Meet Member Stefania Bigi Alzati

My first encounter with methods of Natural Family Planning was during my Pre-Cana class in 2008. I remember very clearly my thoughts while a woman was explaining what these methods were and their benefits for women and for couples: “I don’t need this, I already know what I need to know”.

I had just started working as a physician, and I was confident that my studies had prepared me well enough both for my career and my personal needs. I also knew we wanted to be open to life once we got married, so I thought, with some pride and some superficiality, that the whole topic was not for me.

Little did I know that we were about to enter a time of deep struggle, that my studies had not really prepared me to know what every woman should know about her reproductive health, and that it was a system for fertility appreciation that turned our life around for the best!

In fact, as newlyweds we went through several years of infertility, during which it was hard to find support and answers other than the usual “keep trying”; or “your best chance is through IVF”.

When we met a gynecologist that practiced NaProTechnology and introduced us to the use of the Creighton Model FertilityCare System, things started to change.

We experienced the relief of feeling supported and guided, we started learning more about our bodies and became extremely connected at a much deeper level in our relationship.

We have been blessed with four children since then. After I became pregnant with our first daughter, I felt called to spread the “good news” to other women. That’s when I decided to train in both NaProTechnology and as a FertilityCare Practitioner through the Creighton Model System.

In the last nine years I have guided and taught many women and couples, most struggling with infertility. I have seen them regain their confidence and self-esteem, enrich their marital relationship, and be more empowered when it came to making choices and taking care of themselves. While I haven’t been able to support them as a NaPro Doctor because of a European degree not yet recognized in the US, I have combined my expertise as a FertilityCare Practitioner with my work as a Health and Wellness Coach.

Interestingly enough, this different approach to medical conditions has shown me how lifestyle changes can dramatically improve our wellbeing and our reproductive health because of their ability to impact the root cause of our condition. Our body speaks to us and when we have the tools, there is so much we can take care of with some support and willingness to work on ourselves!