Since “the regulation of births represents one of the aspects of responsible fatherhood and motherhood” (CCC #2399), and since “methods of birth regulation based upon self-observation and the use of infertile periods is in conformity with the objective criteria of morality” (CCC #2370), the Diocese of Helena is offering various resources at your disposal for the education of couples.

There are many methods of fertility awareness (natural family planning) and each is based upon reproductive science, however each method applies the science in different ways. There are pros and cons to any method with respect to another method.

An NFP method takes the medical science concerning human fertility and derives certain rules or ways of applying the science in order to determine when the couple is fertile. With the knowledge of this “fertile window” the couple either abstains from intercourse or not, depending on whether their intention is to avoid or to conceive.

In the 1930’s there was an early method of NFP called the Rhythm Method. In a sense, the method was unsuccessful because it was not accurate for women of irregular cycles and failed to deliver the kind of effectiveness that some couples needed. This gave NFP a negative connotation (referred to in the Introduction to Fertility Awareness); some even joked that “natural family planning isn’t planning at all, it’s parenting!” Unfortunately, NFP is often equated with the Rhythm Method.

Recently, there have been strident advances in fertility science and the ability to track the woman’s cycle accurately. Below is a list of some of these advanced methods:


The Diocese of Helena has developed its own fertility awareness method called the Bead System, through the work of Pastoral & Renewal Services, the Fertility Awareness Committee and Communication Services. Why develop a new method? First, we believe that some methods are so complex to apply in practice that couples reject using NFP on this basis. Therefore, we have developed a method that is both effective and user-friendly. Second, there are significant costs associated with learning most of the methods. We do not want expense to be a deterrent from learning NFP, and therefore have designed a very low cost method to learn and apply.

The Diocese is open to any NFP method that is well researched and to any teacher who is certified and well qualified. Having options for couples only enhances our ability to deliver exactly what any one particular couple needs. The best method is the method that best fits the particular couple with all of their individual circumstances.