NFP is often discussed as a way to postpone pregnancy, but the same knowledge is just as valuable for couples who long for a child. For some, understanding the fertile window is all they need. For others, months turn into years, and the waiting becomes a heavy sorrow. If that is where you are, we want to say first that your longing is good, your grief is real, and you are not alone.
Using your chart to conceive
When seeking pregnancy, couples aim for intercourse during the days when fertile-type mucus is present and especially around the peak day, the last day of the most fertile mucus. Hormone monitors and LH tests can help identify this window. A chart also shows whether ovulation appears to be occurring and whether the luteal phase seems adequate. If you have been trying for some time without success, bring your charts to a doctor. Your physician can tell you when an evaluation makes sense for you, which may be sooner if you are older or have a known condition.
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Sources
- CCC 2373-2379 Catechism of the Catholic Church, The gift of a child
- CCC 2376-2377 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Techniques that dissociate conception from the marital act
- Donum Vitae II Donum Vitae (CDF, 1987), Interventions upon human procreation
- Dignitas Personae 12-16 Dignitas Personae (CDF, 2008), New problems concerning procreation
- Gaudium et Spes 50 Gaudium et Spes (Vatican II, 1965), The fruitfulness of marriage