When my now-husband and I got engaged, I knew one of the items on the wedding planning checklist was to figure out a form of birth control. The problem was, I really didn’t want to be on the Pill. Many of my friends were on it, and they all hated it. I heard frequent complaints about weight gain, unusual bleeding, moodiness and anxiety, and sluggishness. I even had two co-workers who had serious medical issues because of their use of the Pill. I did not want a pulmonary embolism because of my birth control. No, thank you.
So I knew the Pill was not for me. But, what were the other options? I wanted something that was effective, convenient, and hormone-free.
How I learned about family planning options other than hormonal birth control
A simple internet search led me to the world of fertility awareness. I will admit that I was initially skeptical—wasn’t this the rhythm method I’d been warned about?—but I wanted to believe that it worked! So I investigated.
Although I was not Catholic, I found the most helpful information on the website of the local Catholic Diocese, and I called their office for an overview of all the methods taught in the area. I immediately knew the method I would try: the Creighton Model System.
Why I decided on the Creighton Method
I wish I could say it was because of how researched or effective the method was (it does boast an impressive 99.5% effectiveness rate for avoiding pregnancy), but honestly, I chose it because it seemed the easiest. Instead of monitoring temperature early in the morning or needing internal cervical exams, Creighton only required me to observe my cervical mucus when I went to the bathroom.
In addition to how easy it seemed, there was an entire field of medicine devoted to it: NaProTechnology. I figured, ‘if it’s good enough for OB/GYNs, then it’s good enough for me’. I soon began attending education sessions.
Learning fertility awareness through the Creighton Method opened a whole new world of knowledge and health benefits
As I mentioned, I knew when I began researching that I wanted an option that was reliable and accurate. What I didn’t realize I needed was an option that was also informative.
After only a few sessions with a Creighton instructor, I went from almost no knowledge about my menstrual cycles and fertility to an incredible amount. I knew information like when I was ovulating, what hormones were active when, and exactly when my next period would start. This last one felt especially empowering after years of carrying around a tampon or two “just in case.”
I always knew a lot was happening in between periods, but I didn’t really understand what, when, or how. Now, I was seeing it happen before my eyes, and it felt incredibly empowering.
After just a couple months, my cycle charting revealed several issues
Within just a few cycles of charting, my FertilityCare Practitioner could already see an issue that warranted a medical referral—low progesterone production. Although I was uncertain if this was really a big deal, I decided to trust her and see a medical provider who was familiar with Creighton charting and trained in NaProTechnology. I received a prescription for bioidentical progesterone to take after ovulation, and I experienced my first-ever cycle without pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS).
If you had asked me before then if I suffered from PMS, I would’ve likely said no. It just felt like part of being a woman; what choice did any of us have? But once I discovered that those PMS symptoms were a result of low progesterone production, I was able to treat the issue and experience a cycle without bloating, fatigue, and moodiness. It was revolutionary for me—and I was hooked!
I soon started sharing about Creighton to all my friends!
This was around the time I began telling all of my friends about the Creighton Method. Before this, I was uncertain what they’d think about trying something so “different” from the mainstream. But once I experienced an improvement in my overall quality of life and felt so knowledgeable about my cycles and periods, I had to pass along the information to friends. I wanted them to experience the same knowledge and health improvements that I had!
Plus, I was still hearing complaints from friends about being on the Pill. The problem was, they didn’t know of any alternatives. It seemed that the Pill was the only option for addressing common issues like painful periods, irregular cycles, or PMS. Now I knew another option, though, and one that didn’t come with its own set of side effects like anxiety, decreased libido, and increased risk of blood clots.
When I realized I wanted to become a Creighton Method instructor
It wasn’t long before I found myself being “the cycle expert” whose friends would text with questions about women’s health issues or fertility questions. The problem was, the only thing I was an expert in were my own menstrual cycles. I didn’t know how to provide the individualized education I’d received, and I knew my friends deserved more. At the same time, I saw firsthand how the practical questions about periods and ovulation stirred deeper questions about truly vulnerable and meaningful topics like womanhood, shame, motherhood, body image, and purpose.
I felt a stirring to answer this call to women in need, and I began training to become a Creighton FertilityCare Practitioner myself. I wanted to pursue the highest level of education available to an allied healthcare professional, and I was thrilled to find that in the Creighton Education Program. It required the completion of a 13-month program with education intensives, regular exams, supervised practicums, and a research paper.
All women deserve to know how their bodies work
Now, several years into my work as a Certified Creighton Method FertilityCare Practitioner, I feel more strongly than ever that every woman deserves to understand how her body works. Women deserve to know what’s happening in their cycles, and how to spot signs of hormone imbalance or reproductive concern. Every woman should be taught how to accurately predict her next period, and she ought to know when she’s fertile and infertile.
Women deserve education and options when it comes to reproductive health and family planning. I can’t control the medical field and their pushing of hormonal contraception and LARCs, but I can do my part to spread awareness about our ability to understand and engage with our own bodies and fertility in a natural, cooperative, and holistic way.
I am thankful for the women who went before me to share their own experiences and explore the world of fertility awareness, so that I can be where I am today—a part of the growing network of women committed to understanding and engaging with their reproductive health for our good, and the good of future generations of women.
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