NFP as a Husband and Programmer
Written by Jim Volpe. Originally published in Family Foundations.
As the husband, the documentation aspects of NFP have always fallen to me to handle. Whether it was a book of charts, or a pencil and the back of an envelope, or software that was installed from a CD, or an app in my pocket, recording observations was my part of the deal. Since I learned NFP when cell phones were still only phones, I dreamed of the day when a computer program could help with all this interpretation. As the family engineer, primary interpretation of the charts was another way I supported my wife on our fertility journey. Although I was never ambitious enough to code a spreadsheet to interpret our data as some other couples I know did, I hoped the day would come when there was easy assistance with the important task of interpretation.
Years ago, CCL provided this assistance with the CycleProGo app. However, just as my cell phone has done through numerous upgrades to the pocket computer it is now, our fertility support has advanced with the times and is embarking on another step in that evolution with PeakDay. The upgrades are already amazing, with a new user interface, a beautiful color palette, and resolution of some rare bugs. With the improved interface, it is even easier to customize your inputs beyond the basics to other helpful details such as weight, activity, and ovulation testing. The color palette is soothing and warm which is exactly how I want to feel at the end of the day when I’m entering observations and working with my wife to make important decisions. Although the Save button initially bothered me, it avoids tricky bugs where I would accidentally enter data that I didn’t mean to enter. Now I get a clear confirmation that data entry occurred, and errors are avoided. After years in the software industry as well as becoming a coder at home, I’m pleased to see our app advance to high levels of modern performance.
As a long-time teacher with CCL and a coach for FSI, I’m also very excited by the improved message boards and chart sharing features. It is now even easier to share your information with knowledgeable folks who are eager to help. You can view shared charts within the app as well as through text or email. If you reach out on the message boards, you are likely to have me ( or someone from our LIVE support team) respond. I hope to hear from you after the launch and after you peruse the FAQs for even more prompt support!