Catholic Medical Quarterly Volume 73(4) November 2023
Report for CMA from NFPTA 20.05.23
We received this from the Natural Family Planning Teachers Association
Progress
continues along the same pathway as previous reports.
Two teacher training courses are run each year and there is a waiting list for the next course. As the training is online, international access means we have students from several other countries both in Europe and North America who have registered.
Our AGM will take place in Birmingham in October and our guest speaker will be Dr Michaela Menarguez who worked with Professor Odeblad from Sweden.
During his career, Dr Odeblad worked closely with the Billings Organisation, and researched the changes in cervical mucus in the female fertility cycle. Professor Odeblad passed away a few years ago.
The Read Your Body App is continuing to be developed, and is due to be ready for public access later this summer. www.readyourbody.com
There is also a newly updated list of websites that offer support and tuition for Natural Fertility and related topics. We hope this will help enable women / couples access information and give opportunities to learn at a time that suits them...
Carolyn Kerr
Introduction To Organisations Teaching NFP / Natural Fertility
There is an increase in environmental awareness nowadays, and with this a desire to simplify our lives. Maintaining optimum health is a priority for most people and along with this there is also a growth in understanding Natural Fertility.
NFP has been misunderstood and lacked respect for many years. Sometimes it is difficult to access teaching, so people become fearful of committing themselves when the method is thought to be unreliable.
Thanks to courageous researchers, we now have reliable, safe and
scientific based methods of Natural Family Planning and Natural Fertility
Management. Safe to use, no harmful side effects, and it can strengthen
relationships when used by motivated, mutually supportive and
knowledgeable couples. From this base, there is also medical support for
women / couples with subfertility problems. (IIRRM - International
Institute of Restorative Reproductive Medicine) and there are other
organisations
that will help children and adolescents learn more about
relationships and puberty.
A knowledge of human anatomy and physiology is needed, instruction is available, and we welcome interest from people of good will whatever their philosophy for life.
Appreciation and respect is due to many people who helped establish the foundations of NFP. Dr and Dr/Mrs John Billings, Mr John Kelly, Dr Anna Flynn, Professor John Marshall, Colleen Norman, Wynn Worthington, Olive Duddy, and many others. They often worked against negative attitudes when hostility and prejudice were common.
This is not a complete list for supportive organisations but can be used as a starting point and resource for clients who would like to improve their knowledge and access support, via the relevant website.
Below are links to organisations that teach Natural Family Planning / Natural Fertility Management, and related topics, sometimes online, and where possible face to face.
List Of Websites For Natural Family Planning and Related Topics
The links below are organised into categories
- Learning NFP
- Medical Assistance
- Younger Generations
- Research Centres
- European Organisations of Natural Fertility
- Apps
- YouTube Links
Learning NFP
❖ THE NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
www.nfpta.org.uk
This
organisation started in 1984, by Dr John Kelly who worked with his
colleague Dr Anna Flynn, in Birmingham. The Sympto- thermal method is
taught which uses 4 indices of Fertility in the Female Cycle. The website
gives good information and online tuition is available.
BILLINGS OVULATION METHOD
www.billings.life
This is the first NFP organisation. It was developed in Australia in the 1950’s by Dr Evelyn and Dr John Billings, a married couple, both medical doctors. The focus is on recognising the changes in the cervical mucus.
NATURAL FERTILITY MATTERS
www.naturalfertilitymatters.com
Couples
are taught to chart cervical mucus, basal body temperature and fertility
hormones, based on their needs and goals (avoiding or achieving
pregnancy).
There are special programmes for couples who are on the NeoFertility Treatment Plan for infertility and recurrent miscarriages.
Contact Freda at freda@naturalfertilitymatters.com for more details.
FERTILITY CARE CENTRES GREAT BRITAIN
www.fccgb.org
Within
the website information is a map to show locations for teaching support.
Many teachers also give online tuition.
Couples with difficulty conceiving can be referred on for medical support.
Creighton model is taught.
NATURAL FERTILITY SUPPORT IN UK
www.fiatfertilitycare.co.uk
NaPro technology, Creighton method and Naturopathy support is offered.
This organisation is a member of fccgb.
WHOLLY NATURAL FERTILITY
www.whollynaturalfertility.com
This organization is also a member of fccgb with knowledgeable practitioners who can assist clients wanting to understand the natural cycle or are having difficulties with achieving a pregnancy.
Creighton method is taught.
THE COUPLE TO COUPLE LEAGUE IN GB
www.cclgb.org.uk
As the name indicates, couples teach couples. It originated in America and the Sympto-thermal method is taught.
FERTILITY CARE CENTRES Ireland
http://fccirl.ie/
The
FertilityCare Centres of Ireland (FCCIrl) provide and promote the
Creighton Model FertilityCare TMSystem and the reproductive science
NaProTECHNOLOGY®.
The Creighton Model FertilityCareTM System (CrMS) is a modern, scientific and reliable system of Natural Family Planning.
It can be used to both achieve and avoid pregnancy and is based on the routine observations and tracking of all vaginal discharges including cervical mucus. All you need is a trained Creighton Model Practitioner-Teacher, white toilet paper and a CrMS FertilityCare chart. You do not need any strips or devices.
The CrMS is also the basis for the new women’s health science, NaProTECHNOLOGY (Natural Procreative Technology).
Visit www.naprobaby.ie for more information and to find the list of Creighton Model practitioners teaching in Ireland. Many teachers also give online tuition.
Visit http://fcce.naprobaby.ie/ for FertilityCare Centres of Europe.
FERTILITY UK
www.fertilityuk.org
There are also practitioners who teach Fertility Awareness Based
Methods (FABM). within the UK health system. Fertility UK is the lead
organisation and has been influential within women’s health care.
For more information, contact the NHS website
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/natural-family-planning/
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
NEOFERTILITY
www.neofertility.ie
Recordings are taken for mucus, BBT and or urinary hormones to identify
the fertile window for fertility
awareness, family planning and
fertility treatment.
With NeoFertility we treat all women and couples who seek our care for Restorative Reproductive Medical treatment. We do not use donor gametes, IUI or IVF and aim to restore optimal reproductive function medically and surgically as indicated.
Conception, when desired occurs through regular intercourse.
We also have a very useful app that teachers of any method can use to document and record the fertility cycle with as many or as few markers as they wish. See Apps below.
NaPro BABY
www.naprobaby.ie
NaPro in Ireland (Natural Procreative Technology). For Infertility, Recurrent Miscarriage and Woman’s Health.
There are 2 NaPro clinics in Ireland (Galway & Kells), currently under the leadership of Dr Caroline Guindon.
The Creighton Model FertilityCare System is taught to avoid or achieve a pregnancy and/or to implement NaProTechnology.
More information available via St PPVI Institute -
https://popepaulvi.com/
and
Restorative Reproductive Medicine
https://iirrm.org.
YOUNGER GENERATIONS
TeenSTAR
www.teenstarcourses.org.uk
This organisation runs courses for teenagers helping them to think about human relationships, love and sexuality. It also teaches fertility awareness.
MY FERTILITY MATTERS
www.mfmprojectuk.org
An organisation that teaches, 9 to 12-year-old children, about puberty,
the menstrual cycle and the creation of new life, through innovative and
fun workshops. There is an emphasis on beauty and wonder.
Taught in small groups, minimum of 5 children. Boys and girls are taught separately.
RESEARCH CENTRES
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR RESTORATIVE REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE
https://iirrm.org
There are centres for RRM in many countries in Europe but at present it
is not always easy to access this medical treatment in the UK. More
information is on the website. This organisation is particularly helpful
for couples wishing to achieve a pregnancy and would prefer a method in
harmony with the natural female cycle rather than a more technological
approach. Online support is available.
SAINT POPE PAUL VI INSTITUTE
https://popepaulvi.com/
This is a centre based in Nebraska USA and is a world leader on Natural Fertility Research. Under the directorship of Dr Thomas Hilgers. Good information on the website.
EUROPEAN ORGANISATIONS FOR NATURAL FERTILITY
EUROPEAN INSTITUTE FOR FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION
www.eifle.org (English)
INSTITUTE EUROPEEN D’EDUCATION FAMILIALE
www.ieef.eu (French)
These are the same organisation. Globally there are 5 ‘umbrella’
organisations, and this is the European branch. It was founded in 1992 in
Grenoble, France and Dr Anna Flynn, NFPTA from Birmingham, was a
founder
member. Contact for many websites in Europe, including Russia and
Kyrgyzstan, can be accessed via IEEF. Annual AGMs and frequent
international conferences are also hosted by IEEF.
In the EIFLE
website, links are given to other European organisations. Click on the map
in
the member countries page (https://www.eifle.org/members.shtml)
to view associations for different countries.
APPS
There are several apps available. The Read Your Body app is a new development and offers support from different organisations.
READ YOUR BODY
www.readyourbody.com
NFPTA with other organisations support the development of this App.
CHART NEO
www.chartneo.com
This is an intuitive scientific reliable fertility app for cycle tracking, family planning, women’s health and fertility treatment. Quickly learn how to pinpoint your day of ovulation and identify medically relevant indicators of your fertility health. Developed by Dr Phil Boyle for the NeoFertility Method, it can also record data for the ovulation method, Temp recording and urinary hormone testing.
KINDARA
www.kindara.com
Kindara is a Microsoft product and Dr Olive Duddy from NFPTA was involved in the development of this app.
YOUTUBE LINKS
Videos that may be of interest via YouTube
A NEVER BEFORE
SEEN LOOK AT HUMAN LIFE IN THE WOMB | BABY OLIVIA
https://youtu.be/S-lQOooYAs8
FERTILISATION
https://youtu.be/5OvgQW6FG4
WHAT IS EPIGENETICS
https://youtu.be/_aAhcNjmvhc
