benefits of fertility awareness€¦ · fertility awareness or natural family planning (nfp) is the...

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Fertility Awareness

N AT U R E ’S PAT H TO H E A LT H, W H O L E N E S S,

A N D FA M I LY P L A N N I N G

BENEF ITSOF FERT IL I TYAWARENESS

F E R T I L I T Y AWA R E N E S S :

NO HORMONESNO S IDE EFFECTS

ARCHDIOCESE OF BALTIMORE410.547.5406 | ARCHBALT.ORG

Fertility Awareness or Natural Family Planning (NFP) is the general title for the scientific and natural methods of family planning. These methods empower women to be more aware of their fertility and overall health and can help married couples either achieve or postpone pregnancies. Fertility Awareness 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.

Methods that observe cervical mucus are commonly called the “Ovulation Method” or “OM.”In NFP education, a woman learns how to identify the normal, healthy, cervical mucus which indicates the days that sexual intercourse is most likely to result in pregnancy.

B I L L I N G S O V U L AT I O N M E T H O D A S S O C I AT I O NOnline courses: learnnfponline.com

C R E I G H TO N M O D E L F E R T I L I T YC A R E ™Olga Ballengee olga@anchorfertilitycare.com 443-945-9473 (English and Polish) Anne Arundel or Skype–Cathy Reilly, RN annapolisareafertilitycare.com

Therese Rodriguez, RN gaithersburgfertilitycare.org–Julie Tomko jtomkoNFP@aol.com Northern Baltimore County

FA M I LY O F T H E A M E R I C A SMarilyn Camden marilyn.camden@gmail.com 410-838-6514 Hickory, MD

Methods that observe several signs of fertility and cross-check two or more of the signs to pinpoint ovulation are commonly called the “Sympto-Thermal Method” or “STM.”STM typically combines charting of the Basal Body Temperature (BBT) and cervical mucus with other optional indicators, such as changes in the cervix and secondary fertility signs.

C O U P L E-TO-C O U P L E L E A G U EMark and Kathy Schmidt mak.schmidt@gmail.com 410-747-5611 Catonsville, MD

Melissa and Santiago Solares mbalcer7337@hotmail.com 301-262-8426 Bowie, MD

Online courses: ccli.org

D I O C E S A N C E R T I F I E DTrevor and Becky Needham needhamsnfp@gmail.com 215-206-8679 Catonsville, MD

Sheila Short 410-368-2810 Saint Agnes Hospital Catonsville, MD

N O R T H W E S T FA M I LY S E R V I C E SOnline courses: nwfs.org

The method that observes several signs of fertility and adds the use of an ovulation predictor kit (OPK) or fertility monitor is called the “Sympto-Hormonal Method” or “SHM.”Similar to the STM, this approach adds the self-detection of reproductive hormones in the urine with the assistance of an OPK or fertility monitor.

M A R Q U E T T E M O D E LOnline courses: nfp.marquette.edu

DESCRIPTION OF METHODS ARE USED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND THE MOST UP-TO-DATE LIST OF FERTILITY AWARENESS PROVIDERS, CONTACT THE OFFICE OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE AT THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BALTIMORE AT 410.547.5406 OR ARCHBALT.ORG.

W H AT I S F E R T I L I T Y AWA R E N E S S ?

C E R V I C A L M U C U SM E T H O D S / O M

S YM P TO-T H E R M A LM E T H O D / S TM

S YM P TO-H O R M O N A LM E T H O D / S H MMETHODS

& PROVIDERS➝