Current Method: Marquette
Previous Method: Creighton Model
Previous Method: Couple to Couple League
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- Tell us a little about yourself.Iβm a wife and mother of one who struggles with repeat miscarriages. I grew up the oldest of 7 in a Catholic family. Iβm a professional-ish cellist (professionally trained, working very part time at the moment), and Iβm a (audio) bookworm, clueless housekeeper, and budding nerd about womenβs health. Also, I like to pickle things.
- What effects has fertility awareness had on your relationship?It has been a very difficult test that has also strengthened our relationship. In addition to the normal struggles of NFP (varying libido throughout the cycle, libido differences between spouses, the logistics of tracking, figuring out how to communicate and respect each otherβs needs and desires, getting creative with building closeness), I have developed PTSD from my miscarriages. This augments all those normal struggles, because many aspects of them can also be PTSD triggers for me. Often, this makes intimacy impossible during available times when we are TTA. Obviously this has been extremely difficult, but itβs unearthed problems that we could have swept under the rug and ignored for years, and now we have had to fix them. Ultimately, thatβs a really good thing. Itβs sort of a trial by fire- very transformative, very painful.
- Current Method: Marquette - How did you find your instructor?I had seen her recommended in Facebook groups- I think she charged $250 for initial instruction and a year of follow ups and questions/troubleshooting?
- Describe your daily charting routine.I just pee in the cup, test, and go about my day. I donβt record it anywhere most cycles, I just check the calendar in the monitor itself. It is hassle free and great (meaning, not harmful) for my mental health and relationship. The only downside is getting pee on my fingers!
- What made you choose this method?I switched from Creighton to Marquette because the constant mucus checking and fertility evaluation involved for Creighton/Napro were doing a number on my mental health. Creighton gave me a lot of anxiety and, in retrospect, was full of PTSD triggers. I felt like my cycle had to be 100% perfect, and that it was all within my control.
- Has charting helped you to understand your overall health?Absolutely. Itβs not going to provide the answer to every question everβ for instance, I did the whole NaPro thing, and I donβt feel that it has offered adequate explanations for the difficulties that I have. Iβm also not convinced that there is enough research behind some of the biomarkers of hormonal abnormalities. But I have learned SO much about how my body works, how my hormones are affected by various kinds of stress, and how my cycle and hormonal health relates to my general health. I was never interested in any kind of science before learning NFP, and it has given me so much appreciation for good research. And, over a few years, it has taught me to be gentler to myself, to watch out for certain struggles in different parts of my cycle, and to trust and appreciate my body more.
- Did you switch to this method from another one? If so, why?I covered the reasons why I switched above. The transition was a huge relief. The mental effort that went into Creighton was enormous, and it was a huge load off my back to only have to think about NFP and fertility once a day.
- Previous Method: Couple to Couple League - How did you find your instructor?On my dioceseβs website! I donβt remember the cost ($100 range?), and it included 3 instruction sessions and unlimited email follow up questions and troubleshooting.
- What made you choose this method?Mostly lack of awareness of other options! I think it was a great way to gain body awareness and see how my cycle worked. I liked seeing multiple signs as confirmation. I didnβt love that there were so many conditional rules.
- Has charting helped you to understand your overall health?Yes, absolutely!
- Did you stop using this method? If so, why?After taking 6 months to conceive, then having 2 losses, I switched to Creighton to see a Napro doctor.
- Previous Method: Creighton Model - How did you find your instructor?I asked my CCL instructor for a recommendation. The Creighton instructor charged $50 per session, and sessions were twice or once monthly. I only did 8 sessions.
- Describe your daily charting routine.I did Creighton for several months before conceiving again. The constant vigilance and evaluation were very stressful, and it was much harder to feel confident about where I was in my cycle without the temperature information. I felt like I was just a broken reproductive system, which had repercussions in all these areas.
- What made you choose this method?Health, access to specialized medical care. I got the access to napro and got testing done sooner than I otherwise would have, but it was detrimental to my mental health overall.
- Has charting helped you to understand your overall health?Yes! NaPro has not been a magic bullet for me, and I am no longer using it, but it did help me rule out a lot of problems, and I know I might need progesterone support. Also, I might have PMDD. Iβm aware and able to treat these things. However, I want to emphasize- not the magic bullet. And Iβm disappointed at the small sample sizes in Dr. Hilgersβs studies, and the fact that they are not peer reviewed. I also did not appreciate getting non-evidence-based recommendations from my doctor, like elimination diets (without sufficient reason for suggesting them). This may be just my doctor, but I have heard from other women who feel that NaPro doctors can tend to make suggestions to their patients that may or may not help, without considering the amount of effort and upheaval involved in following their advice.
- Did you switch to this method from another one? If so, why?I switched to this from CCL! For the medical reasons. The transition was pretty smooth in terms of just learning the method, and provided a lot of opportunities at first, but ultimately became too stressful and involved.
- Did you stop using this method? If so, why?I became pregnant, and decided while I was pregnant to switch to Marquette for simplicity.
