NFP Teacher: AKA Miracle Worker

This edition of CANFNEWS is a celebration of NFP teachers! Teaching the method is itself a great gift, but sometimes I think it is just the tip of the iceberg of the impact these teachers have on our culture. The NFP teacher does so much more than impart facts. They share a personal relationship, supporting those encountering the deeper, life giving—and often counter cultural—truths reflected in NFP methods. In addition to their tremendous one on one impact, many of the NFP teachers I know also demonstrate their professionalism by reaching out to their communities giving talks, as well as becoming professional members of CANFP to spread this good news beyond their local sphere. Teaching a method of natural family planning that will last a woman’s entire reproductive life is a great gift!

Those of us who have been promoting NFP for years see a distinct difference between those learning NFP from an app or book compared to those learning from a teacher. Without the reinforcements and corrections in the early stages of learning NFP, many either miss an important aspect or become complacent about the observations, not forming the habits a teacher can help establish. Unlike an app, the NFP teacher can also address their unique questions and challenges. In teaching the young, the NFP teacher has a rare opportunity to become a chastity coach to the unmarried. With the gift of understanding one’s own body, in the midst of rapid changes, the NFP teacher helps the young woman’s confidence and  feelings of self-worth grow, as she starts to understand how beautifully she was created, and in a very concrete way, that she is “worth the wait”. In the later reproductive years, when the body again changes patterns, the NFP teacher can give personalized guidance by helping the woman understand the messages her body is giving. For those using the method to space children, it is often the NFP teacher giving guidance for maintaining open and loving communication during times of abstinence, in addition to the detailed instructions for optimizing effectiveness. For those struggling with infertility, the NFP teacher shares tangible hope as the couple identify problems that can be addressed or fine tune the window of optimal fertility. The teacher is often an added shoulder to lean on during the journey, as well as the first one to share their joy at the earliest good news.

The miracle worker in my office, Angelica, is the care coordinator for those who have sometimes complicated regimens of diagnostic evaluation, and timing of medications for infertility or cycle abnormalities, reminding them of the timing, and reminding me of the labs as they return for follow up. I wouldn’t be able to practice restorative reproductive medicine in my office without a talented NFP teacher working beside me. In addition, she keeps all of the couples struggling with fertility in her prayers, and is always ready to answer their questions and provide support.

I am especially grateful for the NFP teachers who become professional members of CANFP. Couples who may never have found such services through other channels, locate them through the online directory. Their professional dues help spread the message, through supporting this publication, the website, seminars, conferences & exhibits.  

One person at a time, NFP teachers help women see the beauty of how they are created—to be loved and cherished. Next time you see an NFP teacher, please join me in telling them Thank You for being powerful agents of change, in a world hungry for the good news.