Meet Member Jenni Schaeffer

Jenni first learned to chart her cycles using the Ovulation Method as a nursing student and newlywed in 1987. Her motivation to begin charting was purely for health reasons. She knew she didn’t want to take the birth control pill. She learned long distance with minimal to no follow up. After a time charting, she and her husband began trying to achieve pregnancy, only to experience infertility. She reports nobody wanted to help and was advised to just go to a support group. After ten years of being unable to conceive, she became pregnant, and welcomed a son. Five years later, they adopted their daughter from China. Jenni began teaching the Creighton Model FertilityCare system in 2010, in response to an invitation from her pastor, Fr. Blaise Berg. Upon her return from the initial weeklong education program, Jenni saw Fr Berg after Mass and started to tear into him saying “What have you gotten me into? I didn’t know this was going to be so hard.” Fr. Berg then said in reply “Mary, our Blessed Mother didn’t know what she was getting into either”. “That shut me up immediately” Jenni recalls. Jenni has been a proponent of teaching girls how to chart their cycles at a young age. She proposes NFP should be taught by 8th or 9th grade, before the influences of the world have taken hold. She has observed that waiting until marriage prep is too late for some. Jenni likes empowering women to know their bodies and learning NFP is a great start. Because Jenni had little to no follow up with a teacher when learning to chart her own cycles, she is a big proponent of the value of follow up instruction, and instills this in her couples. She feels so blessed to teach such good women and couples who are trying hard to have a good marriage and stay healthy. When asked why she is a Professional Membership of CANFP, she had this to share:

“I became a member of CANFP because I think “professionalism” is very much needed to be upheld. It never occurred to me to not be a member. I was “all in” from the start and wanted a way to keep in contact with other professionals who shared my same values. I also wanted a way to receive updated information on treatment for endometriosis, PCOS, and other chart related issues that I see often. I stay a member because I enjoy reading people’s articles, and believe the connection is important. California is such a liberal state, that having a “CANFP world” is comforting. It is nice to know I am not the only one out here who feels strongly about these issues.