Jacob and Melanie’s love story
Real couples really do use NFP, and we asked them to tell us their NFP story. We will be sharing them here on the blog — the good parts and the struggles. Each of these couples is writing their own love story, and have chosen to do so by following God’s plan for marriage.
Here is Jacob and Melanie’s story.
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Were you initially skeptical about NFP?
No, but I (Melanie) had doubts that I would be able to effectively check and interpret my signs. I overcame my first doubt by learning what signs were normal for my body through frequent, regular checks. As for my second concern, that’s my husband’s main job with NFP — interpreting our charts.
Was NFP difficult to learn?
Since I was just a few months postpartum, my body wasn’t cycling. It was more difficult to learn the methods without a cycle, but through constant checking and referring back to the textbook, we learned successfully.
Has anything surprised you about using NFP?
I’m surprised how many changes my body goes through that I hadn’t noticed before.
Who participates in observations, charting and interpreting?
I do the observations and most of the charting. Jake likes to chart the “coitus” and does the interpreting.
What aspects of contraception are you glad you left behind?
I never knew of the abortifacient property of the birth control pill. As soon as I did, I vowed never to use artificial birth control again.
What changed your mind about contraception and caused you to choose NFP?
As I learned more about our Catholic faith — specifically the purpose of the marital act and the negative effects of artificial birth control — I chose NFP to stay true to my beliefs.
What changes have you seen in the dynamics of your relationship (if any) since starting natural family planning?
With NFP, our sex life is more challenging than with artificial birth control because my husband has trouble abstaining, so it can be difficult during those times.
Did you and your spouse ever disagree on NFP? How so? How do you work out those differences?
We never disagree about using NFP, but we have disagreed about our reason to abstain at different times. We always try to keep the dialogue open and we know that we both need to agree that for us to have relations during my fertile period, we should be in agreement that it is a good time in our marriage to welcome another baby.
Has NFP affected your relationship with God?
Yes. we are more closely aligned to his will and have been more open to life. We understand our sexuality as a gift that can produce life, God’s ultimate gift.
Do you have an NFP love story to share? Contact Ann Gundlach at CCL at 800-745-8252 ext 1033. Or share this story with someone who needs to hear it!