Being aware of how the human body works has always been fascinating to me. Even more so when my husband and I became engaged. Thinking about our future and talking about how many children we hoped to have, made me want to learn more about my body and the concept of our fertility as a couple.

I found myself not remembering a lot about how the male and female body worked from health class, so I jumped at the chance of learning about Natural Family Planning (NFP) when I had the opportunity to do so. My husband (fiance at the time) and I were both in awe of how much information we walked away with after attending our first NFP class where we learned the Billings Ovulation Method (BOM).

One might ask what is Natural Family Planning? Natural Family Planning (NFP) is the general title for the scientific and natural methods of family planning that can help a couple achieve, postpone, or avoid a pregnancy. NFP methods are based on the observation of the naturally occurring signs of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman’s menstrual cycle. No drugs, devices, or surgical procedures are used to avoid pregnancy.

My husband and I learned the first researched based method of NFP: The Billings Ovulation Method (BOM). There were 850,000 hormonal studies conducted in order to develop the Billings Ovulation Method. All this research was looked at and then put into the method by Drs. John and Evelyn Billings in Australia. Currently, the Billings Ovulation Method is used and taught all over the world.

We love the method because it is pure and simple. Just by reading the statement below, taken from www.boma-usa.org (which is the American affiliate for the BOM method) shows the simplicity of the method:

“​Your reproductive system is wonderfully complex, yet the signals it gives you can be quite simple, helping you identify the fertile and infertile times in your cycles…Once you’re familiar with these changes you’ll be able to identify patterns of fertility and infertility in your cycle.”

After using the method in our marriage for a couple years, my husband and I became a witness couple. We currently share our experience of using NFP with engaged couples in hopes they will learn this life-changing method. I have also gone through teacher training since learning the method. Since becoming an instructor I have taught teenagers to adults how to understand how the human body works. This has been amazing for me since I’m able to help people understand their bodies better and teach them about their fertility.

NFP is beneficial for both males and females, but extremely important for females. I say this because when people think of NFP, they think it is to help plan a family. This is one of the main reasons for NFP, but more importantly NFP can be and is used as a fertility awareness method. It allows women to know what is happening with their bodies and their cycles, which then empowers them to truly understand how their bodies work and identify issues with their cycle if their cycle seems irregular.

NFP can be taught and used by all women of all ages: women with normal cycles, irregular cycles, low fertility, while nursing, after contraception, and during perimenopause. It is a life-long method.

Recently, I was elected to the Board of Directors for BOMA-USA (Billings Ovulation Method Association of the United States of America). I feel strongly about being able to bring the message of NFP to others, and sharing with them how this can allow a woman and/or a couple to be their own advocate in their fertility health journey. The Billings Ovulation Method is a scientific and simple method with lasting effects on one’s knowledge, body, and fertility.

I look forward to sharing more with you about the Billings Ovulation Method through Global Learn Day.

Ann Marschel is a certified Billings Ovulation Method (BOM) Instructor in the USA. BOM is taught all over the world. To find out more about this method, please click on the links within the article.

Also, if you are a medical professional interested in learning about the Billings Ovulation Method® and how it could help your practice, please join BOMA-USA for a series of Zoom meetings that will comprise what we are calling, “A medical seminar – From Menarche to Menopause: The health advantages of monitoring fertility.” 

The series has been approved for 7.5 physician credits (CMEs) by the American Academy of Family Practice Physicians and 7 CNEs for nurses by the Mississippi Nurses Foundation, Inc, an accredited provider of the American Nurses Credentialing Center. We are confident the seminar will be a spring board for physicians and nurses to want to learn more about what we have to offer. Click here to learn more.