What our clients have to say
The number one way someone new hears about us is because a woman or couple found help with the Creighton Model and NaProTECHNOLOGY® and can't wait to share their story.
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Many of our clients have graciously offered to share theirs here for you to read how the charting and restorative health care have made a difference.
Ali & Stephen
After trying unsuccessfully for two years to have children, my husband and I went to see a fertility specialist. We were concerned because I had had four surgeries for Crohn's disease before we were married and my mother had had a hard time getting pregnant with me. However, when we met with the fertility clinic, we were very discouraged because all they wanted to do was push us towards IVF. We didn't want to do IVF, so we looked online for other options and that's when we discovered FertilityCare Toronto. We went to an Introductory Session in Toronto where we learned about the Creighton Model of FertilityCare and NaProTECHNOLOGY. We got connected right away with a Practitioner and received a referral to a NaPro Medical Consultant. We started using the charting method to try to achieve pregnancy.
It was very encouraging to find out that the Creighton Model allows you to see what is going on with your personal cycle and that you can combine that with many other things such as medication to stimulate ovulation, follicular ultrasounds, progesterone supplements, and other medical techniques that don't end in IVF. What we liked best about the Creighton Model is that it allowed us use medical technology to achieve pregnancy while also trusting in God to intervene and give us children in His timing and in His way. It allowed us to grow in our trust of God and in His faithfulness.
Both my Practitioner and Medical Consultant were very encouraging and spent quality time to help us throughout the journey. At age 42, after having tried to get pregnant for seven years and charting for about five years, I was almost surprised to discover that I was pregnant! Even more surprising, all I was doing at that time was charting my cycle with the Creighton Model. I appreciated the close follow up that I had with my Medical Consultant even through pregnancy, and the progesterone supplements that I took throughout.
When I met my OB-GYN, he told me that he had never seen a woman get pregnant like me that had had four surgeries and 42 years old. My pregnancy went very well, and one month before my due date, my water broke and I delivered a healthy baby boy by c-section. Even though he came a month early, he is healthy, developing well, and the happiest baby. We believe that he is truly a miracle baby given my medical history and age. We are very thankful that this organization exists and hope that many other people will discover the benefits.
Gabi & Mike
Our story is a bit different than many of the stories that are usually shared about couples who desire to have children. Though like many others, ours has been a journey of struggle, the outcome, and my reflection on this outcome will be different.
Over 13 years ago, my sister had to convince me to reach out and attend an Introductory Session, though I was skeptical that it be of any help. However, as she said, I had nothing to lose after many years of trying to have children without success. And she was right. My skepticism was rooted in the failure of the medical system, which had not been able to help in years prior.
To make a long story short, for the first seven years of our marriage leading up to my introduction to Creighton and NaPro, we had struggled with trying to conceive a child. But there was a larger and truly a more pressing problem—for those seven years I struggled with severe PMS that would affect the quality of my everyday life. My ability to function was impaired for half of the month, the first half was lived in apprehension awaiting whether the latter half would be somehow better than the preceding month. So, over the course of time and with some investigating, I made the connection between my cycle and my anxiety, which was debilitating and incapacitating. However, the only answer that was provided by the medical community was the pill. This was not an option. I need to figure out the cause of the problem, and not just take medication to treat the symptoms.
So, the toiling continued until that Introductory Session at the Marguerite Bourgeoys Centre, as it was called then. There, for the first time, I saw the solution to my problem. I saw a system that followed and made use of all modern medical advancements but reflected medical values of do no harm, and my own personal values, in particular upholding my dignity as a person; a system in which I was a subject and not an object; a system that was at the service of the individual. What hope! And so, my husband and I adopted the Creighton Method as our method, and which also, very quickly revealed—to no one’s surprise—that there were other issues. So, this has been our journey. Despite countless attempts, the children we desired never came to be. Science also has its limits. I’m aware that for most people, having a child is the ultimate goal. However, when we had our first meeting with our first practitioner, I had mentioned to her that yes, the ability to have a child was important, but I would be content if I could get my life back; if I could finally be able to function and enjoy life. And that has happened.
The Creighton Method and NaPro are systems that are dedicated to ensuring the optimal health of both persons, but especially that of the woman. These are systems that are guided by compassion. Those involved, whether they are doctors or practitioners, listen and hear each person-patient’s voice. They demonstrate genuine interest, genuine concern, and genuine care. Their work and dedication matters. It matters because throughout history, a woman’s voice has been dismissed as being “overly emotional”, “hysterical”, “panicked”, or “unstable”—and how much of this is a consequence of ignoring women’s medical needs.
Sarah & Daniel
After 2 surprise pregnancies from 2 different Natural Family Planning Methods, I was encouraged to look into (St. Marguerite Bourgeoys) FertilityCare Toronto and the Creighton Model FertilityCare System through a friend. I was skeptical at first, as I never seemed to fit into any other method. The standardization of Creighton was SO helpful! I loved having an objective list of observations to match my own to, rather than charting what I saw in my own words. That and having the support of a Practitioner on a regular basis also helped my husband and I become more confident in my charting. We entered the program postpartum after our second was born, and we were able to avoid successfully until we were ready for our third 2 years later, and again for 6 years before we tried again for our 4th.
While being able to conceive our children relatively easily has been a wonderful blessing, spending much of my cycles avoiding the marital act for the years we were hoping to postpone pregnancy were challenging. Part of the reason I never seemed to fit any other methods was that I had biomarkers of fertility that were challenging to interpret. Not only did the Creighton Model have a way to help us really understand our fertile times and be confident, we were also introduced to SPICE!
The Creighton Model is not just about identifying times of fertility and infertility, it is also about building and strengthening the marriage bond. We were encouraged to focus on Spiritual, Physical (not just the marital act), Intellectual, Creative/Communicative and Emotional intimacy throughout our sessions with our Practitioner. Finding new ways to grow in intimacy at any point in my cycle has been a game-changer for us. With 4 children, stay-in date nights where we watch a movie with a beautiful spread of charcuterie and a bottle of wine have become a go-to way we can connect and not even need to hire a sitter! We've done dance lessons, gone on trips just the two of us, and had beautiful deep conversations after the kids have gone to bed.
Learning the Creighton Model and all it has to offer has been such a gift for my husband and I - whether you are married or engaged, newlyweds or decades into a marriage, hoping to grow your family or content with the number of children you already have (permanently or just for now), I encourage you to look into the Creighton Model for the both of you.
Allison
Despite growing up in a Catholic home, at age 13 I became sexually active. This inability to say "no" let to depression, self-isolating behavior, weight gain, self-loathing and a negative body image throughout high school, university, and after graduation. In university, I lost my faith and along with it my sense of identity and self-worth. Drinking, smoking marijuana and over-indulging to numb the loneliness and emptiness became a part of my lifestyle even after I moved in with my boyfriend after we graduated.
My mother encouraged me to meet with a Creighton Model Practitioner, and I decided to give it a try. My Practitioner compassionately guided me through learning to chart my cycles and get to know my body. Within a month, I ended things with my boyfriend and began the long journey of regaining my voice. I was still hooking up with guys, drinking and living a destructive lifestyle, but over time the tracking gave me a sense of accountability - I knew my Practitioner would see on my charts if I had been sexually active.
Slowly and gently, my Practitioner used our sessions to remind me of my worth and value. After a year and a half of charting with my Practitioner, I decided to save any further sexual experiences until marriage. A few months later, I stopped drinking. The following summer I attended a retreat with the Sisters of the Poor of Jesus Christ and had a profound healing experience where I began to rebuild my sense of self worth and confidence through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Almost a decade later I am happily married to a wonderful Catholic man and we have had our first child together. I am involved in my church and community.
The Creighton Model and the people I encountered truly empowered me to find a voice, to come to terms with reality, reacquaint myself with my roots and identity, and to build a strong foundation for chastity to grow and flourish.