Natural Family Planning

The Office of Evangelization and Family Life Ministries currently promotes and sponsors four different live courses and one online course.

If taking these courses for marriage preparation, please note that all of these courses require at least 3 MONTHS of instruction before your wedding, so early registration is important.  Additional time may be needed if your wedding is outside of the Archdiocese of Denver. Read below for further description and registration information on the different options available to you.

***For Marriage Preparation, you need only to complete ONE of the options listed. ***

Live Onsite Class or Virtual Option

This course is taught in a classroom setting by a trained CCL teaching couple. The course entails completing the three classes taught in three sequential months, as well as completing two months of personal charting.

The Sympto-Thermal Method is based on changes in a woman’s cervical fluid and basal body temperature, which change in response to the hormones of the menstrual cycle. With this method, a woman takes her temperature at the same time in the morning every day as well as observes her cervical fluid throughout the day and records this information on her chart at the end of each day.

This course is taught in a private one-on-one setting, with a trained FertilityCare Practitioner. The Creighton Model Program includes an introductory session and 5 follow up sessions, spanning 3 months. This completes the marriage preparation course portion. The course highly encourages the couple to complete 3 additional follow up sessions after the wedding (with an additional fee). Each private session provides a chart review.

With this method, a woman observes her cervical fluid throughout the day and records this information on her chart at the end of each day.

The Creighton Model also features NaProTECHNOLOGY, which is a new women’s health science. Both the Creighton Model System and NaProTECHNOLOGY provide a medical framework to evaluate and treat a variety of conditions from which women of reproductive age suffer.

This method is highly recommended for women with gynecological problems (such as PMS, ovarian cysts, irregular cycles, PCOS, or endometriosis) or infertility.

This program is offered in the Archdiocese of Denver in English and Spanish.

Cost: $315 (Includes materials, Introductory Session, and five follow up sessions)

This course is taught in a private setting, one-on-one with a certified teacher. The course consists of an introductory session, which provides primary instruction on the method and 5 follow up sessions spanning over 3 months. These follow up sessions occur every two weeks and include personalized instruction and chart reviews. Additional sessions are recommended following the wedding.

The Billings Ovulation Method is based on the primary observation of sensation as well as observed cervical fluid. This method has four simple rules that are applied within the woman’s cycle (the first three rules are used before ovulation and the fourth rule is applied once the fertile phase is over), based on a couple’s desire to achieve or postpone pregnancy.

This program is offered in the Archdiocese of Denver in English and Vietnamese.

Cost: $175 (Includes materials, Introductory Session, and five follow up sessions)

This course is taught by a nurse instructor in a private setting.  The course consists of three classes taught in three sequential months.  It also includes two private chart reviews.

The Marquette Model is a Hormonal Fertility Monitoring method that uses ovulation test strips and an electronic fertility monitor, such as the ClearBlue Easy Fertility Monitor.  This method has three approaches to the program.  A couple can choose to use either:

1. an electronic hormonal fertility monitor along with a fertility formula to estimate the time of fertility, or
2. cervical fluid monitoring along with a fertility formula to estimate the time of fertility, or
3. the combined use of a hormonal fertility monitor along with cervical mucus as a means to estimate the time of fertility.

Please keep in mind that the fee for the course does not include the cost of the fertility monitor and the monthly cost of ovulation testing strips.

This program is offered in the Archdiocese of Denver in English.

Cost: $175 (Includes three Follow Up Sessions, two Chart Reviews, additional Follow Up Sessions for one year)

Self-paced Online

Note:  To take this course for marriage preparation the couple must have their pastor’s pre-approval before starting the course.

This course teaches the Sympto-Thermal Method.  It is based on 3 primary observations: sensation, observed cervical fluid, and waking temperature.  With this method, a woman takes her temperature at the same time in the morning, observes her cervical fluid and sensation during the day, and records this information on her chart at the end of each day.  This course takes approximately 3 months to complete. To complete this course you must complete 3 learning sessions, quizzes, 3 follow up forms, and 2 months of charting.

You are assigned a personal instructor that accompanies you throughout your course, answers questions, and reviews your quizzes and follow up forms to ensure successful learning.  They are available to you by email, phone or video conference.

It is preferred that couples learn NFP in a live teaching environment, although that is not always possible,  In certain cases, this learning option is available, for example, for couples who: live in different cities/states, don’t have live NFP classes in their area, have opposite work schedules

Cost: $120 (plus materials)

The following Catholic physicians are trained in reviewing a couple’s chart as a means of evaluating their gynecological health and fertility.  These doctors do not teach couples how to chart NFP.  Please go to NFP methods listed in left-hand column for NFP charting courses. None of these doctors prescribe contraceptives as a method of family planning or as a means of treating health issues.