What is Natural Family Planning?

Natural Family Planning, or NFP, is the general title for the scientific, natural and moral methods of family planning that can help married couples both achieve or postpone pregnancies.

With NFP, there are no drugs, devices, or surgical procedures used to avoid pregnancy, enabling a couple to work with the body rather than against it.

When a couple learns to use NFP, they are taught to observe their naturally occurring signs and symptoms of fertility on a day-to-day basis, treating each menstrual cycle as unique—unlike the rhythm (or calendar) method which was based on the theory that ovulation could be determined from previous menstrual cycles. NFP is not the rhythm method.

NFP is up to 99% successful when a couple understands the methods and is motivated to follow them as instructed by a certified instructor.

Why Choose NFP?

NFP can help achieve and postpone pregnancy

While couples do not need to seek to have a child in every act of intercourse, every act of intercourse must remain open to life.

NFP is good for your marriage

During times of periodic sexual abstinence, husband and wife live a renewed courtship as they discover non-sexual ways to express their love for each other.

NFP is good for a woman’s health

NFP methods support reproductive health. The natural methods have none of the harmful side effects caused by contraception, especially chemical contraceptives (e.g., pill, injection, etc.).

NFP is good for our common home

NFP is environmentally friendly, organic, natural, pure and safe. No chemicals or artificial ingredients are involved in NFP.

Resources

  • NFP Brochure English
  • Folleto de Planificación Familiar Natural
  • NFP Methods and Instructors
  • Visit USCCB’s webpage for NFP resources including: couples’ storiescouple videosprayer and liturgy and other NFP resources. For more info, contact nfp@usccb.org.
  •  Springs in the Desert accompanies those struggling with infertility by offering a place of respite and solidarity where they can know God’s love for them and discover His unique call to fruitfulness. ministry also raises awareness about the experience and unique grief of infertility to pastors, diocesan offices, and healthcare professionals, helping them to understand the needs of a couple struggling with infertility, and providing tools and resources to help them minister more effectively to hurting couples. Among pastoral ministers and healthcare professionals, Springs in the Desert is recognized as a trusted resource for couples experiencing infertility.
  • Catholic Women & Couples NFP [CWCNFP] is a lay-Catholic organization that teaches, without charge, Fertility Awareness and Natural Family Planning [NFP] to Adult Catholic Women and Catholic Couples. Our mission is to assist Catholic Couples and Adult Catholic women to prepare for and to live virtuous marriages in full harmony with Catholic Church teaching.

Contact Us

Edna Cedano
Marriage & Family Ministry Coordinator
Laity, Family & Life
407-246-4930
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