Marilyn Shannon Archives - Natural Family Planning | Fertility Awareness

Postpartum Care for Mom

Life changes profoundly during postpartum after the new baby arrives! The entire family dynamic is reshuffled. If it is the first child, the husband and wife become parents. A single child becomes a big brother or sister. The current baby becomes an older sibling. Schedules change; sleep patterns are disrupted; visitors come and go. The…

Morning Sickness and Self-Care

Author Marilyn Shannon offers pregnant women common sense self-care strategies that can help reduce morning sickness. In her booklet, Managing Morning Sickness, Marilyn, along with her daughter, Rosemary Shannon Imrick, who ‘field-tested’ of some of the suggestions, draws from medical research, her counseling experience, and her understanding of human physiology and shows that taking vitamins…

Losing a Treasure: Marilyn Shannon

Anyone who has followed CCL for any amount of time is likely familiar with our best-selling book, Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition by Marilyn Shannon. The 5th edition was just released a few months, and was a complete re-write (not just an update) with as much solid, new information on the connection between nutrition and fertility…

A Self-help Guide for PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects roughly 5 million people worldwide, making it one of the most common causes of infertility in women. September is dedicated to PCOS awareness, but we’re willing to bet there’s some stuff even you armchair experts didn’t know about its detection and treatment. Check out this helpful infographic, compiled from the newest edition of Marilyn Shannon’s Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition, available digitally and in print next month!

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…

Understanding Irregular Cycles

Cycle irregularity and infertility are related as a continuum, and therefore the self-care for irregular cycles and infertility is the same. Several common causes of cycle irregularity and infertility may be seen on the chart. Short luteal phase, thyroid problems, and underweight or low body fat all affect the charted signs. It’s possible for more…

NFP Couples Find Natural Shift to a Healthier Life

Ten years ago if you would’ve told Laura Devick she’d have chickens in her garage, the newlywed would’ve laughed. But fast forward a decade, and, since they’ve made a “natural shift,” you’ll find three chickens behind her home in downtown Fargo, N.D. – bantam-sized Ameracaunas that spend the day roosting in an “incognito coop” inside…

Nature Cycles For a Reason

I haven’t come across too many people who don’t like the autumn season with its beautiful changing leaves and crisp, cooler air. And because the changing scenery is so vivid, I can’t help but be reminded that nature cycles — it moves from one phase to another and repeats. And as a woman, so do I.…

Morning Sickness: Is it Inevitable?

Marilyn Shannon doesn’t think so. The author of CCL’s popular book, Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition, has found many common sense self-care strategies that can help reduce morning sickness, drawing from medical research, her counseling experience, and her understanding of human physiology. She has recently updated her booklet Managing Morning Sickness from the ground up, and…