DISCOVER NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING
Natural Family Planning (NFP) is the general title for the scientific, natural and moral methods of family planning that can help married couples either achieve or postpone pregnancy. It is not contraception.
NFP methods are based on the observation of the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman’s menstrual cycle. No drugs, devices, or surgical procedures are used to avoid pregnancy. Since the methods of NFP respect the love-giving (unitive) and life-giving (procreative) nature of the conjugal act, they support God’s design for married love!
In NFP both husband and wife are taught to understand and live God’s design for married love – this will give them countless blessings! NFP methods promote a holistic approach to family planning which both respects procreation and has the potential to deepen the intimacy of husband and wife. NFP methods support reproductive health. They are good for the body. For the woman, NFP charting can even assist in the diagnosis of underlying medical problems. And, if a couple find they are having trouble conceiving, NFP information can help them pinpoint the most fertile time of the wife’s cycle. The natural methods have none of the harmful side effects caused by contraception, especially chemical contraceptives (e.g. pill, injection, etc.). NFP methods can be marriage strengthening because it relies on couple communication and behavior change. When living the NFP lifestyle, husband and wife learn that they have a shared responsibility for safeguarding God’s gift of human sexuality, marriage and family. They also grow in their understanding of God’s will for their family size. NFP has the potential to make a good marriage great!
Below is an introductory course on Natural Family Planning.
NFP Basics is a 3-part program with an online video, survey, and coaching session all included in the per couple cost of the program: $30.
- Couples watch a video together that covers theology of sex and marriage, Natural Family Planning, fertility science, and touches on the Theology of the Body as it applies to wedding vows.
- Engaged couples each complete a survey to ensure video comprehension and gather information relevant to fertility awareness method choices.
- Couples attend a live Zoom coaching session with an NFP Basics coach to debrief the video, ask questions, and get support in choosing a method and/or finding an instructor.
Natural Family Planning (NFP), also known as Fertility Awareness Based Methods (FABM), come in several varieties. You must take a full course to learn a specific method to practice NFP. In the Diocese of Orange, instructors for the following methods are available (scroll below to see local instructor information):
- Mucus-only methods utilize observations of biomarkers during the different phases of the menstrual cycle, specifically changes in the color and consistency of cervical mucus.
- Billings Ovulation Method
- Creighton Model
- FEMM Health
- The sympto-thermal method (STM) is based on the observations of cervical fluid, basal body temperature (waking temperature) and biological signs (i.e. changes in the cervix).
- Couple to Couple League
- Sympto-Pro Fertility Education
Wondering what NFP method might be best for you? Check out this “Method Matcher” tool from Fertility Science Institute to help you narrow down your options!
Check out the “Charting Toward Intimacy” podcast, sponsored by the Diocese of Oakland to expand the NFP conversation. Launched in July 2020, host Ellen Holloway brings real stories as well as deep theological discussions about Natural Family Planning. New episodes posted every other Monday.
For more information on Natural Family Planning, please see the USCCB website.
For a better understanding on why Natural Family Planning differs from contraception, please view this article by Pope John Paul II.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter was the first marriage enrichment program ever offered and continues to be the most popular faith-based marriage enrichment in the world.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME) is the largest faith-based marriage enrichment organization in the world. Our programs have enriched and transformed the lives of married couples and priests for generations. We offer a peer-to-peer experience, typically over a weekend, where married couples and priests can pause and reflect privately on the meaning of their vocations and are given the tools for nurturing their love. Our mission is to proclaim the value of marriage and holy orders in the Church and in the world.
Established in 1968, WWME is still the most popular marriage enrichment program in the world, annually presenting 2,000 experiences in nearly 100 countries. In North America, more than 1,600 couples and priests (known as “presenting teams”) hold Marriage Encounter experiences in English, Spanish, French, and Korean. WWME’s support groups exist in virtually every diocese of the US and Canada.
The Retrouvaille Program is for Married Couples Facing Difficult Challenges in their Relationship
The Retrouvaille Program is for Married Couples Struggling in their Relationship
The Challenge of Marriage in Today’s Society
This program is for couples with marital problems that want marriage help. Those who are considering marriage separation and those who are already separated or divorced are encouraged to consider the Retrouvaille Program. There is always hope of reviving your relationship.
Some couples come to Retrouvaille during the initial signs of a marriage problem. Other couples are in a state of despair and hopelessness when they attend the program.
Many lawyers and judges send couples to Retrouvaille as a prerequisite to filing for a divorce or rendering final decisions. Many marriage counselors and family therapists send their clients to Retrouvaille as a prerequisite to counseling. These professionals know that the tools of communication in marriage taught in the program are often what couples need.
The Retrouvaille program is for husbands and wives and is not designed nor intended for couples in a co-habitating relationship.
Program Costs – Retrouvaille Marriage Help Program Costs.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About The Retrouvaille Marriage Help Program
Upcoming Program Dates – Upcoming Program Dates for The Retrouvaille Marriage Help Weekend
Contact for More Information – Contact Retrouvaille International
**Retrouvaille – Next Local Program**
RETROUVAILLE: REDISCOVER THE LOVE IN YOUR MARRIAGE
Tens of thousands of couples have healed their marriages through Retrouvaille (pronounced Retro-vy). If you know anyone who could benefit from this program, please pass this on. Couples learn to build communication skills and to increase intimacy. It provides help for marriage problems, difficulties, or crises.
This year, the programs will be held August 9-11, 2024 and October 4-6, 2024, both at the Family Life Center in Malvern, PA. For more information, or to register, visit www.HelpOurMarriage.org or call 215-766-3944 or 800-470-2230. All inquiries are strictly confidential.
For Your Marriage helps couples at all stages of life to understand and live God’s plan for happy, holy marriages by providing educational and spiritual resources. (Click here for Spanish – Por Tu Matrimonio)
The website was launched in 2007 as part of the National Pastoral Initiative for Marriage, an initiative of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to communicate the meaning and value of married life for the Church and for society.
Marriage Preparation & Weddings
- If you have a question about the steps to get married in the Catholic Church, please visit Getting Married Catholic.
- If you have a question about whether you can marry in the Catholic Church, please contact your parish priest.
- If you have a question about which marriage preparation course you need to take, please contact the parish where you will be getting married.
- If you have a question about the Catholic wedding ceremony, please visit Planning a Catholic Wedding.
- If you have a question about weddings between a Catholic and non-Catholic, please visit our page on Ecumenical and Interfaith Marriages.
- If you have questions about Natural Family Planning or Catholic teaching about its morality in marriage, please contact [email protected]; tel. 1-202-541-3240.
Declaration of Nullity (Annulment)
If you have a question about the declaration of nullity process in general, please see this page. If you have a question about beginning a process, please contact your parish priest or your diocesan Marriage Tribunal. Your diocese’s website can be found using this tool.
Validity of Marriage and Convalidation
If you have a question about the validity of your marriage or the convalidation process, please contact your parish priest.
Sacraments
If you have a question about your ability to participate in the sacraments, please contact your parish priest. If you have a question about obtaining proof of the reception of a sacrament (baptism, confirmation, or wedding certificates), please contact the parish where the sacrament was received.
Marriage Difficulties
For couples experiencing difficulties in their marriage, information is available in the Overcoming Adversity section and on the Support for Troubled Marriages page. You may also want to seek out help from your parish priest or deacon, a trusted counselor, or your local Catholic Charities. A state-by-state list of marriage-friendly therapists is available through the National Registry of Marriage Friendly Therapists.