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Well, folks, it seems like whenever we have Jenny Uebbing on the show we always talk about sex. We’re teasing her that it’s just her brand now. Jenny is a mom of four (with one on the way!) living in Colorado. She is the voice behind the popular blog Mama Needs Coffee where she isn’t afraid to get into the nitty gritty of topics like NFP.
Today we are getting into some real talk about natural family planning: what it looks like in real life, how the Church can better support couples, and why we should be honest about the ups and downs of our experiences with it. So grab a cup of tea and enjoy the conversation!
Links discussed in this episode:
Jenny’s posts:
- What do you want/need from the Church in order to “live” NFP
- NFP survey headed to the USCCB
- What I learned from the NFP survey
Haley’s post about how NFP should be a part of parish life
The last time Jenny was on the podcast
Connect with Jenny:
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Thank you for this conversation! 1 note as someone on a Church staff…. if we as a Church offer babysitting we are not allowed by VIRTUS to just have teens in babysitting. There have to be 2 certified adults (over 18) in there at all times – more depending on the number of kids. It’s not as simple as just have the youth group offer babysitting. We have been trying to offer babysitting at all events here and know how important it is – so thank you for affirming it’s value and importance. Just wanted to note as to why it’s not just a easy thing for many parishes to do.
Very good discussion of the problems of contraceptive use even within a Christian marriage, and the burden it puts on women and how it undermines men’s call to chaste virtue towards their wives. Great pointing out how the Catholic Church’s teaching is the fullness of truth and spiritually healthy– even if it is hard, very hard. it is part of a vocation. Thanks ladies!
Thanks for bringing these great points to the NFP conversation! I agree that it’s a subject that needs to be brought out into the sunlight more than it is… I just wanted to comment on something Jenny said about how if you don’t use NFP (or another means of avoiding pregnancy) you’ll have twelve kids. I trust that she meant no offence, but this is simply not true. To me, it implied that not using NFP is somehow irresponsible, and to be honest, I do get that sense from NFPers sometimes. My husband and I have used NFP for relatively brief periods throughout our marriage, so I’m not against it, but I do think that we need to always consider our fertility a gift and realize that it is never a given. I know several women who had a few children in quick succession and then suddenly found themselves unable to conceive or sustain a pregnancy. It is just not the case that we would all have massive families if we didn’t try to limit family size. And on the flip side… my husband is the fifth of twelve children, and I (raised with only one sibling) have to tell you that the community created by such a large family is AWESOME. Because of his parents’ generosity, I have never felt isolated or without support in being open to life within our marriage. Raising a family affords us the amazing opportunity to change the world in a lasting way through the impact our children will have – let us not be afraid of our children!
Thank you for this. 🙂 Some of us may feel called to have a bigger family/ accept the amazing gift of a new person in trust. ( This is different from the quiverfull movement…as prudence is never put aside.) we also need to be aware of the fact that we have been raised in a materialistic and contraceptive society. When my husband and I recently announced our pregnancy, two “good” Catholic brothers were completely silent. Apparently they don’t think we are being prudent…but that is our business, right? ?
This is a really interesting conversation, and I truly do appreciate it, particularly your willingness to discuss a topic that many don’t. I admit, I hoped “what it looks like in real life” would involve more links to “how to” resources. (I was not, however, expecting you to dice into the specifics here.) I’m one of those who is really seeking to follow church teaching after buying into some of the messages of the culture, but finding resources is so challenging. Since one of the hosts alluded to being self taught… where would you recommend turning? What resources helped you? The overall sense of support for women practicing NFP and the way it should/shouldn’t be viewed that you all share here are really lovely things. This conversation was beautiful. I hope to be ready to hear and consider these messages more deeply in my marriage. I just need to get started on the path first.
Hi Ellen!
We didn’t want to get into too many practicals because there are just so many and they are different conversations, but I agree it’d be great if we had more links to NFP resources in that post, I’ll work on that. I personally recommend that women don’t go it alone, especially if you really need to avoid pregnancy for important reasons. I recommend working with an NFP professional of the method you’re interested in working with. I personally really recommend Billings as I know their teachers and method are extremely up to date scientifically and place a high value on helping women personally. Check out the website billings.life they have a low cost of learning the method, and have teachers who want to work with you for however long you want. I really cannot encourage all women enough to check in with NFP teachers regularly and really take advantage of their knowledge. I hope that helps!