Marilyn M. Shannon Archives

The Lowdown on Caffeine

An excerpt from Marilyn M. Shannon’s book, Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition. **** Caffeine is a good slave but a bad master. When you use it only occasionally or in moderation, it provides a lift that many people enjoy. However, it affects the nervous system, and can cause anxiety and irritability. It can deprive you of a…

Albuquerque Symposium Highlights Validity of Natural Methods

Medical professionals and students gained new appreciation for NFP in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on February 3 at a CCL-planned symposium entitled, “Modern Fertility Awareness for Family Planning and Women’s Health.” The event, hosted by CCL Teaching Couple Barry and Emilee Reinholz, could earn attendees up to 5.5 Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits by the American…

Shorter, Lighter and Pain-free Periods

Fun fact: A natural, healthy period should not be long, heavy or painful. You read that correctly: five days at most, only moderate flow, with no noticeable cramping. But when you think of having your period, what comes to mind? If you’re like most women who experience these negative symptoms (along with an array of…

SLS18: Young Women Find Hope at CCL Booth

Countless wonderful and beautiful things happened at Focus’ 2018 Student Leadership Summit in Chicago last week, but one thing in particular stood out at the Couple to Couple League booth: Young ladies from across the country were being blown away by the beauty of their own bodies. Many women (and men) who approached our booth…

The Continuum of Fertility: Breastfeeding

An excerpt from Marilyn M. Shannon’s book, Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition. **** The experience of a nursing mother — as she follows a continuum from complete infertility to normal fertility — is instructive for non-nursing women with irregular cycles or unexplained infertility. At the beginning of breastfeeding When the hormones of ovulation — FSH and LH…

Coping with Postpartum Thyroiditis

An excerpt from Marilyn M. Shannon’s book, Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition. **** At some point after giving birth, often before the baby is six months old, a small percentage of women experience thyroid problems. About one to four months after the birth, some new mothers (approximately 4 percent) develop an overactive thyroid gland. They may…