens a majority of the time, approximately 2/3rds of the time. Failure to implant accounts for the majority of infertility issues in the .U.S. In fact, about 15% of .American couples experience infertility which is failure to become pregnant when they wish for up to a full year.

And finally, the .Woman's body not only fights the sperm when it enters her body as a "foreign entity" but also fights the establishment and support of the fetus. There are several medical problems and complications which arise only within pregnancy because the body is fighting what it sees as an invasion. Of the .Women who become pregnant in a year, half will experience a miscarriage because their body was successful in blocking or ending the pregnancy.

As you can see, our bodies do not actively work to get pregnant. In fact, the opposite is more true. We may be able to become pregnant and carry a pregnancy but that does not mean that that is our bodies sole purpose. After all, we may develop cancer during our lives and that cancer can be completely naturally occurring but that doesn't mean that our bodies actively try to develop cancers.

just because someone relies on a different method of birth control than you it doesn't mean that they don't know how their particular body works.

obviously, misinformation can work both ways.

there's no need to be passive agressive just because someone disagrees with you.

some of us have done the research and find the minimal side effects manageable.

this is simply your opinion. My husband not only communicates with me on all contraception but knows exactly which brand I am using, when I use it, and when my cycle is due. There is no reason why using hormonal birth control will end all respectful communication or mutual responsibility.