59 Comments

  1. From a mama with an army of her own… BANGARNG Back ‘atcha! Keep up the good work and God bless you, your hubby and every an all the babies you welcome into your lives.

  2. Thank you for the great post! Wanted to mention just as a FYI to others that there is more than one method of NFP.
    For those who have a difficult time with temps, cervix checking, and even mucus (most people only know NFP as sympto-thermal method) there is a method called the Marquette Method. There are postpartum breastfeeding protocols, reg protocols, etc. You use a monitor and test sticks. No having to stay in bed and take temp right away, but are doomed if you did not get any sleep or got up at night…just have have a 4 hour concentration of urine.
    I would like if more Catholic bloggers would mention all the other methods of NFP and not just the couple to couple league one ;)

    1. I was going to also recommend the Marquette Method :-) I’ve tried sympto thermal but it was difficult because of my erratic sleep patterns (due to newborns and toddlers). It’s also very reliable during the anovulatory post partum breastfeeding period.

  3. Yes, you did a great job with this. Thank you. I will quote and share all over social media! As a mom with hypothyroidism, I want to encourage you how much it will likely help your whole life if you find you have the condition and start taking meds. Your choice, sister, but I encourage you!

  4. Oh my gosh, I laughed so hard at the ‘Bella Cullen-like’ temperatures. Mine are so consistently low, that ALL MY CHARTS have to get the special edit of changing the 97 degree mark to 96 and the 98 degree mark to 97. ColdAsIce.

    Seriously, though, this post is just fantastic! Thank you so much for writing something about NFP that I’m not afraid to share with my non-NFP friends.

  5. As I told my sister-in-law who lead me to this post; I want to print this out and hang it up every.where. for the days when I’m saying “WHAT THE HECK ARE WE DOING?!” I’m terrible at explaining what NFP is when people ask questions, but this gives me some wonderful talking points :) you are wonderful!

  6. Thank you for writing this! My husband and I have been practicing nfp for our entire 7 years of marriage. We have 5 kids (although 1 was a miscarriage), so 4 running around the house and we just found out that we are pregnant with our 6th. My husband is in a doctorate program so we said we were going to wait until after school because that seemed like a just reason to wait. Well, my husband went out of state for an affiliation (rotation) for 6 weeks and I had a hard time charting. I charted as well as I could but I was very sick with fevers and then a lingering cough, got put on antibiotics, missed a few temps because of chaotic mornings with the children and one of them taking my thermometer. Anyway, after my husband and I reunited we struggled to abstain even with knowing that some of the temps were not accurate. We got pregnant. My husband is really struggling with this. He feels that we were extremely irresponsible, he’s worried about what others will think of us and of nfp, basically he worries about the example we are setting as nfp users. this has been the hardest pregnancy for my husband and I…for the first time we are on different sides of the spectrum. I know that even if it looks to others as if we are irresponsible, we know we are not. I think it’s important for my husband and I to set a good example of how we accept this wonderful child that God has blessed us with.
    This article, which is so beautifully written made me cry at the end and really hit home. THANK YOU!

    1. I think I understand. Perhaps he feels like your life has to ‘prove’ to others that ‘nfp works’. Or maybe he is, understandably, influenced by the culture of overplanned lives around us. One feels the pressure to make a perfect plan and perfectly execute it! But as this post shares so well, our Christian life in marriage has to be one of trust in God, not just ourselves. God bless you and your husband; may you come to have peace and unity on this!

  7. Wow, what a super amazing NFP post! You were so totally honest and you told it like it is :-) I appreciate your honesty! I’m sure many people who read this post do as well. I am a newlywed (going on 2 months) and a self-taught NFP user. Thank God for having regular cycles and not getting too confused, since I wasn’t able to take an NFP class and had to figure things out on my own. You know, I never looked into NaPro Technology though and reading your post made me realize that, I too, have zombie low temps!! I mean, my normal pre-ovulation temps are around 96.4 -96.5…sometimes even lower (one time it was 96.14)!!! And my post-ovulation temp “spike” is usually only up to 97.5ish…it doesn’t even get into 98’s. I knew that something must be up with me because some of those temps are literally OFF the charts…the chart that I’m using doesn’t go low enough for me to even mark it on some days! But I do use a phone app to keep track of my temps as well. I wonder if I need to worry about this, whether I need to get checked out by a doctor? I’ve actually never been to an OBGYN…yes, I know, never.. Sometimes I wonder if I’m hypothyroid…but I don’t seem to have any other symptoms of hypothryoidism…so maybe it’s something else? hmm…DO you think NaProTechnology is something worth looking into? Maybe that will help me answer some of those questions?

    Again, thanks for this awesome post! It’s ROCKING!! And your pics are hilarious! LMAO!!!!

    Love,
    Agnes

  8. Hello! I have been NFPing on and off for 9 years – in between babies and I didn’t know the bit about low temps and cervical fluid. I consistently have both and thought they were normal….would love more info on this. Or I guess I could just google it but chatting with you might just be a bit more fun.

    I just had my 4th babe and I’m praying that the communist party doesn’t come pay me a visit anytime soon. I have had luck with my first and third child – my cycle didn’t come back until about 15 months but with my second child it came back at around 6 months. SO who knows!

  9. Wow… Another amazing nfp post!
    I wasn’t one of those postpartum moms without periods for 2 years. Mine came back around 10 months with both babies. ….

    We proudly say: I use NFP!
    You go girl!

  10. Fahbulous post! Not sure if I love the graphics or words more. I call it a tie ;)
    Happy NFP Week…and life–happy to be sharing it with you!

  11. I love your posts and I admire you SO MUCH!! I’ve been charting as a single lady for almost 3 years, and my fiance is excited and on board about practicing NFP in our marriage. Your blog always gives me the inspiration and laughter that I need to keep on keeping on :) Thanks so much for being such an awesome woman of God, mom, wife, and witness of of our faith.

    By the way… Do you give talks? I work at a parish in Kansas and we’d love to have you out here some time!! :)

    be at peace
    Walk on water
    be not afraid

    d*

  12. Hey Carolynn,
    I really enjoyed this post and the one after. Garrett and I did a lil nfp while trying to get pregnant with Makayla and did not do anything in between her and Jonathan but after your post I might start back up once I get my period back and look for a class to go to. I found it a lil confusing and hard to follow the 5 months I did it…would love to get together with your sweet family next time we are in town if you are up for it.

    1. Hi Ashley! I still get confused about “Peak days” when charting, and still call my NFP instructor. A visit would be great, I would love to meet your sweet babies! FB me!

  13. I have low temps like that! And I am “borderline” hypothyroid. Get it checked every year…always “borderline”. Not much they can do about that.

    I found Marquette extremely helpful with my low temps and my high estrogen/progesterone deficient imbalance.

    Good post!

  14. You are awesome! I will be getting married in November, and I love reading your posts! You, along with my future sister-in-laws, are building my confidence up for NFP :)

  15. I very much look forward to following your series this week – so informative and encouraging. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences.

  16. Love it! My husband and i are still newish to nfp and its so nice to have people decode how they use it in their every day life. Have you visited 1flesh? You should see about posting your story on there!

  17. LOVED this piece…thank you so much for your openness and honesty about using NFP. My husband and I are instructors and we are always so grateful to run into couples who faithfully use this method. The blessings that come from your faithfulness will outnumber all the sacrifice…of that I am certain. Blessings and Grace to you and yours…

    1. Thank you so much, Mary. And thank you and your husband for dedicating your time to teach! It’s because of couples like you that Craig and I have been lead, taught, and continue to learn.

  18. So well put! Fantastic witness. You should share this with some of the other big bloggers who are posting for NFP week. Maybe Carrots for Michaelmas?

    Also, you are SOOOO very blessed with those three little ones. I too have low thyroid and PCOS, and I’ve only been blessed with one living child so far. Use that fertility while you’ve got it!

    1. Carrots for Michaelmas would be fancyyy! Maybe I will!
      We both are blessed, you and I. I’m so thankful for NFP.
      Thank you for stopping by and sharing!

  19. This is an awesome post–really well-written and well-argued. I’ve been seriously loving your blog (from the shadows!) for a few weeks (your WIWS posts are consistently among my favorites). I especially love this post–it’s so intelligent and abounding in faith. I appreciate the vulnerability you show in being so open. You and your husband are phenomenal examples, and phenomenal witnesses.

    Also, the pictures are FANTASTIC. Well done!

    1. Aw thank you so much! I am humbled to read such sweet words. Thank you for commenting, Victoria. It means a lot and fuels me to keep on keepin on. :)

  20. I was so excited to read this post!!!! I am a late arriver at the NFP party. I had three kids before I even knew this existed (Catholic convert three years ago). Long story short, I’ve had our fifth baby now and have never gotten a chance to learn NFP because I become pregnant so soon after my “Aunt Ruby” (HILARIOUS BTW – I’ve never heard that term) returns. My baby is 8 months old and my period just arrived. I, too, was wishing for at least another 10 months period-free. So here I am learning NFP for the first time after baby #5. I’ve taken my temp for 17 days now. I take it as soon as my alarm goes off in the morning. I, too, have vampire-like temps. I thought my thermometer was broken at first. One day I even temped at 95.9 degrees!! I took it twice that day. So it sounds, from what you are writing, this isn’t normal. I will be signing up for the next NFP class thanks to your post.

    1. Oh I’m so happy this helped you in some small way! Yes! Take a class! Some parishes don’t offer it– we had to attend a neighboring parish. And they will sponsor couples who can’t afford to pay (we couldn’t at the time).
      Connecting with an instructor who will take your calls is so helpful. It’s been 3 years and I still call my NFP instructor with questions.
      I’ll keep you in my prayers!

  21. I love you. I love reading this blog, the style of writing that you use, etc… I am so thankful to read your witness as one using NFP. Lots of single ladies (myself included!) know SORT OF what NFP is and that we PLAN to use it in marriage… but something like taking my temperature is something I can start NOW and be prepared for when it comes to the rest of it. Thank you for writing this, thank you for your witness.

    1. GAHHH! I am again so SO touched! I wish I had known to temp at the very least before being hit by the NFP bus! Thank you for visiting, and for encouraging me. I need it!

  22. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH.
    also, I love you and your husband. such an awesome witness.
    this not-yet-married, still-childless girl really. really. really. mega. appreciates such a witness.

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