If you’re interested in Natural Family Planning, you will be happy to know that this week is NFP Awareness Week. 
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has a spot devoted to NFP and the week.
Basically, in a nutshell; NFP is fertility monitoring – either basal body temperature, mucus, and/or cervical position. If you are hoping for a baby, have your fun on the days your body is showing fertile signs.
There are different methods of NFP – Greg and I, for example; learned the Sympto-Thermal Method, which relies on waking temperature and mucus. There are some methods that are temp-only, mucus-only, or uses a fertility monitor (such as the Marquette Method.
How is NFP different from contraception? Basically, you’re still open to what God is asking you. If you engage in relations on an apparently less fertile time and become pregnant (if you’re not planning on being pregnant) – obviously God has a different plan for you. Contraception hinders God’s plan – obviously He can get around contraception but you get the drift.
Using NFP as a contraception is against Church teaching. We are all called to be open to life. But there are “just reasons” why a couple would be unable to handle more kids which are best discerned between the couple and their priest.
Greg and I like NFP because it encourages a ton of communication about things like sex, fertility, kids, and all that fun stuff. Obviously we used NFP twice to successfully conceive. I would like to add that using NFP after the miscarriage helped my OBs solidly date Elise’s pregnancy – I knew the day that I ovulated which answered their question easily. Based on how pregnancies are usually dated (from the last menstrual period), it looks like I was pregnant with Elise while I was still pregnant with Honeymoon Baby – they overlap by about a day. But since my ovulation date is rock solid and confirmed by an ultrasound; it has provided a lot less stress than wondering just how far along I am.
After Elise gets here we will probably switch methods from STM to Billings, one that relies on one symptom only. While it is possible to use STM post-partum, I don’t want to overwhelm myself at once. I do like STM, because of the plethora of cross-checks and the amount of data gathered. I’m a scientist, what can I say?
There’s tons more reasons why I like NFP – and mind you, I was pretty anti-NFP before RCIA began. I doubted it’s ability to work without doing appropriate research. Bad scientist! But after looking into it pretty deeply, I’ve found that it makes a lot of sense. And not only pregnancy, women can see a lot of other health issues crop up via their fertility signs – PCOS, thyroid, progesterone issues (which, if you have problems with the levels can prevent you from carrying a pregnancy).
So. Go learn more about NFP – it’s well worth it.
Let’s see, here’s what I could find:
- This thread (http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=108039) is solely related to infertility. I don’t know if anything in there could help you, but it’s worth a shot. There are a lot of women on the thread who have short term and long term infertility and they have resources in the various posts. Progesterone does come up a lot in it. A lot of the threads like the Infertility thread, Pregnant or Not thread, Pregnant Mamas thread, Mommies of Little Saints thread are all good for people who are in the same boat as you are, so if you need someone to whine/cry/vent to, there’s tons of support in those threads. I think they’re all pinned at the top of the Parenting forum (http://forums.catholic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=73) except for the Infertility thread.
- This particular post (http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?p=3937702#post3937702) is by the poster I mentioned earlier – if you click on her name, it will let you private message her. Or I can for you, if you want.
- Here (http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=204114) is a thread about progesterone cream to help prevent miscarriages. Tons of links in that thread! And of course, more ladies to PM if you want to hear more about their experiences.
- And for some prayer power, there is a Novena for Motherhood going on, as well: http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=182268
- A thread on PCOS and pregnancy that talks about progesterone issues: http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=20228
- A thread about a defective luteal phase (http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=97806) and one on a short luteal phase (http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=69105).
That’s all I could find on a quick search, but I think there should be something in one of those threads that can help you. I’m sorry I can’t figure out how to make the links clickable. My blog is silly sometimes. :/
Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you. I’ll be sure to keep your progesterone problem in my prayers!
Thanks a bunch, Kim! St. Gerard is duly noted and added to prayer list.
Yeah, if you could refer me or send me the links for the forum, I’d greatly appreciate it.
~A
Oh, another place that may be of some help is the Pope Paul VI Institute. They devote themselves to helping with fertility issues in a way that doesn’t resort to the BCP or whatnot. They may be able to help with the progesterone, or at least; point you to more resources.
http://www.popepaulvi.com/index.html
I have the Fertility, Cycles, and Nutrition book – it’s so fascinating!!
As for progesterone issues … I don’t know too much about those. On one of the forums I frequent, a poster has had progesterone issues and has extensively researched the issue. If you want, I can see if she will contact you. Or I can point you to the forum and the poster, if that would be easier.
As for Saints, St. Gerard is typically the patron of pregnant ladies and those wanting to become pregnant. I know I’ve bugged him aplenty, along with the Blessed Virgin.
Here is a list of all the patrons of pregnant women: http://saints.sqpn.com/pst00268.htm I am more than positive that they would be pleased as punch to intercede for you.
*huggles*
(p.s, you’re definitely not being TMI
)
We’ve been using NFP for two years…mostly to avoid pregnancy…but also to achieve within the last few months. I clearly have problems with progesterone tapering at the end of the cycle. The ball is in my court, so to speak, whether or not we want to pursue more medicalized “help” with conception. Scary pills and/or shots and such.
Marilyn Shannon’s Fertility, Cycles & Nurtrition is a gigantic help!! Do you have any other recommendations, besides praying to St. Anna and the Holy Mother?
~Anna
[sorry if this is TMI...]