NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING IN MARRIAGE PREPARATION OFFICE OF FAMILY LIFE DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH

WHY DO WE TALK ABOUT FAMILY PLANNING IN MARRIAGE PREPARATION ? If we are preparing couples for a sacrament in the Church we must teach as the Church teaches

What is Family? The family is the original cell of social life. It is the natural society in which husband and wife are called to give themselves in love and in the gift of life. CCC 2207

WHAT IS MARRIAGE? A sacrament of the Catholic Church The consent by which a the spouses mutually give and receive one another is sealed by God himself. From their covenant arises “an institution, confirmed by the divine law,… even in the eyes of society.” CCC 1639

St Augustine’s three goods of marriage The three "bona" are essential properties which distinguish the marital covenant from any other type of relationship between two persons. In brief summary we can say that the three goods or "bona" are: 1) the exclusive fidelity of the marital relationship (one man with one woman: the "bonum fidei"); the permanence of the relationship (the unbreakable character or indissolubility of the marital bond: the "bonum sacramenti"); the (potential) fruitfulness of the union (procreativity or the openness to having children: the "bonum prolis", or the "good" of offspring).

SIMPLY PUT Permanent Faithful Open to life

Permanent Until death do us part- not when I no longer desire you, or when someone better comes alone. This is why the church frowns on pre-nuptial agreements. It speaks to a negative attitude to the longevity of the marriage

Faithful One man to one woman The gifts of love, time sharing in the joys and sorrows is exclusive to the relationship

OPENNESS TO LIFE Each and every act of intercourse must remain open to the transmission of new life.

UNITIVE AND PROCREATIVE Life and love cannot be divided or the act is not how the Creator of life intended it to be LIFE LOV E

INTERCOURSE BY IT’S VERY NATURE IS: UNITIVE - IT BRINGS A COUPLE TOGETHER UNLIKE ANY OTHER ACT CAN. IT IS LOVE GIVING. PROCREATIVE -BY BRINGING THE SPERM TO THE EGG IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE LIFE-GIVING

TAKING OUT THE PROCREATIVE NATURE We do this when we use condoms, pills etc. We say to God we are changing His plan. This is why the Catholic Church opposes artificial birth control.

TAKING OUT THE UNITIVE We do this when we use artificial means to procreate -such as artificial insemination and any act that takes the couple out of the picture and replaces them with technology. Many new lives are destroyed in this process.

We are called to be responsible in our parenthood We are not called to have as many children as possible as quickly as possible. However in Humanae Vitae we are told to consider four very good points. Lets look at them:

1.WHAT DOES GOD WANT FOR US? This is where we teach the couples about prayer and how we need to listen for God’s voice in our lives. If we do not communicate we do not hear each other or even God.

2. WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE SPOUSES Again communication – couples need to discuss how many children do they want? when do they want them? One parent could really struggle with parenthood –as an example the woman with post-partum depression.

3. WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE EXSISTING FAMILY Imagine a couple planning for a large family only to find one of their children has a disability or a major health concern – they will then need to look again at that plan.

3. WHAT IS GOOD FOR SOCIETY Are we at war ? – maybe one parent may be deployed. Population - many countries now no longer have enough young people to sustain the older generation.

What have we learn so far ? Marriage is a sacrament. It has 3 “goods”. One of which is openness to life. Intercourse was designed by God to be both unitive and procreative.

HOW THEN CAN WE BE RESPONSIBE AND FOLLOW CHURCH TEACHING ? God in His great wisdom gave us a natural approach, not the old Rhythm method. Modern Natural Family Planning (NFP) looks at a woman’s menstrual cycle and determines times of fertility (when she can get pregnant) and times of infertility (when she cannot).

Definition of NFP Methods of monitoring and interpreting natural biological markers of fertility To help determine the fertile and infertile times of a woman’s menstrual cycle Information can be used to achieve or avoid pregnancy

NFP Also Means: Abstaining from intercourse and genital activity during fertile time of cycle if avoiding pregnancy Developing non-genital ways of expressing intimacy during the fertile times Not using any artificial means to interfere with fertility Openness to life

Effectiveness of NFP With accurate charting Accurate observations Consistent use Mutual motivation and loving cooperation NFP is close to 98% effective!

SO…. HOW DOES NFP WORK ?

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT ? Cervical mucus - indicates the presence of estrogen necessary for ovulation Basal Body temperature- the temp the body needs to maintain the vital organs – is at a low level prior to ovulation and rises after ovulation. Pain –mid-cycle Bleeding –mid-cycle

Phases of the Menstrual Cycle Pre-Ovulatory Infertile Phase Fertile Phase Post-Ovulatory Infertile Phase Ovulation

Basic Instructions for Achieving and Avoiding Pregnancy Achieve - Have intercourse during the fertile window! Avoid – Don’t have intercourse during the fertile window!

WHO TALKS TO THE COUPLES ABOUT THIS? A trained NFP instructor should present this information. Your role is to support Church teaching (we must all sing from the same hymn book) regardless of what you have used in your own marriage.

HOW TO GET MORE INFORMATION Read Humanae Vitae - ncyclicals/documents/hf_p- vi_enc_ _humanae-vitae_en.html ncyclicals/documents/hf_p- vi_enc_ _humanae-vitae_en.html