Why learn NFP when you are engaged?

Jeff and Natalie at the Botanical GardensThe text below appeared in a recent issue of The Chart, a newsletter published by the Archdiocese of St. Louis' Office of Natural Family Planning. I co-wrote the article with my beautiful fiancée, Natalie (she'll be my wife in two weeks!):

Using Natural Family Planning has helped my fiancée and I to understand her body in a new light, and has helped us grow in love. The method helps us to communicate and appreciate her signs of fertility. It has alerted us to some potential fertility issues that we can account for and discuss with her doctor before we begin our married sexual relationship. We have also been privileged to form new friendships with other couples practicing NFP.

We would both heartily recommend engaged couples learn an NFP method and speak with a certified practitioner as soon as possible after their engagement. Doing so will help them to identify possible fertility problems, be more prepared for conceiving children, and increase communication in their relationship.