By Terri Ziliak
Natural Family Planning
Editor’s note: Terri Ziliak, Holy Family Center for Life practitioner, recently interviewed Gavin and Maci Kissel about their decision to practice Natural Family Planning.
For Gavin and Maci Kissel, becoming aware of Natural Family Planning (NFP) was part of their marriage preparation. They attended a class at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Vincennes with other couples who were also preparing for marriage.
The couple was married at Holy Cross Parish in Fort Branch and remain active members of the parish. Maci is a Speech and Language Pathologist at Deaconess Hospital and Gavin farms on the family farm.
The couple says that the most rewarding part of using NFP is knowing that you are using a method that follows the Catholic teaching and God’s will. It is a method that works naturally and cooperatively with our bodies. The way God intended our bodies to work is perfect. It is a very effective method of knowing when your fertile window is open and closed.
The most difficult part of NFP can be the time and work it takes if you are struggling to conceive a child, the couple explained. It may involve much waiting and testing of various symptoms. At times it may feel discouraging, but it is important to stick with the plan and do your best to remain positive and patient.
On a personal note, Gavin and Maci feel the Creighton Model system is very effective in assisting couples in knowing when to conceive and when to abstain based on their decision of planning their family. If for any reason the method alone is not helping the couple with conceiving, there are medical professionals who specialize in finding the issues and assist in resolving the problem naturally. Gavin and Maci encourage other couples not to get discouraged if the process takes longer than expected.
The local NFP team does a great job of assisting the clients with their needs. It may take time to get the appointments needed, Gavin and Maci said, but they can say from personal experience the wait is definitely worth it! Once their doctor was able to identify the problems they incurred, they were able to conceive quickly. Do not give up and pray always, they said. It is important to remember, God’s timing is perfect and according to his plan and not ours!