"The most serious duty of transmitting human life, for which married persons are the free and responsible collaborators of God the Creator, has always been a source of great joys to them, even if sometimes accompanied by not a few difficulties and by distress.” (Humanae Vitae, #1)

"In the task of transmitting life, therefore, they are not free to proceed completely at will, as if they could determine in a wholly autonomous way the honest path to follow; but they must conform their activity to the creative intention of God, expressed in the very nature of marriage and of its acts, and manifested by the constant teaching of the Church." (Humanae Vitae, #9)

"If, then there are serious motives to space out births, which derive from the physical or psychological conditions of husband and wife, or from external conditions, the Church teaches that it is then licit to take into account the natural rhythms immanent in the generative functions, for the use of marriage in the fecund periods only, and in this way to regulate birth without offending the moral principles which have been recalled earlier."  (Humanae Vitae, #16) 

Natural Family Planning is a means of either achieving or avoiding pregnancy based upon the couple’s knowledge of their cyclic fertility and infertility.

• Natural Family Planning...
  Promotes the mutual love of the husband and wife through the shared understanding of their complementary natures.
• Gives a woman greater confidence in herself by helping her to understand her own natural physical makeup and body functioning.
• Is 99% effective when used to prevent or postpone pregnancy by an instructed and motivated couple
• Can also be used very effectively by those who wish to achieve pregnancy.

NFP TEACHERS in Northwest Iowa

CARROLL
   Becky Behrens RN FCP 712.669.3510  (Creighton Model)
   Introductory sessions every  other month or by request
   Classes scheduled upon request.

EMMETSBURG
   Colleen Hart (FCP)
   Phone: 712-852-3198
   Classes scheduled upon request

SIOUX CITY
   Mercy Medical Center
   Dr. Jonathan Taylor, DO - Medical Director
      Certified Fertility Care Practioners
         Mary Egan & Donna Vondrak (CFCP)
         Barbara Dolan & Lisa Willis (RN - FCP)

One-hour introductory sessions twice a month or by special request. All teaching done privately. Please call to pre-register. Phone: 712.279.2048

SPANISH CLASSES for information about classes in Spanish, please contact the Hispanic Ministries Office at 712-233-7536 or hispanicmin@scdiocese.org.

Couple to Couple League (CCL)
The Couple to Couple League provides quality instruction in the Sympto-thermal method of Natural Family Planning through a  certified teaching couple.  Each CCL course consists of four classes held at monthly intervals, which allows couples to chart several cycles and receive personal counseling during the course.  Husband and wife are encouraged to learn NFP together. 
The Sympto-thermal method of NFP provides awareness of fertility by daily observation of three signs; the mucus, the cervix and the basal body temperature.  Abstinence during the fertile time allows couples to avoid pregnancy.  Knowledge of the fertile time can also help couples of marginal fertility to achieve pregnancy.  The CCL course includes information on the return of fertility after childbirth, ecological breastfeeding, ongoing marital growth and help with pre-menopausal years. Home study materials can be ordered at the following site: http://ccli.org/learn/homestudy.php

Creighton Model (CrM) Fertility Care System (Hilgers)
The Ovulation Method of Natural Family Planning is based on the external observation of cervical mucus as the sign of fertility.  Whenever a woman is fertile, she can observe a characteristic mucus discharge at the opening of the vagina.  Through observing the mucus and applying the instructions, a couple determines when they are fertile and infertile. 
Practitioners are graduates of Creighton University School of Medicine Division of Continuing Medical Education Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human reproduction.  They are certified by the American Academy of Natural Family Planning.

Novuscor-Fertility Management Program
FertileView is a fertility management program that allows you to chart your personal fertility signs.  Understanding your biological fertile and non-fertile signs through observations of temperature and cervical fluid the software helps you to chart and interpret according to your fertility goal.  For further information or how to purchase visit www.Novuscor.com or Contact - Sales@novuscor.com.

Advantages of Natural Family Planning
Natural Family Planning strengthens marriages by developing communication skills and shared responsibility between spouses.

NFP is a model and means to transmit values and ideals about sexuality within marriage to our children.

NFP is completely natural and organic.

NFP has NO medical side effects because no chemicals or devices enter the body.                     

NFP is effective for couples:

• Throughout their fertile years
• With regular or irregular cycles
• In transition from contraceptives
• Through peri-menopause

NFP is morally acceptable to all faiths.

NFP User Quotes:

“We don’t just like natural family planning, we love it.  It isn’t just achieving or avoiding pregnancy.  It is really the way we live our life.”

“We like NFP because it’s medically safe, natural, and keeps us close to each other.”

From a woman now pregnant who had experienced difficulty achieving pregnancy:

"It’s because of Natural Family Planning that we’re having a baby.  It was so important with the medical problems we had."