By Alli Coiro, RN-BSN, CFCP

Question: My cycles have always been regular, but now I am experiencing many changes as I enter perimenopause in my mid 40’s. Is it possible to continue using natural family planning effectively?

Answer: Yes!

As women age into perimenopause (their 40s and 50s), cycles take on new, and sometimes unpredictable patterns. This is a time of reproductive life in which you should reach back out to your NFP teacher.

As with all times in women’s fertility, a one-size-fits-all approach just won’t cut it. Perimenopause can present a variety of differences in a woman’s cycle that she has not necessarily experienced before.

Examples of cycle signs a perimenopausal woman might see include:

• Shorter cycles
• Earlier ovulation detection
• Irregularities in cycle length
• Unusual or inconsistent ovulation biomarker patterns (ex. mucus)
• Shorter or more irregular post-ovulatory phase lengths
• Increased pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms or hot flashes
• Unusual bleeding

Do not navigate these tricky scenarios alone!

Reach out to your NFP teacher for personalized assistance with your unique scenario and family planning goals. Natural family planning methods continue to retain their high effectiveness into perimenopause when done alongside proper observation, charting, and implementation of the method. It is a good time to get a refresher to ensure these are all being done correctly!

Advocate for your gynecological health

As the chart has always been, it continues to be an important tool for advocating for your own gynecological health with the menstrual cycle as the fifth vital sign! You will be able to pinpoint and articulate exactly what is “off” in the chart if you continue charting during the perimenopause time.

Some of these signs and/or symptoms identified by charting have treatment options when taken to your NaPro TECHNOLOGY physician. Particularly, if you are experiencing unusual bleeding (bleeding or spotting not during the menses), we always recommend following up with a doctor for further evaluation of the root cause.

embrace wholistic intimacy

Natural family planning as a concept from the Church is always presenting us with the opportunity to embrace wholistic intimacy with one’s spouse whether in seasons of avoiding or achieving pregnancy. NFP clings to the truth presented in Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body that married couples give to one another: freely, faithfully, totally, and fruitfully. NFP ensures every time a married couples comes together all four of those components are there.

Additionally, natural family planning by its design requires times of abstinence if the intention is to avoid pregnancy. These times of abstinence can certainly be challenging, but also fruitful for marriages. This continues to hold true even in the perimenopausal time!

Times of avoiding, present a particular opportunity in which to engage with your spouse in ways of unique, marital intimacy that are not exclusive to intercourse. These intimacies can be spiritual, physical, intellectual, creative/communicative, emotional (referred to as SPICE in the Creighton Model FertilityCare System). The creative possibilities for loving your spouse are endless! Perimenopause, a new season of fertility, may even present the opportunity to recover the initial romantic feelings experienced when dating.

Do you have a question you want answered? Let us know! Email our office at stlnfp@archstl.org or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram.

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