By: ELM
Editor’s Note: As we near the end of Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month, we are featuring an interview with a soon-to-be mother of six who used the Sympto-Thermal Method — and later the Creighton Model for its diagnostic benefits — to aid her fertility journey. She describes the support she received, particularly from her family physician, after experiencing several miscarriages.
On a winter evening, I sat across the kitchen table from Mary* while her two-year-old happily munched on dried blueberries and her ten-year-old reluctantly bid us good night. As we sipped cups of tea, I had the privilege of hearing Mary relate the joys and sorrows of her fertility journey with Paul,* her husband.
Mary and Paul* hoped to have a large family. During the early years of their marriage, they used the Sympto-Thermal Method, taught by Couple to Couple League to achieve pregnancy, and welcomed two children over three years. The Sympto-Thermal Method utilizes the signs of cervical mucus, basal body temperature, and changes in the cervix to divide the fertility cycle into three phases: (1) menstruation and infertility, (2) fertility and ovulation, and (3) infertility. Couples learn how to observe their fertility signs and follow specific guidelines to either avoid or achieve pregnancy depending on their family planning goals.
When Mary and Paul tried to conceive for a third time, they experienced several miscarriages. Saddened by these pregnancy outcomes, they began to investigate the possibiliity of health irregularities that might be contributing to the miscarriages. The couple felt confident they could investigate underlying health irregularities because they were already patients of Dr. Laura Archuleta, a family physician who was trained as a Creighton Medical Consultant and utilized NaPro technology in her clinical practice. To better evaluate Mary’s reproductive health, Dr. Archuleta recommended that the couple switch to charting using the Creighton Model.
They charted using the Creighton Model for four months. Utilizing information gained from the Creighton chart and considering a prior history of spotting during Mary’s first trimester, Dr. Archuleta recommended supplemental progesterone during the luteal phase of Mary’s cycle to help achieve and support a pregnancy. When the couple did conceive, Dr. Archuleta recommended further progesterone supplementation during the early weeks of pregnancy to reduce their risk of another miscarriage.
After successfully using Creighton charting to identify and treat underlying hormonal abnormalities, Mary was ready to return to the Sympto-Thermal Method. She laughed as she recounted, “Creighton asks you to use too much toilet paper with the wiping before and after you go.” While stated in jest, Mary highlights the point that natural family planning methods ultimately have to fit into a woman’s lifestyle. Each method presents different pros and cons, and greater awareness of various methods allows women and couples the autonomy to determine which method is most appropriate for them.
“Each method presents different pros and cons, and greater awareness of various fertility awareness-based methods allows women and couples the autonomy to determine which method is most appropriate for them.”
Now with baby number six on the way, Mary and Paul are grateful for how fertility awareness-based methods (FABMs) have helped them plan their family. After years of practicing the Sympto-Thermal Method, Mary feels confident reading the signs of her body as she approaches ovulation. With knowledge of her changing mucus, Mary often uses the basal body temperature change as a “double-check.” She marvels that a change by about a half a degree Fahrenheit is a consistent and reliable marker of ovulation. Additionally, as she has become more aware of her body’s changing fertility, Mary has learned to identify other signs and symptoms associated with ovulation. For example, she will often feel “a little off” or extra tired one afternoon, and these changes in energy correlate with the other more objective biomarkers of ovulation.
As a couple hoping to raise a large family, Mary and Paul appreciated the reliability of FABMs, as well as the versatility. Different FABMs worked better for them during different seasons and struggles with their fertility. They are also grateful for the data the Creighton Model charting provided when there was a concern about underlying health problems related to Mary’s recurrent miscarriages.
“As a couple, they appreciated the reliability of FABMs, as well as the versatility. Different FABMs worked better for them during different seasons and struggles with their fertility.”
Mary emphasized how many people contributed to her natural family planning journey with Paul, from the couple that originally taught them the Sympto-Thermal Method to, Dr. Archuleta, the family physician trained in Creighton and NaProTechnology. Amidst the joyful noise of family life and five children eagerly awaiting the new baby’s birth, a comment at her visit for a twenty-week ultrasound struck Mary. Upon learning that this was baby number six for the couple, a nurse smiled and said, “You are blessed.”
*Names have been changed to respect the privacy of the interviewee and her family. All information is shared with permission.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ELM
ELM is a graduate of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine Temple University. She is passionate about fertility awareness-based method’s role in restoring health, strengthening couple unity and fostering family life.
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