The Art of Natural Family Planning (Paperback)

~ (Author), Sheila K. Kippley (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Couple to Couple League; 4th edition (July 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0926412132
• ISBN-13: 978-0926412132
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #61,711 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every woman should read this book!, February 11, 1999

By	"glaser39" (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This book is the "bible" of Natural Family Planning (NFP)---NOT the "rhythm method," but a proven method of monitoring a woman's cycle signs to determine when her "window of fertility" begins and ends. It can be upwards of 95% effective!

This book is used as a textbook for the Couple to Couple League International NFP course. It's the best book for a "beginner" to buy---and it will guide you through your entire reproductive life. There's an extensive section for "beginners" and a chapter on the special charting needs of women just quitting the Pill. It explains how to use your fertility awareness to avoid pregnancy, as well as how to beat marginal infertility. It tells how to know you're pregnant and how to maintain infertility during breast feeding, as well as how to tell when you become fertile again. Finally, it explains how to chart all the way through menopause. There is plenty of info about the effects of nutrition and pharmaceuticals on your cycles too!

While the technical information will help anyone, the book is particularly well-suited for Christians as it has sections which delve deep into the morality of family planning. But non-Christians shouldn't be scared off either---this is simply the best book around for learning how to use your natural body signs to prevent or achieve pregnancy, no matter what your reasons.

My husband and I use this method, and we think our marriage and my health is better for it.

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NFP - Healthy and Effective!, August 30, 1999

By A Customer

This information-packed book is a must for couples who wish to understand the gift of their fertility. It gives the reader an excellent understanding of Natural Family Planning. This is not the "rhythm method", but a method based on observation of one's own pattern of fertility. As a woman, I particularly was pleased to develop an awareness of my body's natural cycles. This method is exceptionally useful for women, like me, who have irregular menstrual cycles. The authors cite moral, religious, health and environmental reasons to support the use of Natural Family Planning. They also provide ample information demonstrating why the sympto-thermal method of NFP gives a woman all the tools she needs to determine her fertile time, whether she is seeking pregnancy or to avoid a pregnancy. The effectiveness of this method approaches or exceeds that of the Pill, without the health risks for the woman or baby. I highly recommend this book!

56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE book on the Sympto-Thermal method, August 3, 1999

By A Customer

I would definitely recommend this book over others on fertility awareness and natural family planning. The review at the end of each chapter is very helpful in learning the basic concepts, and the sample chart exercises are invaluable -- they cover "real-life" cycle irregularities as well as some "textbook-perfect" cycles. There is also a lot of information on the return of fertility following childbirth, which I don't remember seeing in the other books I've read. There also seem to be more rules for chart interpretation than in other books, which allows for a shorter period of abstinence given individual cycle patterns. This is a very well researched book, and includes lots of references to medical journal articles. One section of this book covers Christian teaching on birth control and Catholic teaching in particular, and is very interesting for those who are pursuing NFP for religious reasons. However, this book is not "just" for Catholics, and is a wonderful resource for any couple looking for natural, ecologically-friendly birth regulation.