tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90922266246615258772024-03-12T18:35:00.304-07:00Ready, Set, Chart!Adventures in Natural Family PlanningUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-7064424959932343862016-06-29T11:48:00.001-07:002016-06-29T11:48:06.035-07:00What We've Been Up To<div>
We were introduced to this great summary of Catholic thought on sex, marriage, and contraceptives - "<a href="http://www.aggiecatholicblog.org/2015/11/there-are-no-good-reasons-to-use-contraception/">What the Catholic Church Teaches on Contraception and Why</a>."</div>
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We've been following the news on Zika (remember our <a href="http://www.readysetchart.com/2016/02/a-pro-life-guide-to-zika-what-is_13.html">three part series on Zika</a>). There have been two interesting reports from Colombia (<a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160624150813.htm">"New Doubts..."</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160628093035.htm">"Five new confirmed cases"</a>, both interesting and neither conclusive.<div>
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I finally got diagnosed with hypothyroidism, after nearly 2 years of being certain it was effecting my cycles. We've been reading a ton on hypothyroidism, and hopefully NaturalGuy will be writing a post with some of the studies we've found most helpful.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-22594191524168399062016-06-11T20:18:00.003-07:002016-06-11T20:18:46.273-07:00We're back!We're finally finding a new normal to settle into. NaturalGuy started a new job recently and I just quit my job. We're still very sad about the loss of our Nicola, but also increasingly eager and anxious for another baby. We're driving ourselves crazy with charting and spotting "pregnancy" symptoms.<br />
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We've spent a lot of time in doctor's offices in the past few months and we've been very grateful for our charts. We've been working with a nutritionist who uses CCL charts and through this and a blood test our doctor ordered, managed to diagnose and correct vitamin D deficiency. More recently, we've been working with a NaPro (Creighton) trained doctor. She is happy to work with our CCL charts, although we've started learning Creighton in case it gives us some insight. It's been very easy to get the hang of Creighton - the "rules" are very similar to CCL's mucus only rules, and of course, we're not TTA so it's mostly just observation. Creighton's notation for mucus is quite nice. I think the biggest weakness in Creighton is that there is no way to distinguish an unsuccessful attempt at ovulation from a successful one, aside from the note that if a woman is under "unusual stress" she should be prepared for multiple attempts. This would be really tough for us during my longer cycles. Creighton is also very heavy on instructor/couple interaction - we had a bit of trouble finding a teacher who "clicked" with us and switched after the first class.<br />
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Otherwise, we've been taking things one day at a time. We'd appreciate prayers!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-4964304278290451332016-05-02T22:48:00.001-07:002016-05-02T22:49:00.908-07:00Miscarriage :(Only six weeks after receiving the thrilling news that we were expecting a baby, we were very sad to find our baby had died in early April. We have taken great comfort in our Catholic faith and in naming, burying, and having a funeral for our precious Nicola. We are also very thankful for family and friends, and for the meals, card games, and good company they have brought us.<br />
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We are starting to settle back into the routines of work and home life, while praying for Nicola and hoping for another baby. We're also hoping to start blogging again soon - we are more grateful than ever for the Church's wisdom on fertility and for the practical skills of fertility awareness.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-2367673208769368862016-03-23T22:56:00.002-07:002016-03-23T22:56:44.050-07:00What we've been thinking about in MarchWe've had a busy, busy month! We're catching our breaths this Holy Week and looking forward to celebrating Easter with family. Then we're starting the next whirlwind of a month. We've had lots to think about this month, including<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://takebackmarriage.org/"> Marriage</a> - We've been thinking a lot about marriage because we just had our first anniversary. It is a joy to recall our wedding and the tremendous growth we've seen in the past year. What a whirlwind! And we suspect the next year will bring even more change and growth.</li>
<li>How to best share the <a href="http://bluebird-songs.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-bothand-of-natural-family-planning.html">ups and downs</a> of learning and practicing NFP, especially when we teach couples who are struggling to move away from a contraceptive mindset and become more open to life.</li>
<li>Our families of origin and how they shape our lives, even now that we've married and live hundreds of miles away. It seems like parents and in-laws have a huge effect on how couples receive a new baby - they can either be a huge encouragement or discouragement. </li>
</ul>
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Hopefully there will be some blog posts on these topics and others in the next month! </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-83291739835629281902016-02-24T13:37:00.003-08:002016-02-24T13:37:44.165-08:00NaturalWomanhood has a new movie!Here's the trailer for <i>Natural Love Story</i>! The full (free!) 40 minute movie is <a href="https://naturalwomanhood.org/film/">here</a> - NaturalGuy and I just watched it and thought it was great. Highly recommend!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m3e18gm1jRk" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-28910221124593165012016-02-19T20:53:00.002-08:002016-02-19T20:57:35.627-08:00A Pro-Life Guide to Zika: So, what can married couples in Zika effected areas do?Married couples who are effected by Zika should strive to generously and prudently grow their families - just like they did before. Decisions about marital intimacy and pregnancy are always very personal and discernment is required. A few scenarios illustrate the complexity of these decisions and the generous, prudent, and above all, Catholic responses to these difficult circumstances.<br />
<ul>
<li>Maria and John have three kids and were just starting to feel ready to be open to a 4th when they got news of Zika in their area. Since their home doesn't have mosquito screens or air conditioning, they are worried they are at especially high risk, and they are especially worried after hearing of a pregnant friend whose child is suspected to have been effected. Maria and John decide to use natural family planning to postpone pregnancy until they have more information.<a name='more'></a></li>
<li>Vanessa and Michael have 4 kids and were trying for their 5th when their doctor advised them to avoid pregnancy for at least two years because of the the risk of Zika. They were especially disappointed by this recommendation because they are in their late 30's and worried they won't have many fertile years left to try for #5. After a bit of research, Vanessa and Michael decided to continue trying to get pregnant, but to take ordinary precautions like bug spray, keeping windows shut, etc.</li>
<li>Nancy and José are expecting their first child. Unfortunately, José traveled to Northern Brazil and was infected by Zika. They decides to abstain for the remainder of pregnancy to prevent sharing the infection during Nancy's pregnancy.</li>
</ul>
In the current environment, it is especially important that all Catholics, married and unmarried, must create a pro-life culture that supports couples who are expecting, values unborn children, and provides practical support to families coping with disabilities and poverty. If you are able, please consider donating to a pro-life charity that addresses these issues this Lent.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-80000724998568929382016-02-19T20:17:00.002-08:002016-02-19T20:18:34.826-08:00A Pro-Life Guide to Zika: No, Pope Francis did NOT give couples permission to use contraceptives!<div class="tr_bq">
<b>Did Pope Francis say that couples could use contraceptives to avoid pregnancy because of Zika?</b></div>
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No. In an interview on February 18th (<a href="http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/full-text-of-pope-francis-in-flight-interview-from-mexico-to-rome-85821/">full text here</a>), Pope Francis was asked the following question:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">Holy Father, for several weeks there’s been a lot of concern in many Latin American countries but also in Europe regarding the Zika virus. The greatest risk would be for pregnant women. There is anguish. Some authorities have proposed abortion, or else to avoiding pregnancy. As regards avoiding pregnancy, on this issue, can the Church take into consideration the concept of “the lesser of two evils?”</span></blockquote>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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Pope Francis responded:<br />
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<blockquote style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 5px; padding: 0px;">
Abortion is not the lesser of two evils. It is a crime. It is to throw someone out in order to save another. That’s what the Mafia does. It is a crime, an absolute evil. On the ‘lesser evil,’ avoiding pregnancy, we are speaking in terms of the conflict between the fifth and sixth commandment. Paul VI, a great man, in a difficult situation in Africa, permitted nuns to use contraceptives in cases of rape.</blockquote>
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<blockquote style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 5px; padding: 0px;">
Don’t confuse the evil of avoiding pregnancy by itself, with abortion. Abortion is not a theological problem, it is a human problem, it is a medical problem. You kill one person to save another, in the best case scenario. Or to live comfortably, no? It’s against the Hippocratic oaths doctors must take. It is an evil in and of itself, but it is not a religious evil in the beginning, no, it’s a human evil. Then obviously, as with every human evil, each killing is condemned.</blockquote>
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<blockquote style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 5px; padding: 0px;">
On the other hand, avoiding pregnancy is not an absolute evil. In certain cases, as in this one, or in the one I mentioned of Blessed Paul VI, it was clear. I would also urge doctors to do their utmost to find vaccines against these two mosquitoes that carry this disease. This needs to be worked on. </blockquote>
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While there has been widespread reporting of this as permission for Catholics to use contraceptives, this is simply not the case. The Pope mentions three things the Church already teaches:<br />
<ul>
<li>The Church allows the use of non-abortive contraceptives in cases of rape. </li>
<li>It is not immoral for married couples to prevent pregnancy. Preventing pregnancy within marriage "is not an absolute evil." Note that no where in this is contraceptive use condoned for consensual sex.</li>
<li>Abortion is always wrong.</li>
</ul>
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Catholics also do not believe the Pope can change social teachings by making short remarks to reporters, so in terms of the official teachings of the Church, this doesn't matter. For married couples, the only acceptable ways to avoid pregnancy are through abstinence, breastfeeding, and natural family planning.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-75215541835881112092016-02-13T15:23:00.001-08:002016-02-13T15:26:58.696-08:00A Pro-Life Guide to Zika: What is happening in Brazil?In October, 2015, Brazil's health officials started to notice an increase in the number of babies born with microcephaly in the northern states of Brazil. About 9 months earlier, in March and April of 2015, people had reported mild illnesses characterized by fever and rash, and it had been confirmed to be Zika. (For more of a timeline, check <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/health-zika-origin-idUSL8N15P557">this</a> out).<br />
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<br />
<b>Is this the first time Zika has been linked to problems for unborn babies?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
In 2013 and 2014 Zika spread through French Polynesia, infecting an estimated 20,000 people. While an increase in birth defects were not noticed at the time, health officials have taken another look in light of the news from Brazil, and found an increase in central nervous system malformations.<br />
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Source: <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/02/09/466152313/zika-in-french-polynesia-it-struck-hard-in-2013-then-disappeared">NPR's "Zika in French Polynesia"</a><br />
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<b>Before Zika arrived, how many babies had microcephaly each year in Brazil?</b><br />
<a href="http://www.pri.org/stories/2016-01-29/sketchy-numbers-behind-brazil-s-zika-crisis"></a><br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="http://www.pri.org/stories/2016-01-29/sketchy-numbers-behind-brazil-s-zika-crisis"><br /></a>
In 2010 to 2015, prior to the arrival of Zika, Brazil reported between 139 to 175 cases of babies born with microcephaly annually. It is very strongly suspected that microcephaly was under reported in these years.<br />
<ul>
<li> <a href="http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/brazil_statistics.html">UNICEF reports that just over 3,000,000 babies were born in Brazil in 2012.</a> Assuming that the risk of microcephaly in Brazil was the same as in the U.S., <a href="https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/home/GetDigitalAsset/8479">0.14%</a> for severe cases, we would expect around 4500 babies to be severely effected. This doesn't even include children with more moderate microcephaly!</li>
<li><a href="http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/45297/title/Brazil-s-Pre-Zika-Microcephaly-Cases/">Researchers looking over back over birth data prior to the arrival of Zika, from 2012-2014, have found many unreported cases of babies with microcephaly.</a></li>
</ul>
Sources: <a href="http://www.pri.org/stories/2016-01-29/sketchy-numbers-behind-brazil-s-zika-crisis">Public Radio International's "The sketchy numbers behind Brazil's Zika crisis"</a>,<br />
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<b>How many babies have been born with microcephaly in Brazil since the arrival of Zika?</b><br />
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There have been 4180 suspected cases of microcephaly since the beginning of October. 732 of these cases have been examined more closely. Of these 732 cases, 462 were rejected as false diagnosis, while 270 were confirmed as microcephaly. If this ratio of cases accepted were to continue, we would expect around 1600 cases to be confirmed.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/Zika%20virus:%20Brazil's%20surge%20in%20small-headed%20babies%20questioned%20by%20report">Nature's "Zika virus: Brazil's surge in small-headed babies questioned by report."</a><br />
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There are other reasons to suspect over-diagnosis since 2015, including:<br />
<ul>
<li>Broadening diagnostic criteria: Brazil increased the head circumference criteria in order to ensure any babies who might be effected received help. This is a good move if the goal is to make sure babies receive care, but it also means healthy children may be identified.</li>
<li>The Brazilian government started requiring doctors to report babies born with microcephaly in October, after which there were more reported cases.</li>
</ul>
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Source: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/01/29/brazil-may-have-fewer-zika-related-microcephaly-cases-than-previously-reported/">Washington Post's "Brazil may have fewer Zika-related..."</a></div>
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<b>Do we know what the risk of microcephaly is for a baby born to a mother who was infected during pregnancy?</b><br />
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No. The numbers aren't good enough to say anything definitively.<br />
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Source: <a href="http://www.nature.com/polopoly_fs/7.33594!/file/NS-724-2015_ECLAMC-ZIKA%20VIRUS_V-FINAL_012516.pdf">ECLAMC Summary and Conclusions</a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-6051436637316081032016-02-13T13:35:00.000-08:002016-02-13T15:35:06.447-08:00A Pro-Life Guide to Zika: How is Zika transmitted and how can I protect myself?<b>Do I need to worry about getting Zika?</b><br />
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4 in 5 adults infected by Zika have no symptoms at all. Those who do have symptoms tend to have very mild symptoms. Typically, 2-7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito, a symptomatic adult experiences fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes. Very few adults require medical attention, let alone hospitalization.</div>
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There is evidence that Zika can effect brain development in unborn babies. When a pregnant woman is infected, the infection can spread to her unborn child. This makes Zika a concern for many married Catholic couples.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Source: <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/zika/disease-qa.html">CDC's "Zika Virus: Questions and Answer's"</a><br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>How do mosquitoes transmit Zika?</b><br />
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Zika is transmitted by infected mosquitoes. The mosquitoes are infected when they bite a person who already has the virus.<br />
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Source: <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/zika/disease-qa.html">CDC's "Zika Virus: Questions and Answer's"</a><br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Is Zika sexually transmitted? </b><br />
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Yes, Zika can be transmitted sexually. There are currently three reports of Zika being transmitted by sex:<br />
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<ol>
<li>From a man to a woman, several days before the man experienced Zika symptoms.</li>
<li>A man to a man, with the first man having symptoms</li>
<li>A man who had Zika virus in semen up to 10 weeks after infection.</li>
</ol>
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There is not any evidence of woman to man transmission currently, nor of men who never developed symptoms transmitting Zika, but this may be because of the limited evidence.</div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6505e1.htm">CDC's "Guidelines for Prevention of Sexual Transmission of Zika"</a></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<br />
<b>How can I decrease my risk of catching Zika?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The "easiest" way to avoid Zika is <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/americas.html">to not live or travel to places which are effected</a>, but this is obviously not always possible.<br />
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If you and your spouse live in a region with mosquito-transmitted Zika, the CDC recommends taking serious precautions to prevent mosquito bites. Since Zika can be sexually transmitted, husband and wife should both prevent bites by:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants.</li>
<li>Staying inside in areas with window and door screens, or air conditioning.</li>
<li>Wearing EPA-approved mosquito repellent according to the directions.</li>
<li>Sleeping under mosquito netting.</li>
</ul>
<div>
If a husband is infected by Zika while his wife is pregnant, abstinence can prevent sexual transmission to mother and baby. We do not know how long the virus is present in semen yet, so there are no guidelines to what length of abstinence would prevent transmission.</div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/zika/disease-qa.html">CDC's "Zika Virus: Questions and Answer's"</a>, <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6505e1.htm">CDC's "Guidelines for Prevention of Sexual Transmission of Zika"</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-57003522603850108862016-02-13T13:34:00.001-08:002016-02-13T15:36:58.038-08:00A Pro-Life Guide to Zika: What is microcephaly?<b>What is microcephaly?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Microcephaly is diagnosed when a baby's head is much smaller than typical. There are varying criteria used by doctors. The most common is defined as a baby with a head circumference smaller than 2 standard deviations from normal (smaller than the 3rd percentile).<br />
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In about 15% of cases, babies with microcephaly have no other problems - they simply have small heads. For many babies though, microcephaly is the most easily observed sign that brain development has not gone normally. Babies with microcephaly are much more likely to have epilepsy, cerebral palsy, genetic issues, and mental retardation. These co-conditions are more common with more severe cases of microcephaly. Some experts advocate for using 3 standard deviations from the norm for diagnosis because they believe this more accurately predicts which babies will have serious problems.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Sources: <a href="https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/home/GetDigitalAsset/8479">American Academy of Neurology's paper, "Practice Parameter: Evaluation of a child with microcephaly"</a>, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/health/what-is-zika-virus.html">New York Times' "Short Answers to Hard Questions About Zika Virus"</a><br />
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<b>How common is microcephaly?</b><br />
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In the U.S., about 0.56% of babies are diagnosed with microcephaly (using the 2 standard deviation definition, see note * below). this is about 25,000 babies annually. Far fewer babies, only 0.14%, have severe microcephaly (greater than 3 standard deviations from normal). These numbers are prior from prior to 2009, so these are pre-Zika rates.<br />
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Sources: <a href="https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/home/GetDigitalAsset/8479">American Academy of Neurology's paper, "Practice Parameter: Evaluation of a child with microcephaly"</a><br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Aside from Zika, what causes microcephaly?</b><br />
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There are many things linked to microcephaly.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Infections of the fetus during pregnancy:</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1107.aspx?CategoryID=54">Toxoplasmosis</a> - This is caused by a parasite in under cooked meat and the reason doctors advise pregnant women to avoid cat litter.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cmv/basics/definition/con-20029514">Cytomegalovirus - A common virus that you probably already have.</a></li>
<li>Rubella, also called German measles.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/pregnancy/infections-chickenpox.html">Varicella, also called chicken pox.</a></li>
</ul>
<li>Malnutrition</li>
<li>Chromosomal abnormalities</li>
<li>Exposure to drugs, certain toxic chemicals, and alcohol.</li>
<li>Chromosomal abnormalities</li>
</ul>
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Severe malnutrition, drugs, and toxic chemicals are all worth avoiding regardless of whether you are pregnant or not, and I hope these are not an issue for anyone reading this! </div>
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You will notice that the infections listed are common and hard to avoid. Even worse, all of them lurk in our bodies after the initial infection, reemerging when our immune systems are weak as things like shingles. The good news is that they only pose a risk to a baby during active infection. </div>
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Sources: <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/microcephaly/basics/causes/con-20034823">Mayo Clinic "Microcephaly: Causes"</a><br />
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* For the statisticians in the audience - It's awfully strange that only 0.56% of babies have heads smaller than 2 standard deviations of the norm, when, by definition, we'd expect 2.3%! Baby heads are not normally distributed even though the diagnosis scheme assumes they are.<br />
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Sources: <a href="https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/home/GetDigitalAsset/8479">American Academy of Neurology's paper, "Practice Parameter: Evaluation of a child with microcephaly"</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-92049777455332936242016-02-13T13:34:00.000-08:002016-02-19T20:57:48.798-08:00A Pro-Life Guide to Zika: IntroductionIf you are trying to conceive, currently pregnant, or just Catholic and open-to-life, you have probably been following the recent news coverage of Zika virus. I know NaturalGuy and I have - it's hard not to tune in when <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/26/world/americas/el-salvadors-advice-on-zika-dont-have-babies.html?_r=0">some people are advising women to postpone pregnancy for 2+ years</a> (presumably by using contraceptives) and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/zika-prompts-urgent-debate-about-abortion-in-latin-america/2016/02/07/b4f3a718-cc6b-11e5-b9ab-26591104bb19_story.html">advocating for legalized abortion in Latin American countries</a>.<br />
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We've been especially interested because we are hoping to be expecting soon and the link between Zika and health problems in unborn babies is worrying. Like all Catholic married couples, we are called to generously and prudently grow our family. Accurate information is essential to this task. Unfortunately, we've had a lot of trouble finding that in the 24 hour news cycle.<br />
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We've had a lot of questions about Zika and I'm sure our questions are not unique. We hope you find the research we've done for ourselves helpful - we've linked the sources we've used so you can get the full story from the experts if you are interested. We're also working on a few more blog posts so stay tuned!<br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.readysetchart.com/2016/02/a-pro-life-guide-to-zika-how-is-zika.html"><b><span style="color: blue;">Should I be worried about zika virus? How can I avoid it?</span></b></a><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<b><a href="http://www.readysetchart.com/2016/02/a-pro-life-guide-to-zika-what-is.html"><span style="color: blue;">I keep hearing about microcephaly - what is it?</span></a></b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="color: #bf9000;"><a href="http://www.readysetchart.com/2016/02/a-pro-life-guide-to-zika-what-is_13.html">How many babies are effected in Brazil?</a></span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: blue;"><b><a href="http://www.readysetchart.com/2016/02/a-pro-life-guide-to-zika-no-pope.html">No, Pope Francis did NOT say contraceptives were acceptable for married couples!</a></b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;"><b><a href="http://www.readysetchart.com/2016/02/so-what-can-married-couples-in-zika.html">So, what can married couples in Zika effected areas do?</a></b></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-33191122638986591412016-01-20T23:18:00.000-08:002016-01-20T23:18:50.246-08:00Another Great Promo Video!I love when I see awesome promotional material for NFP! I know it's made on shoe-string budgets by couples who donate their time and talents because they know what a difference it makes!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xwmd5V1A4Oo" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-69918165025408408442016-01-20T22:52:00.001-08:002016-01-20T23:11:27.971-08:00The Question You Should Never Ask<b>"Why don't you have a baby!?"</b><br />
<b>"Do you have any... <i>news</i>?"</b><br />
<b>"We need a grandkid/niece/nephew by Halloween/Christmas/Easter!"</b><br />
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NaturalGuy and I got so many questions this Christmas season about babies - whether we were currently expecting, when we planned on having them, and why there wasn't one already.<br />
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We've got an answer to the first question - nope! We wish we had answers to the other two. There's really no polite way to say, "oh, we planned on 3 months ago!" or "we had financial reasons to wait until recently, but believe me we're trying!" I can't imagine the looks we'd get from acquaintances at holiday parties if I told the truth. There's no polite way to discuss how we're timing sex at a holiday party!<br />
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In other news, the never-ending cycle is close to ending - I finally ovulated on day 59! Last December I had a cycle of similar length (ovulated day 60). We're waiting for my period and hoping it doesn't show up. We're very excited to see what happens this cycle and hoping that if we're still trying, the next cycles are of a more normal length.<br />
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What I've been reading lately:<br />
<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4216977/">A study related to using NFP to conceive.</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-85151475058808468142015-12-26T22:14:00.000-08:002015-12-26T22:14:35.959-08:00Day 37 and No Peak :(Between a few very stressful work weeks, traveling, and yet another cold, ovulation has been very delayed. I can't decide whether delays are more frustrating while TTA or TTC. We had a wonderful Christmas and I can't help but hope we'll have a baby next year. Exciting stuff!<div>
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Now that we're approaching New Years, we're starting to think seriously about resolutions. I've been neglecting my 10000 step goal and I really want to get back to it. NaturalGuy and I have a few personal projects we're hoping to complete in the next few months. I'd also love to get our home more organized and get rid of things we no longer need. So many goals!</div>
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-56330037069013927632015-12-16T23:23:00.000-08:002015-12-16T23:23:01.245-08:00Happy Advent!We've had a crazy couple of weeks and we're still recovering! There's something about this time of year - it is so easy to get busy and so hard to slow down. NaturalGuy and I have both been extremely busy at work, we're working on getting ready to teach our first CCL class in January, and we're going to way too many Christmas parties.<br />
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Between being busy, not getting enough sick, and getting sick twice in 3 weeks, my cycle has gotten very strange - I had a few patches of mucus and very erratic temperatures. I'm on day 27 and I'm really hoping that I ovulate soon. There's so much waiting involved in trying to conceive! Waiting to ovulate, waiting to test, rinse and repeat. It's a little different from the abstinence involved in trying to avoid pregnancy, but wow, they both take patience.<br />
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Wishing you all a joy filled Advent and Christmas followed by an exciting New Year!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-63374470405026299582015-11-26T21:47:00.004-08:002015-11-28T12:57:06.808-08:00New CCL Video<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe width="480" height="399" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UBzE16KZ-pI/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UBzE16KZ-pI?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-3707450190305155382015-11-25T23:07:00.000-08:002015-11-28T11:39:47.933-08:00Trying to Conceive!!!This probably doesn't come as a shock after recent posts - NaturalGuy and I are very excited to have a child and finally feel ready to go for it!<br />
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How did we know we were ready to switch? It was 50% logic and 50% heart. We took a good look at our financial situation and read the fine print of our health insurance policy. We prayed and talked and prayed more. And then, one day, mid-cycle, we just had a lot of trouble justifying abstaining because we <i><b>wanted to have a baby</b></i>, preferably soon! We switched mid-cycle, two days post peak, and recently completed our first "real", full, TTC cycle. We aren't expecting yet. We're somewhat relieved - I'd be a little worried about using NFP in the future if we'd conceived on the P+2 day. We're also somewhat disappointed because we'd love to be expecting already! We're certainly excited to see what the next few months bring.<br />
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We couldn't be happier with how natural family planning transitions from "trying to avoid" to "trying to conceive." It has been incredibly helpful to have months worth of historical data and a good idea of when ovulation occurs - not to mention that there's no need to discontinue birth control or worry about the effects of artificial hormones on future pregnancies. We plan to continue charting until we're expecting - and we'll keep blogging about it, though I expect our notes will have a slightly different focus.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-37219295054873483572015-11-07T17:33:00.000-08:002015-11-07T17:33:36.071-08:00Hello again!Between being crazy busy at work, catching a terrible cold, and dealing with our insurance company (aaarrggghh!), NaturalGuy and I haven't blogged in over 2 weeks! Yikes! We've managed to read and listen to a <a href="http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/cw/post.php?id=643"><span style="color: #674ea7;">few</span></a> <a href="http://nfpaware.com/2012/08/whatever-happened-to-perserverance-and-work/"><span style="color: #a64d79;">interesting</span></a> <a href="http://www.fertilityfriday.com/category/podcast/">things</a> this week.<br />
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We'd love to promise that we'll be more consistent, but we're going to Hawaii next week and it's Thanksgiving the week after that, but we promise to be back on the wagon in December :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-44744251002079445642015-10-23T21:12:00.000-07:002015-10-23T21:30:56.436-07:00What does "trying to whatever" actually mean?Last week I had a great discussion with a friend about what "trying to whatever", TTW, means in the context of NFP. It's pretty easy to understand what "trying to avoid", TTA, means - what ever method you're using, you don't use any days identified as fertile. It's also self explanatory what "trying to conceive" means if you're using NFP - you should be aiming to use those fertile days!<br />
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I've had "trying to whatever" explained to me as a couple doing what they feel like and letting nature take its course. This seems like a slightly awkward definition to me - perhaps because in more secular circles, "trying to conceive" is used to encompass couples who are not contracepting, happy to have a baby if it happens, and having sex whenever they feel like it. On the other hand, it seems sensible to distinguish between couples who are partaking in the marital act when they feel like it and open to whatever happens from couples who are eager to get pregnant and timing intercourse to up their chances. For many couples, the results of "trying to whatever" and "trying to conceive" are the same - they get pregnant within a few cycles. But for other couples, it takes much more focused effort to achieve pregnancy.<br />
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One of my big questions about what it means to be "trying to whatever" is what that means for charting. <a href="http://live-love-nfp.tumblr.com/post/115683850388/making-the-best-of-your-ttw-experience">Couples take a variety of routes</a> from not charting at all to continuing to chart perfectly. I've heard of couples who stop observing cervical mucus, but still track temperature in order to calculate due dates. I don't really get how a woman accustomed to observing cervical mucus could forget about it, but obviously I trust people who report that this tactic has worked for them! Some couples consider charting while loosely following rules to avoid, like avoiding relations on days with egg white cervical mucus, to be a form of TTW, others categorize it as TTA, but with a higher risk tolerance.</div>
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For obvious reasons, NFP classes generally focus on teaching the rules necessary for couples who are avoiding pregnancy strictly or actively trying to achieve. I wish there were an extra practicum on how couples incorporate NFP and charting into their lives at other times. It's fascinating and has left me with a much greater appreciation of how flexible a tool NFP is in marriage!<br />
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And because it's been a LONG week and I'm writing this on Friday, please enjoy the following<br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><a href="http://whatshouldwecallnfp.tumblr.com/"><span style="color: magenta;">bonus link</span></a> :)</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-70686818714267291992015-10-14T17:05:00.002-07:002015-10-14T17:05:47.817-07:00Baby NaysayersI'm generally fine being asked when we plan to start our family, provided we're all very much on the same page about how unpredictable these things can be. It drives me up the wall though when people instruct me in what those plans ought to be. The most common ones I hear are <a href="http://offbeathome.com/2015/10/wait-to-have-kids">"don't have kids! It will ruin your life!" or "wait at least 5 years to have babies,"</a> often spoken by absolute strangers.<br />
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Is having small kids very very difficult? I'm sure it is! Are they worth it? Most parents seem to think so. I've done other difficult things, and for most of them I've been offered encouragement and support. People mention that these things are difficult, but worth it in the long term. Why not tell would-be parents these things too? After all, while couples have some ability to increase or decrease their chances of becoming pregnant, almost all couples, even those using contraceptives, "risk" becoming parents. Surely it can't be good to start out with years of baggage saying that your child has ruined your life?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-46653575771844796102015-10-07T10:26:00.000-07:002015-10-07T10:29:49.696-07:00Reluctant to take the mandatory NFP class?Are you dreading your first natural family planning class? When you realized you had to take it as part of marriage preparation, did you and your fiance roll your eyes? You are not alone - many couples, including NaturalGuy and I, are initially skeptical about NFP. When we got engaged, I just assumed that we would do the "responsible" thing and use birth control. It never crossed my mind that there were other options. NaturalGuy had heard about NFP in high school, but hadn't given it much thought since.<br />
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We were re-introduced to the idea of NFP by one of our favorite mathematics professors, who used NFP with her husband and knew we were Catholic. NaturalGuy was immediately convinced - I took a while! Nine months before our wedding, I started to feel really anxious about the possibility of having children as soon as we got married. I made an appointment to get a birth control prescription and even started the prescription before realizing that NFP was a much better option. It is never too late in your engagement or marriage to decide to learn and use NFP (except menopause!).<br />
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I wish someone had told me that it is normal to feel anxious about the possibility of getting pregnant. If you and your fiance has abstained this far, marriage will mark the first time you have a chance of getting pregnant. This is a huge change and couples the world over have found it scary! But contraceptives do not solve this fear because they do not remove the chance of pregnancy. Natural family planning is just as effective for postponing pregnancy, but comes with the additional benefit of understanding your bodies, cooperating as newlyweds, and having a very deep understanding of what type of "risk" you are taking.<br />
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If you and your fiance are already sexually active, you are probably currently using a contraceptive. Maybe you've never considered using NFP and feel happy with your current choice of birth control. You probably have a lot of questions about NFP - chiefly "why am I required to take an NFP class to get married?" The Catholic Church believes that using contraceptives is immoral - hormonal contraceptives, barrier methods, pulling out, sterilization, any method that seeks to prevent pregnancy by separating the procreative and unitive aspects of sex. There are three valid approaches couples can take - the default is having sex whenever they'd like and accepting children as they come, alternatively couples may observe a woman's natural cycles and time sex to increase or decrease the probability of pregnancy, and finally, a couple can abstain completely. Obviously many couples would prefer to limit the number of children they have and not abstain for long periods of time. (It's worth having a frank discussion with your priest about all of this. Why jump through the hoops for a Catholic wedding if you don't want a Catholic marriage?).<br />
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Maybe you and your fiance are practicing Catholics, but you are taking hormonal contraceptives for health reasons. Being required to take NFP classes might feel extra frustrating - after all, what is there to chart? This is very worth discussing with your instructors - they should be compassionate, understanding, and helpful. It's also worth discussing revisiting your treatment with your doctor, or even seeking the opinion of a doctor who is accustomed to treating patients without hormonal contraceptives. It's good to develop a long term plan, including how your treatment will change if you want to achieve pregnancy.<br />
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If you have hesitations, I highly recommend doing some research into NFP before your class - these classes can be extremely useful, but only if you know what you want to get out of them!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-72304099658980139942015-09-24T20:44:00.000-07:002015-09-24T20:44:22.534-07:00Some Thoughts on AbstinenceCouples have very different experiences with NFP - I am so grateful that NFP has, at least so far, been fairly straightforward for NaturalGuy and I. <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/catholicauthenticity/2015/07/rate-your-nfp-privilege-quiz/">There are so many factors that make NFP easy or difficult to use</a>, and we're very lucky to land on the "easy" side of the spectrum.<br />
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Last week I read an article by protestant pastor Jonathon Parnell about <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/when-the-sex-should-stop">"when the sex should stop"</a> in a marriage. It's not written with NFP in mind, but it gets to the core of sex being about sacrifice for your spouse. Some months, the sacrificial aspect of NFP seems especially topical! And then I read articles about couples with<a href="http://www.irinnews.org/printreport.aspx?reportid=100917"> truly grave reasons</a> to postpone from sex, and I'm reminded once again of how lucky we are!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-15799113030568340632015-09-12T17:35:00.000-07:002015-09-12T17:35:17.272-07:00A Conversation<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nMw8TOfG6ag" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-81309094079012587812015-09-04T11:39:00.000-07:002015-09-04T11:39:33.898-07:00Why EVERY couple should learn NFP and required NFP courses are a BAD IDEAOur diocese is currently considering making an NFP course a requirement of marriage preparation. If the diocese changed their requirement, all couples would be required to complete a full course in NFP, which generally means a series of three classes and charting follow up. Currently there is required NFP training, although it it generally mentioned briefly in the general marriage prep classes, or brought up by a priest when individually counseling couples. I have mixed feelings about this. We were not required to learn NFP while engaged, but we took our course at a parish that requires it, so we've seen a little of both situations.<br />
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On one hand, I really like the idea of requiring NFP training before marriage. Natural Family Planning is really just information - it's helpful to any couple of childbearing age. There's an obvious utility to requiring this course for couples who plan on postponing children when they are first married, but I think it's also useful in other cases. If a couple plans to try to conceive as soon as they're married, NFP can help them identify any obvious fertility problems when they are engaged, giving them a head start on addressing those problems. A well-rounded NFP course also covers how to increase your chances of conceiving, the benefits of breastfeeding to mother and child, and breastfeeding's effect on fertility. If these couples wish to use NFP after the birth of children, they will be able to pick it up much faster than if they had never charted before. This is especially important because post-partum charting can be more difficult, and of course, time is precious when a couple has small children! Finally, many couples switch to trying to postpone pregnancy during very stressful times in life - job loss, financial troubles, health problems, a child who needs extra help - and it's good to already know the basics of NFP before hand, so you aren't trying to learn something new and difficult in the midst of everything else.<br />
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I think Natural Family Planning also encourages a healthy attitude towards married life and the "marital embrace." While it encourages generosity in having children, it also encourages sacrifice for the sake of your spouse and family. Yes, abstinence isn't fun, especially when it's lengthy, but it also isn't difficult when the health and well being of your family is at stake.While I don't think NFP is required by Catholicism (after all, for most of history Catholics haven't used anything other than abstinence to space children!), I don't think learning NFP makes us less reverent - in fact I think it really highlights how amazing marriage, sex, and children are! Good NFP courses discuss the theology and moral aspects of married sex and parenting - these parts are relevant to all couples and they're not really about charting.<br />
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Having said all of that, our classroom experience of NFP wasn't great. There were about 10 couples there, and I'm pretty sure that there was only one other couple that wasn't already having contracepted pre-marital sex. This shifted the tone of the class dramatically. In a class where most couples are already having pre-marital sex, post-marital abstinence is a difficult sell. It was difficult to talk about charting in a practical manner because most of our classmates weren't interested in learning to chart because they were already using hormonal contraceptives. And our teaching couple's attention was focused on 8 couples who weren't happy to be there, instead of on the 2 couples that actually planned on using NFP.<br />
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Now, I suspect that a great teaching couple might be able to handle this type of classroom. They'd be able to gently persuade the reluctant couples of the wisdom of NFP, teach couples already intending to use NFP how to chart and determine fertility, and support couples using NFP to postpone or achieve pregnancy, all while being kind, gracious, and inoffensive. But not all teaching couples are saints and they shouldn't have to be. Frankly, if Catholic couples planning on a Catholic wedding are having pre-marital sex while using contraception, something went wrong a long time ago in the formation process! I suspect that the move to require NFP courses for engaged couples is an attempt to handle these issues. I worry that requiring NFP classes for all engaged couples is really just a way to move the blame. Now, we can ask why NFP classes are so ineffective at reaching their audience, instead of why either (a) good Catholic couples weren't taught what the Church teaches about marriage, sex, and children well before marriage or (b) why people who aren't practicing Catholics think that they can get married in the Church without being Catholic.<br />
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I think NFP is a very important tool in a Catholic marriage - I think it encourages spouses to be thoughtful about the responsibilities they have to each other and their family, while also seeing children as a great gift. I think that most engaged Catholic couples would benefit enormously from taking an NFP course. But I worry that by mandating courses, we would inadvertently change the focus of the course from giving already-convinced Catholic couples a tool for married life to a sort of remedial "teachings of the Church" class. That seems like a bad outcome for everyone.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092226624661525877.post-20375530407982949122015-09-02T16:55:00.001-07:002015-09-02T17:43:04.344-07:00IUDs - Why Worry?I've heard a lot about IUDs in the last year -<a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-hudson-peconic/teens/iuds-safe-effective"> they prevent teen pregnancy</a>, <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/05/30/forget-the-pill-iud-is-the-new-queen-of-birth-control.html">they're popular with young women</a>, and <a href="http://www.livescience.com/21866-iud-gynecologists-birth-control-myths.html">they're the top choice of gynecologists</a>.<br />
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Unfortunately, I've heard less about the health risks:<br />
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<li>Infection - <a href="http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/718183_5">0.97% of women, that is, just under one woman in every hundred who get an IUD, get an infection during the insertion process. Women who use an IUD and then develop sexually transmitted infections face higher risks of pelvic inflammatory disease, and subsequent infertility.</a> <a name='more'></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.drugdangers.com/mirena/organ-perforation.htm">Perforation</a> - I think it goes without saying that I do not want to deal with <a href="http://www.aafp.org/afp/2013/1115/p634.html">uterus perforation, not to mention subsequent perforation of nearby organs</a>. <a href="http://www.obgyn.net/acog-2014/uterine-perforation-rates-levonorgestrel-and-copper-iuds">One woman in every thousand who use an IUD has to deal with this</a>, and that is a risk I wouldn't want to take.</li>
<li>For hormonal IUDs (Mirena) - Mirena is a progestin-only IUD, and has many side effects typically associated with hormonal contraception, including <a href="http://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-20420-4300/mirena-intrauterine/levonorgestrel-releasing5yearsystem-intrauterine/details/list-sideeffects">high blood pressure, nausea, depression, and ovarian cysts.</a></li>
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I've also heard very little about how IUDs work - rather than preventing ovulation, IUDs primarily work by making the making the uterus hostile to sperm, and hostile to the fertilized egg. The<a href="https://www.mirena-us.com/assets/Mirena-Brochure_English.pdf"> Mirena's brochure</a> states that</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Mirena may work in several different ways. It may:<br />
• Thicken cervical mucus to prevent sperm from
entering your uterus<br />
• Inhibit sperm from reaching or fertilizing your egg<br />
• Make the lining of your uterus thin. <br />
Mirena may stop the release of your egg from your
ovary, but this is not the way it works in most cases.
Most likely the above actions work together to prevent
pregnancy. </blockquote>
To clarify, this means that in many cases neither ovulation nor fertilization is prevented. Instead, a fertilized egg, the beginning of a new human life, already complete with unique DNA from his or her mother and father, is prevented from implanting to the uterus. This isn't contraception - it's abortion.<br />
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This is one of the reasons IUDs start working right away - or even retrospectively since they can be started as a means of emergency contraception. According to Planned Parenthood, <a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/5713/9611/6188/Emergency_Contraception_History_and_Access.pdf">"A copper-releasing IUD (ParaGard®) can be insertedwithin five days of unprotected intercourse as a method of EC"</a> and the emergency insertion reduces the risk of pregnancy up to 99%.<br />
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Finally, I've heard very little about the risks to mother and child if an accidental pregnancy occurs while using an IUD. Both the Paragard and Mirena brochures state plainly that pregnancy while using an IUD, can be "life threatening" and "result in loss of pregnancy or
fertility."<br />
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I think the way we discuss IUDs, focusing on their effectiveness at separating sex and reproduction rather than their serious health risks and abortive mechanisms, says a lot about what society has decided to prioritize, and it certainly isn't women and children.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0