www.ccli.

org Volume 47 • Number 3 • November/December 2020

confidence
Cultivating

Turning postpartum positive

Celebrating 50 years
Empowering our daughters
AGAPÈ CATHOLIC
MINISTRIES
Building Christ-centered families, one family at a time™
time

THE TANGIBLE FRUITS OF

CATHOLICMARRIAGEPREP.COM
Previous year responses from ALL our engaged couples across the world

ABSTINENT UNTIL WEDDING DAY

Before: ± 10% After: ± 76%

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 FAMILY FOUNDATIONS November/December 2020

In This
Issue
Between their three children,
Marian (5), Evelyn (3), and Joanna
(1), Seth and Elizabeth Timpe
have experienced almost every
kind of baby feeding scenario,
and so have learned firsthand
exactly how interconnected it is
with the return to fertility. While
they know the difficulties of the
postpartum time, they look at
it as a time rife for potential
growth in their marriage.

8 Cultivating confidence:
Turning postpartum positive
A combination of trusted information and the
support of others can make all the difference
in helping the postpartum transition to be a
positive one.

15 Live the Love: Accompanying

couples during the postpartum
transition
COLUMNS
CCL’s pilot program for postpartum couples has included online support groups,
4 The View from Here personal consulting and online community, and has gone so well we
by Ann Gundlach are looking to roll it out further.
5 Into the Garden
by Katie Zulanas
18 CCL’s 50th anniversary: A look back
DEPARTMENTS In this year of celebrating CCL’s 50th year in ministry, we start with a
look back at the many milestones and growth the League realized in
6 Witness Talk its first 50 years.
16 Mission
Advancement
20 Giving young girls a better
After loving the wedding fertility foundation
photos she took for them,
Seth and Elizabeth Timpe Many NFP mothers know that introducing their daughters to
suggested Alzbeta Volk for fertility awareness as a teen can help cultivate appreciation and
our feature photo session, and even awe for God’s design of their bodies and his plan for their
we’re glad they did! Check
out Alzbeta Volk Photography
sexuality. Still, it can be difficult or awkward. Now, we have a
in Lakewood, Colo., for any program to help.
family photography needs.
www.alzbetavolk.com

3
The View from Here
Ann
Gundlach
Editor
Walking a mile
I think we all know how helpful it is
to know someone who has walked a
mile in our shoes.
I remember how genuinely
helpful it was to go La Leche League
meetings as a new nursing mother.
Mind you, I wasn’t having any
particular trouble with nursing, but
just getting together with a group of
both new and experienced
breastfeeding women
was incredibly sup-
portive to me. Besides
the camaraderie, I
soaked up their sto-
ries and experiences,
tucking away tidbits
of wisdom in case I
ever needed it. And
just knowing I had
somewhere to take my
questions if I ran into
trouble brought down
the anxiety levels.
A more serious need for ac-
companiment came in later years
with a mental health diagnosis in
one of our sons. Greg and I literally
felt lost until we found help through
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental
Illness) groups. We point to finding
those groups as a turning point in
helping us feel more capable to navi-
gate the challenges we had.
As CCL celebrates its 50th year
of ministry, we are excited to move
into the next 50 years with goals that
center on supporting NFP couples
in more varied ways. CCL has always
offered accompaniment, but today’s
technology and the growing interest
in fertility awareness have opened
up wonderful opportunities. Infor-
mation is often not enough when
bumps in the road are encountered.
4
Personal connections and meeting
couples where they are can be even
more important to gently guide them
toward the growth in their marriage
that will allow the practice of NFP
to be a source of grace rather than
frustration.
In this issue you will read about
two Live the Love projects developed
to guide NFP users through some-
times difficult situations: the post-
partum transition and teaching our
daughters about the beauty
of their fertility. One
aspect of the postpartum
project put mothers into
online groups that met
for several weeks with
a CCL teacher/mod-
erator to discuss different
aspects of the transition
and how to manage trouble
spots. The moderator is there
to provide information, but it’s
the conversation and sharing
among the women that is most Family Foundations
beneficial. And for those whose post- Volume 47, Number 3 • November/December 2020
partum needs center mainly around PUBLISHED BY
charting, we have launched targeted The Couple to Couple League International Inc.
postpartum consulting to bring more info@ccli.org
dedicated, one-on-one help if needed. EDITOR
The debut of a Mother/Daugh- Ann Gundlach • agundlach@ccli.org
ter online area is the result of hear- PRODUCTION and DESIGN
ing for years from our NFP students: b graphic design • www.b-graphicdesign.com
“Why didn’t anyone teach me this Family Foundations is published six times per year.
when I was younger?!” But this isn’t The print edition is sent as a benefit to all U.S.
the easiest thing to talk about, so we members who contribute at least $65/year. Print
subscriptions (without membership) are available
have compiled videos and resources for $39. Single copies available for $6.00 each plus
for moms and daughters to explore, shipping. Quantity discounts and bulk subscriptions
are available. For information call 800-745-8252 or
and created a community area for email ccli@ccli.org.
moms to share or ask questions of
Submitted materials become the property of CCL
each other. and will not be returned. CCL is granted the right to
Walking a mile with someone use the materials for any purpose and in any manner.
makes the journey a lot easier for www.ccli.org • 5440 Moeller Ave., Suite 149 •
them than letting them walk it alone. Norwood, OH 45212 • 800-745-8252
 FAMILY FOUNDATIONS November/December 2020

Into the Garden

CCL’s postpartum transition

Katie
Zulanas
Executive
Director

It is quiet in the garden these days

outside our office window at the
Holy Spirit Center. Seemingly little
is happening there; however, just like
at CCL, the groundwork for growth is
being established. It is, in fact, a very
busy time for us!
I had our editor, Ann Gundlach,
laughing when I remarked that it felt
like CCL was in a postpartum phase.
That sounds strange, but she got it!
This is a time of tremendous growth
and promise at CCL — we are birth-
ing some new, different and exciting
initiatives — but it is indeed similar
to a postpartum time where we still
have to keep the household going.
Just like new moms and dads must
still get meals on the table, get laun-
dry done and care for the older chil-
dren while nurturing their new, little
and precious creation, we are having
I am humbly asking you for your
support for the CCL mission at this
most critical time. Your financial
contribution, if you are able to help,
will keep our classes going and the
marriages they impact growing!
Please prayerfully consider our
end-of-year giving appeals.
to balance keeping our mainstay and
primary mission going strong — ex-
cellent STM education grounded in
Theology of the Body — while at the
same time nurturing and getting to
know the new avenues we are taking.
It’s wonderful! And challenging!
Reflecting on the original gar-
den, “Then God said, Let the earth
bring forth vegetation: every kind of
plant that bears seed and every kind
of fruit tree that bears fruit with
its seed in it. And so it happened”
(Genesis 1:11), we feel like we are on
a journey of discovery as our Live the
Love initiatives show the promise of
bearing fruit.
While the CCL staff is very busy
supporting our wonderful teachers
and students in regularly scheduled
classes, we are also nurturing pilot
programs like our “Mother/Daugh-
ter Area,” “Virtual Spanish Class”
and “Postpartum Group” as we move
toward an online university for ongo-
ing learning and growth. These little
sprouts in our garden fill us with joy
and wonder.
However, like every postpartum
parent learns, it is a time when you
really need to humbly ask (and ac-
cept!) help. Accordingly, I am humbly
asking you for your support for the
CCL mission at this most critical
time. Your willingness to pray, teach,
promote and financially sacrifice
has built a tremendous well-spring
of knowledge and experience to
draw from in the past 50 years. As
millions of women (and men) are
now learning of the truth and beauty
of Humanae Vitae through fertility
awareness, we have an unprecedent-
ed opportunity to tap into this CCL
legacy to support their journey and
to join with partners to ensure our
testimony to the truth has a visible
place in marketplace. Your finan-
cial contribution, if you are able to
help, will keep our classes going and
the marriages they impact growing!
Please prayerfully consider our end-
of-year giving appeals.
During a Christmas pageant, now
years ago, our son’s kindergarten
class sang about baby Jesus coming
like a violet in the snow. That song of
the tender, precious and miraculous
gift of the Christ Child has always
stayed in my heart. I am sure Mary
and Joseph, being human, experi-
enced wonder and awe at the birth
of their child, but probably had a
few hectic moments, too, as parents
in the postpartum time. Knowing
that they love and understand us, we
entrust the Couple to Couple League,
our donors, volunteers and students
to the Holy Family’s care and ask for
God’s quiet lullaby of joy and peace to
fill all of our hearts this season.

5
 WITNESS TALK Teaching Couples

During postpartum Bradley

time, NFP has
Over

‘I questioned our use of NFP’ given us insight

into our mar-
riage that I feel
like we otherwise
Teaching Couple Bradley and Heather Slaymaker, of Atkinson, would not have had; it has opened
Neb., share this witness with their students. doors to discussions about each
other’s needs. Practicing NFP gives
me a chance to be more involved
Heather I grew up knowing cals in my body and that NFP was and more understanding of what it
about NFP and had parents who in union with the Church’s teach- means to have a strong marriage. NFP
openly practiced it and introduced ings; that was very important to helps me not look at Heather as an
it to me, so when we were prepar- me. I didn’t want any of the dam- item of sexual pleasure, but instead
ing to get married, I knew it was ages that contraception puts on a helps me see her body as part of the
something I wanted to practice. I relationship or any barrier between beauty of her fertility. I like how we
knew I didn’t want to put chemi- us in our covenant with God. can look at her chart and interpret

6

it together and see that fertility isn’t
just her problem but rather a beau-
tiful gift we figure out together.
Heather Practicing NFP hasn’t
always been easy. When we first
started out, we hoped to wait a
couple of years to start our family,
but God knew better and we were
blessed with a surprise pregnancy
just a couple of months after being
married. At first, I was mad and felt
like NFP had failed us, but then the
situation opened us up to deeper
communication.
Bradley It was a great reminder
that God is part of the family pro-
cess, and that every time we unite in
intimacy, even in the infertile times,
our love is ordered to life because we
are respecting God’s design. It also
led us to prayerfully discern God’s call
in our lives and that our family spac-
ing needs to be in accordance with
His will and not just our desires. We
realized that God had a plan and that
by being open to his plan through
NFP, he gave us a blessing far greater
and better-timed than we could have
planned on our own.
Heather There have been mo-
ments of great joy in our practice
of NFP but also times of pain and
clarity. We have been blessed with
five pregnancies and four beautiful
living children. When we lost our
third child to a miscarriage, I was
heartbroken, but NFP helped us
greatly even in this, especially as
we worked through the grief and
used a time of adjustment to navi-
gate through some health issues. I
followed some suggestions from the
book, Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition
by Marilyn Shannon, and since then
we have been blessed with two more
beautiful children. I am so grateful
to have been able to treat the issues
naturally and safely.
Bradley When we say practicing
NFP hasn’t been easy, this is the truth.
There have been times of long periods
of abstinence, especially postpar-
tum as Heather’s fertility returned
We’re glad that NFP has helped
spur more open discussions
about what we each need and
expect out of our marriage.
to normal. When we were blessed
with our unexpected first pregnancy
as a newlywed couple with no kids
and lots of alone
time, we had the
time and opportu-
nity to be intimate
almost whenever
we wanted to be.
Obviously, things
changed drastically
after Taylor was
born. It became
much harder to find
time to work on our
own relationship,
and we suddenly
went from never
having to wait to be
intimate to months of waiting due to
abnormal mucus patches and lack of
confidence in interpreting signs.
During this time, we knew we
had to work on other parts of our
relationship like communication and
prayer. During the most difficult parts
of that time, I questioned our use of
NFP, so we talked to other couples
for support, prayed about it, read to
learn more about God’s plan for sex
and why it was so important. We
entered back into regular cycles
stronger and more understand-
ing of our roles in our marriage.
NFP has also helped us during a
time of serious reason to postpone a
pregnancy. When our third child, Gi-
anna, was diagnosed with cancer, we
knew that it was not a time to grow
our family. Heather was sometimes
gone with Gianna for treatments dur-
FAMILY FOUNDATIONS November/December 2020
ing her infertile time when we would
normally be able to come together,
and then she would be home during
her fertile times when we needed to
abstain. These times were hard, but
again, it allowed us to connect other
ways and we grew in virtue. Now dur-
ing the fertile times when we aren’t
being called to be sexually intimate,
we are better at finding other ways
to show love and intimacy, whether
is doing the laundry or dishes so the
other doesn’t have to, giving a nice
foot massage, or just sitting quietly on
the couch together. There are times
when we both have to, as it’s been
said, choose to love each other in
ways other than sexually. We’re glad
that NFP has helped spur more open
discussions about what we each need
and expect out of our marriage.
Heather Marriage is a great gift
from God and NFP has been a major
part of our growth and maturity as
individuals and as a couple. Though
it hasn’t always been easy, the diffi-
cult times have been just as benefi-
cial, and in the end, more rewarding
for us. We aren’t perfect, and NFP is
not meant just for perfect couples,
but for couples who want to follow
God’s perfect plan!
We are always in need of more volunteers to
help introduce NFP to others! Learn more at
ccli.org/volunteer/
7
 C u lt i vat i n g c o n f i d e n c e

8
 FAMILY FOUNDATIONS November/December 2020

postpartum
by Grace Emily Stark

BIRTH AND POSTPARTUM

by the numbers

Seth and Elizabeth Timpe have experienced the 3,791,712 4–6 weeks postpartum
postpartum transition with nearly every kind of baby Number of babies born in 2019 Average time before
feeding, and they were all tricky — even frustrating — due
to continuously changing mucus. The Denver area couple,
2,581,992 lochia disappears
Number of vaginal deliveries Return to fertility
both 31 and parents of three daughters, have seen first-
hand how much the different types of baby feeding have 1,208,176 Varies
impacted Elizabeth’s return of fertility. Elizabeth also Number of Cesarean deliveries
does not have a thyroid gland, and her thyroid medication
tends to throw yet another wrench into the mix.
They have had all the makings of postpartum night- Baby feeding
mares, and while not denying the difficulties they’ve Among infants born in 2015:
endured, this CCL Teaching Couple say the key for them • 4 out of 5 (83.2 percent) started out brea
stfeeding.
has been learning to be intentional about their relation- • While nearly 6 in 10 (57.6 percent) infants
are still breastfeeding
ships with each other and with God while their family at 6 months of age, only 1 in 4 are breastfee
ding exclusively.
size has grown. • Only one-third (35.9 percent) of infants were
breast­feeding at
“With all of the continually changing mucus I had,” 12 months.
Elizabeth says, “we were looking at about five or six [Data from the CDC’s 2018 Breastfeeding Repor
t Card]
months of abstinence each time because I never got to
establish a BIP (basic infertile pattern). But it really
brought us together as a couple.” her,” Elizabeth says, “and then I needed to pump — my
fertility returned before five months postpartum.”
BABY FEEDING AND FERTILITY With second daughter, Evelyn, breastfeeding went
Between their three children, Marian (5), Evelyn better, and Elizabeth’s return to fertility was closer to the
(3), and Joanna (1), the Timpes have experienced almost six-month mark.
every kind of baby feeding scenario, and so have learned “But then our third daughter, Joanna, wasn’t growing
firsthand exactly how interconnected baby feeding is well despite being breastfed, so we needed to supplement
with the return to fertility. with formula,” Elizabeth explains. “I didn’t start giving
“We went into the postpartum transition with our her formula until she was four months old, but as soon as
first daughter, Marian, wanting to exclusively breastfeed I did my fertility came back within two weeks.”

9
 “Times of abstinence obviously wear on both of us” There is no denying it: Postpartum NFP is often chal-
she says, “but our mutual discernment led us to decide lenging.
that after each of our three children, we wanted a little But what if we stood all of the difficulties of the post-
more space before the next one.” partum time on their heads, and instead looked at this
transition as a time rife for potential growth?
TOWARD A BETTER SELLING POINT While we focus a lot on physical growth during preg-
For those of us looking to win converts to the fertil- nancy, postpartum can be a time of immense growth in
ity awareness methods (FAM) / natural family planning our relationships with God, ourselves, and our spouses —
(NFP) movement, the postpartum period can be a bit of if we tend the soil as we should. We still need to be honest
a sticking point. If we’re being honest with with ourselves and
ourselves (and others), the unpredictability Postpartum can be a time of immense others about the strug-
of postpartum fertility charting can make gles of the postpartum
for a pretty tough sell opposite the high growth in our relationships with God, transition, but we need
reliability of the culture’s favorite post- ourselves, and our spouses — if we tend to encourage ourselves
partum family planning methods (e.g., the the soil as we should. to look to the fruit that
so-called “mini-Pill” and the copper or is possible on the other
hormonal IUDs). side of it all, too.
Even with all of the benefits of NFP, it’s the transi- Happily, CCL has experienced through its Post-
tional moments in fertility (like postpartum and peri- partum Class that more knowledge often equates to
menopause) that have the potential to break a couples’ more confidence for couples navigating the postpartum
commitment to fertility awareness, especially when transition. And even though we have all heard the “horror
nearly every healthcare professional they encounter stories” of unpredictable postpartum fertility, not every
while postpartum gives them some version of a pat on the postpartum transition for every couple is so rife with dif-
head, and a “See you again in nine months!” when they ficulty — we promise!
discover an intention to forego traditional birth control. No matter a couples’ postpartum experience, when

10

they are provided with the right information about why
the signs of fertility change the way they do during this
potentially tricky transition, it can help couples approach
it with better confidence and perspective.
A POSTPARTUM PRIMER
On that note, a “primer” of the postpartum transition
is in order.
According to the CCL Transitions Guide, “Postpar-
tum is the term used to explain that a mother has recently
given birth and has not yet returned to her pre-pregnancy
state. During this time, a mother will experience a variety
of physical, psychological, physiological and perhaps
even spiritual changes as she transitions from nurturing
her baby in utero to nurturing him or her after birth.”
So what exactly is going on during the postpartum
transition, anyway? Quite a bit, as it turns out — and
there are transitions within the postpartum period itself.
THE FIRST FEW WEEKS
After the woman delivers her baby, she soon delivers
something else: the placenta. The placenta is a remark-
able feat of nature, as it is actually a temporary organ
(wrap your brain around that one for a moment!). The
placenta is responsible for supplying food and oxygen
to the baby, as well as removing waste from him or her,
through the umbilical cord.
The placenta is also responsible for a significant
amount of the hormone production that keeps the
pregnancy going — namely, that of progesterone and
estrogen. (That is why some women who require pro-
gesterone support during early pregnancy may be able
to wean off of it once they reach the second trimester,
when the placenta has sufficiently matured to take over
hormone production.) So it should come as no surprise
that once a woman delivers her baby and the placenta,
her hormone levels plummet.
It is actually this drop in estrogen and progesterone
that signals a woman’s body to begin producing breast-
milk for her newborn child, and the pituitary gland begins
to produce higher levels of the “milk-making hormone,”
prolactin, in response. As the baby begins to suckle at the
breast, prolactin levels rise even higher.
The effect on a woman’s cycle of the high levels of
prolactin is to suppress the production of luteinizing hor-
mone (LH), which keeps her from ovulating and menstru-
ating. Depending on the frequency and type of feeding, as
well as the woman herself, a woman may not experience a
return to fertility for several months postpartum. Con-
versely, the less suckling at the breast (as with pumping
or formula feeding), the more likely a woman is to see a
return to fertility more quickly after birth.
FAMILY FOUNDATIONS November/December 2020
WHEN TO GET HELP
Dangerous postpartum conditions
Postpartum mental health issues, postpartum hemorrhage,
and signs of infection
Some of the leading causes of the U.S. maternal
deaths (or near-death) during the postpartum period
are severe bleeding, high blood pressure and in-
fection, which are most common in the week after
delivery. Weakened heart muscle (also known as car-
diomyopathy) is the leading cause of maternal death 1
week to 1 year after delivery.
Heart disease and stroke are also a concern dur-
ing both pregnancy and postpartum, and postpartum
depression and anxiety (and extremely rarely, postpar-
tum psychosis) are also risks to be aware of during the
postpartum period. For some women suffering from
postpartum depression, progesterone can be an effec-
tive alternative to antidepressants; NaPro Technology
physicians are especially versed in this protocol.
Now, before we get too bogged down in the
doom-and-gloom, it’s time for the good news: Maternal
mortality is relatively rare in the United States, and it
is estimated that the vast majority of the roughly 700
pregnancy or childbirth-related deaths that occur each
year are actually preventable.
What that means is fore-
warned is forearmed: Knowing
about the warning signs of
these conditions can literally
be life-saving. This is an op-
portunity for husbands to step
up in the care of their wives;
to advocate for their health
and wellbeing, and to seek
help for their wives if
any of the warning
signs of the most
common post-
partum issues
or complica-
tions arise.
11
CULTIVATING CONFIDENCE POSTPARTUM

That is why a woman who is breastfeeding exclusive-
ly and on-demand can expect her cycle — and therefore
her fertility — to be suppressed for quite some time. In
fact, this is actually the premise behind the Lactational
Amenorrhea Method (LAM) of natural family planning.
you do experience mucus, also get back into the habit of
taking your basal body temperature. Note that medi-
cal providers typically recommend at least four to six
weeks of abstinence after giving birth, as the woman
heals from delivery.

EFFECTIVENESS OF LAM THE FIRST FEW MONTHS

According to the World Alliance for Breastfeeding If a woman continues to breastfeed exclusively (and,
Action (WABA), a woman can rely on the LAM for family in particular, if she is following the rules of LAM), she
planning if: can expect that her return to fertility will be delayed for
1) Her menstrual period has not returned since delivery at least the first six months postpartum. However, if the
(note that lochia, which is bleeding or spotting during rules of LAM are not strictly followed, a woman must
the first 56 days, is not considered menstrual bleed- be on the lookout for a return of fertility signs — and the
ing — more on this later); and if potential to get pregnant.
2) She is breastfeeding her baby
on demand, both day and night
and not feeding other foods or
liquids regularly (note that oc-
casional tastes of foods or other
liquids are permitted, but they
should never replace a feeding
at the breast); and if
3) Her baby is less than six
months old.
“When all three of these condi-
tions exist,” says WABA, “a woman
has less than a two percent chance
of becoming pregnant. However, the
woman is encouraged to begin using
a complementary family planning
method when any of the three condi-
tions changes.”

CHARTING IN THE EARLY WEEKS

For three to six weeks after
delivery (whether vaginal or C-
section), the woman will experience
bleeding and discharge known as
lochia. This is the body’s way of
shedding all of the accumulated
blood and tissue inside the uterus
that helped sustain the baby during
pregnancy. In the first few weeks, the
lochia will go from thick and dark
red to thinner and brown. After about two weeks postpar- Some of the signs she may notice indicate a “gearing
tum, as the uterine lining continues to heal, lochia will up” of fertility: as estrogen rises and the ovaries become
thicken and become yellow or white in appearance. stimulated, cervical mucus will be produced — often in
Once lochia begins to lessen, you should start “patches” of days at a time. But as estrogen levels drop,
observing and charting any mucus you may see, includ- and ovulation does not occur, cervical mucus may change
ing writing short descriptions of the mucus rather than to a less fertile form, or completely dry up. This pattern
just assigning it a letter. This is key to helping establish of patches may continue for some time, especially with
any basic infertile pattern (BIP) that may develop. If continued breastfeeding.

12

CHARTING DURING THE FIRST FEW MONTHS
This up-and-down pattern as fertility tries to return
can lead to prolonged periods of abstinence, which can
understandably lead to a lot of frustration for couples
— especially if they are seeking to postpone pregnancy
for the time being. Identifying a BIP is key, which is
where reaching out to an instructor (or someone at
CCL Central) is vital; sometimes it takes a fresh pair of
educated eyes to see patterns that you might not have
noticed yourself!
Taking your temperature is also especially important
at this time. A lot of couples worry about the reliability of
the woman’s basal body temperatures (BBT) at this time,
given frequent night wakings with a new baby. But the
good news is that this sign is fairly resilient. Even just a
four-hour stretch of sleep (ideally within an hour of the
same amount of time, each time) is enough to get an ac-
curate BBT reading that you should be able to catch your
thermal shift — and the shift (as opposed to individual
daily temps) is the most important thing to catch, anyway!
CONTINUED BREASTFEEDING
Most women who practice continued breastfeed-
ing after introducing solids will experience the full
return of their fertility (or at least signs of its impend-
ing return) by the one-year postpartum mark. Some
women may not see a full return to fertility until
their baby completely weans. The full return to fertil-
ity can be a welcome change for couples, as it brings
more reliable patterns in mucus, allowing for more
predictable times of fertility and infertility (and there-
fore lessening those long periods of abstinence).
“One thing we always tell couples in our classes,
is that chastity is part of marriage, not just your
engagement. Even when you’re married, there are
times when you have to turn on your ‘chastity button;’
there are times when there will be abstinence.”
WITNESS TO FRUITFUL GROWTH
During this up-to-a-year or more timeframe, how can
couples experience more growth in their relationship —
like the Timpes — rather than frustration and stress?
“One thing we always tell couples in our classes,” says
Elizabeth, “is that chastity is part of marriage, not just
your engagement. Even when you’re married, there are
times when you have to turn on your ‘chastity button;’
there are times when there will be abstinence.”
This is where cultivating hobbies together even
prior to having a baby is so important. For example,
FAMILY FOUNDATIONS November/December 2020
WHEN TO GET HELP
Confusing postpartum mucus signs
Continuously changing mucus patterns,
or continuous mucus
A continuously changing mucus
pattern (or never-
ending continuous mucus) can be
immensely frus-
trating for couples to navigate. Just
how fertile are
you during this time, anyway ? The
difficult answer
is: we can’t be sure. But that doe
sn’t mean all hope
is lost or that you’ll never be able
to have sex again.
Now is the time to reach out to you
r teaching couple
for help in interpreting your charts.
If they are un-
available, someone at the CCL Cen
tral team can help.
But you cannot get help if you do
not reach out.
In fact , this is an important them
e that emerges
in all things during the postpartum
time: sometimes
it is God’s way of teaching us that
ourselves, and we must cultivate
we cannot do it all
the habits of humil-
ity and gratitude in asking others
for help.
the Timpes love to cook and bake together, and dur-
ing the postpartum time, they do even more of that.
Seth notes that there is also a great deal of value in
cultivating things to do at home, in particular. It can
be hard to get out with little ones at home, and often,
the only time that is available to a couple is after kids
are in bed. So things that you can do together at home
are especially important for maintaining your inter-
actions as a couple during the postpartum times.
DAD IS IMPORTANT, TOO
Another key part of making the postpartum time
“work,” is for the dad to be involved as much as possible.
“Seth does things like playing with the older girls
while I’m nursing, or cleaning bottles and pumping
stuff and taking on other household chores that I
would normally do, all so that I can focus on caring for
the baby,” says Elizabeth. “He always tells me, ‘we are
in this together.’”
“For me,” says Seth, “It’s about asking myself, ‘What
can I do to support Elizabeth?’”
They admit the book, Then Comes Baby by Lisa and
Gregory Popcak, has influenced how they partner togeth-
er to raise their children, especially in those early days
with a newborn.
13
CULTIVATING CONFIDENCE POSTPARTUM
“It stresses that dad takes care of the mom, so mom
can take care of the baby. And sometimes as women, we
think we need to do it all, that we don’t need the help, but
we really need to let our husbands take care of us at this
time,” says Elizabeth.
She also notes that even though she stays home with
the kids, they still take shifts at night with a newborn
“because we both have a job to do tomorrow!”
“And no matter the age of the baby,” adds Seth, “prior
to COVID, I would always try to make sure Elizabeth
made it to her mom’s group for their monthly night out.
This means making sure that the baby can do the bedtime
routine with either of us. It means a little more work
upfront, but it’s important so that I can give Elizabeth a
little more freedom.”
MARITAL INTIMACY AND COMMUNICATION
The Timpes also credit the increased communica-
tion in general with NFP as helping them weather the
postpartum abstinence. Especially since the low estrogen
levels mean that the woman’s libido is also often low dur-
ing this time, they know it can take a little more work for
her to get in the mood, but that Seth can do a lot to help.
14
“Elizabeth will be honest with me, and say ‘I’m not
feeling it right now, but I think you can help me get there’,”
Seth says. “And being able to talk about these things —
having it not be awkward — is one of the great beauties
of NFP. I also know that if I am romantic and love her as I
should, if I do something for her, that she doesn’t neces-
sarily owe me anything in return.”
“I worry that it’s when couples don’t have these
important conversations that we see the fruit of it in
things like divorce,” says Elizabeth. “We know ourselves
that guilt or resentment can really build without that
open communication.”
“And often,” adds Seth, “those feelings happen be-
cause of a miscommunication. Sometimes you’re not
really at odds at all — you might even be feeling the same
way — but if you don’t communicate and have a conversa-
tion about it, you’ll never know.”
When fertility does return, and the long periods of
abstinence are finally over, Elizabeth and Seth note that
“the connection is so much deeper when
we are finally able to come back to it.
That spiritual and mental connection is
just so much deeper, and we appreciate it
‘and rejoice’ as St. Paul says.”
BALANCING EXPECTATIONS
Seth and Elizabeth recommend go-
ing into the postpartum transition with
reasonable expectations. This is one big
reason to take CCL’s Postpartum Class
while still pregnant, they say. “Look at
us! We had three different scenarios.”
Go into the postpartum transition with
reasonable expectations. This is one
big reason to take CCL’s Postpartum
Class while still pregnant.
They recommend going into it clear-
eyed, with the recognition that things
can (and often do) change.
In fact, Seth says, “There’s really
no point in having expectations! Every
experience is so different. We’ve learned
that with our kids, plus with how differ-
ent their personalities are, each postpar-
tum transition is different, too.”
Elizabeth adds that another important point is not
to expect anything about your own postpartum experi-
ence based on someone else’s experience. “I see so many
Cultivating confidence continues on page 22

Live the Love:
Accompanying couples during
the postpartum transition
“and the need to ‘think outside your box’ when it comes
CCL knows the great need for cultivating better com-
munity and accompaniment for couples — especially
when navigating the postpartum transition. That’s why
over the past several months CCL has been piloting vir-
tual postpartum consulting and support groups. These
programs are part of CCL’s Live the Love initiative, and
the pilots have gone over incredibly well, with hopes of
rolling out these opportunities for more participants
and volunteers very soon. Family Foundations spoke
with CCL Teachers Melissa Gorley and Stacey Nagle,
who have spearheaded these efforts.
FAMILY FOUNDATIONS November/December 2020
Postpartum Support Groups
The support groups meet weekly for five to six
weeks to learn more about the postpartum transi-
tion, receive guidance and resources, and learn
from each other’s experiences and support. CCL
hopes to have new groups starting up routinely,
perhaps based on due dates. These groups are for
women who have already taken CCL’s Main Class
and the Postpartum Class, and they meet in an on-
line forum guided by a mentor/moderator (who is
a CCL teacher with a lot of experience and interest
in helping women through this transition). There
is also hope in the future to have some recorded
content be a part of the postpartum community
groups, for those who are unable to make the
scheduled meeting times.
The goal of the meetings, says Melissa, is “to
offer inspiration and practical support. And it’s not
all from the moderator! The women in the group
support one another as well.”
The meetings are loosely structured and deal
with important topics like self-care, breastfeed-
ing, nutrition and marital intimacy. “During the
self-care meeting,” says Melissa, “we talked a lot
about Theology of the Body, and how practicing
self-care as a mom is not only necessary, but good.”
In addition to talking about these issues during the
meeting, the moderator also offers resources and
support materials. For example, Melissa says, “In
the breastfeeding class, we shared our own experi-
ences and support with breastfeeding, but I also
connected women with lactation consultants for
virtual consultations.” Often, the meetings focused
on practical aspects of everyday life for moms, such as
tips for how to get dinner on the table at night, and how
to pick nutritious foods (often using Fertility, Cycles &
Nutrition as a guide).
The marital intimacy meeting also focused on the
realities of how sex changes after a baby. “We talked a lot
about how our time is no longer our own,” says Melissa,
to where and when you can be intimate — especially
when there’s a baby asleep in your bedroom at night.
Sometimes couples are surprised when they realize that
they don’t need permission to change these things!”
Melissa also notes that Theology of the Body is an
especially important topic when it comes to marital
intimacy after a baby, relying especially St. John Paul
II’s Love and Responsibility. “We talk a lot about the
arousal curves of men and women that JPII discusses,
and how he points out the virtue in men learning to
Postpartum transition continues on page 22
15
 MISSION ADVANCEMENT
CCL’s own shepherds
and Magi by Patrick Smith
“Patrick, I think my water broke.”
It was September 20 and my
very pregnant wife and I were get-
ting ready for bed. We changed our
sleep plans, I threw our bags into
the car and checked to make sure
the car seat was there, and we were
off to the hospital.
The ER confirmed that this
was the real deal, and so began a
slow labor of almost 24 hours, not
counting the three hours of active
pushing, breathing and more push-
ing. On September 22 at 12:58 a.m.
our son, David Matthew Gleason
Smith, was born.
Now as we approach the Christ-
mas season, I can’t help but think of
the Nativity. Joseph, I can relate to.
But I want to consider the shepherds
and Magi for a moment. These men
wanted to give. They wanted to be a
part of this new life. The Magi had
16
their valuable gifts, and I’m sure
Mary and Joseph used them to take
care of the baby Jesus. But what did
the poor shepherds have to offer?
Well, they had their praise to offer.
I’m not saying that my wife and I
are Mary and Joseph, and our son is
certainly not Jesus, but, like the Holy
Family, we’ve had our share of Magi
and shepherds.
In that first moment after birth,
my wife and I were in the post-
partum phase. From the euphoric
awe at the new life sitting in the
car seat on our way home, to the
adrenaline-fueled third and fourth
winds we caught when we got home,
to the minute-to-minute changes of
fatigue, grace, anxiety, rest, feeding,
panic, planning, unplanning, and
diapers…we have been utterly con-
sumed. But we’re incredibly blessed
by this new life and partly that is
because of our own shepherds who
have been sending us cards and
prayers and our own Magi offering
us gifts and bringing us dinners.
Nine months ago, I began work-
ing at CCL. Perfect timing since my
wife got pregnant in January. Work-
ing for CCL has run parallel with my
own experience as an expectant and
now postpartum father. In October,
CCL started its 50th year, and in my
time here we have been preparing
to breathe new life into the next 50
years. Our ideas and projects have
been growing, and a few of those
ideas are just now being born. I’ll
spare you the labor pains only to tell
you that we are now in the postpar-
tum phase in the development of
CCL’s future. Like my wife and me,
the staff and stakeholders at CCL are
excited at the prospects that this new
life will bring. The “Mother/Daugh-
ter Area,” the virtual Spanish Class
and the “Postpartum Place” are in-
fants, barely older than my own son,
yet they are already stirring excite-
ment and anticipation. Our online
university for continued learning
and growth is soon to be born. Now
we are looking for some shepherds
and Magi.
So much life is springing forth from
CCL, and, like my wife and myself, CCL
continues to need prayers and support.
So much life is springing forth
from CCL, and, like my wife and my-
self, CCL continues to need prayers
and support. We know we have the
talent and perseverance, and now
CCL needs your help. We ask you to
be our shepherds and Magi, offering
what you can to ensure the growth of
the new life in our ministry. Please
prayerfully and purposefully con-
sider ways in which you can support
this new life at CCL.
Patrick Smith is the associate director of
membership for CCL.

Wow! A positive ending
to 2020 by Erick Carerro
While 2020 has earned quite the
reputation for shutting things down,
surprisingly as it winds down it is
bringing many exciting opportunities
for the League to fulfill its mission to
reach couples with NFP instruction
in English, Spanish…and Polish!
In October we finalized an
agreement with Liga Małżeństwo
Małżeństwu (CCL-Poland) to update
their Student Guide and teacher
training program and create a Polish
version of the Art of Natural Family
Planning Transitions Student Guide.
This is a significant milestone that
will benefit many couples, not only in
Poland, but around the world, includ-
ing Polish families in the United
States. CCL classes in Polish have
been offered for many years in some
dioceses around the Great Lakes.
Last month we also opened a new
virtual portal for Liga de Pareja a
Pareja–Argentina (CCL–Argentina!).
The Argentine teaching couples now
have access to most of our teaching
resources, consulting support and
NFP promotion to serve dioceses all
over their country. A similar effort
has been in the works for several
months for Colombia. We are truly
excited to finalize the details and
launch the new Liga de Pareja a
Pareja–Colombia site before the
end of this year.
Many of you contributed to
our Thermometers for Africa initia-
tive. This was an effort to provide
We’ve moved!
Please use our new address:
5440 Moeller Avenue, Suite 149
Cincinnati, OH 45212
Please remember CCL in your
end-of-year giving.
Mail gifts to our new address
or visit ccli.org/donate
thermometers to advance CCL’s
classes in the dioceses of Kumbo and
Bamenda in Cameroon. As you may
imagine, the extraordinary demand
for thermometers worldwide and
complications due to social unrest
in Cameroon delayed our plans
to complete this project. We have
finally received the thermometers
earmarked for Cameroon and will
be sending them very soon. With
the unstable conditions there, we
need to make sure they arrive
safely to those couples who need
them; I will share more details as
things unfold. Thank you for all
your support on this initiative.
A pilot program is currently
underway here in the U.S. to help
Spanish-speaking couples who just
welcomed a new baby. This post-
partum pilot will help us to find the
best combination of instruction,
practice and consulting for these
families. The integration of the
CycleProGo app (Spanish version) is
part of this experience. I look for-
ward to letting you know when the
final version will be ready to deploy
to more Hispanic communities.
Erick Carerro is the Director of International
Programs and Strategy
17
CCL’S FIRST 50: A LOOK BACK

First 50
CCL’s

A look back
October 2020 began CCL’s 50th year of ministering to 1971
• CCL founded by
engaged and married couples with our unique mis- John & Sheila Kippley
sion to help couples live out their marital sexuality in
line with God’s beautiful plan for married love. Along
the way we have developed programs and products to
meet the needs of the time, all grounded in excellent 1973
• Preliminary Art of NFP
instruction in the Sympto-Thermal Method of NFP, (mimeographed)
delivered couple to couple, in the context of traditional
Christian sexuality. Enjoy this look at the many high-
lights and blessings, all made possible through the 1974
support of untold volunteers and donors. • Teaching Couple
#
10 certified
• 2,000th taught

1975
• Art of NFP, 1st ed
• 3,000th taught

1979 1978 1977

• Art of NFP, 2nd ed • NCCB recognizes CCL • Teaching Couple
• 1st International as valid NFP provider #
100 certified
Teaching Couple in conformity with
1982 (Belgium) Catholic Teachings
• 10,000th taught
• Teaching Couple • 1st CCL Convention
#
500 certified
• 50,000th taught

1984
• Art of NFP, 3rd ed 1991 1993
• Promoter program • Fertility Cycles • Teaching Couple
established 1986 & Nutrition #
1000 certified
• Home Study course published • 100,000th taught
established
• Teaching Couples in
Mexico & Colombia

18
 FAMILY FOUNDATIONS November/December 2020

2018 2019 2020

• Shorter, Lighter and Pain-free • Fertility, Cycles • Mother/Daughter
Periods published & Nutrition 5th program launched
2017 • 50th Anniversary of Humanae edition published • Expanded postpartum
• CCL Facebook Vitae convention • LivetheLove.org launched support launched
group launched • CCL2025 plans announced • Conoce tu Fertility launched • Begin CCL’s Jubilee year

2016
• Your Love Story 2015 2013
published • New logo & branding • CycleProGo® Mobile 2012
• Self-paced Online App launched • Virtual teaching
Course debuted • Updated Transition Classes formalized & expanded
& books launched • Polish Postpartum
• Launched redesigned Class launched
website

2011
2009 2010 • ANFP Polish Course
• Postpartum & Premenopause • ANFP Spanish launched
Classes with books launched Course launched • Teacher Training
2008 streamlined &
• ANFP Course launched • Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition, • Teaching Couple
4th ed published improved
#
2000 certified
• CyclePRO® desktop • ANFP 2nd ed
charting software • 200,000th taught
launched
launched • Online Class Registration
• Art of Breastfeeding system launched
published

2007
• Web-based Teacher 2006 2002
Training launched • Is NFP Good? & • Spanish Basic 2001
• Eyes Wide Open The Human published • Teaching Couple
published Body… published #
1500 certified
• 150,000th taught

1998
1994 1997 • El Arte published
• Marriage is For Keeps • CCL Website
• Clergy & Physician
published • Hispanic development Seminars began
1996 created
• Art of NFP, 4th ed
published

19
A BETTER FERTILITY FOUNDATION
Giving young girls
a better fertility
foundation
Many parents, and I was one of them,
dread having to have “the talk” as
their child approaches puberty. We
aren’t quite sure what or how much
to say, and we fear what questions we
may get.
Looking back, though, I know
that practicing fertility awareness
helped my husband and me grow
comfortable talking about intimate
issues ourselves. This did help us
down the road when we began talk-
20
by Ann Gundlach
ing to our children about their bodies.
For instance, one thing we agreed
on was to use accurate terminology
when talking to them about their
body parts. We didn’t realize at that
time when they were toddlers and
preschoolers that this was laying the
groundwork for being able to talk
to them more easily about intimate
things as they got older.
Being open with them also
brought some tender moments that
gently pointed them toward God’s
plan for openness to life. I was asked
more than once if I was sick when
they had joined our bed and saw me
taking my morning temperature. I
just said, no, I did this because it
helped me to know if God had sent us
a new baby. Their eyes always lit up
at the thought! Children know inher-
ently that life is a gift.
Reclaiming these beautiful truths
As children get older and are
impacted by the culture (even as we
try to minimize that influence), the
natural acceptance of new life and
the specialness of being a boy or a girl
can fade. Thinking particularly about
young girls, consider what messages
they receive from all around them
today: That their menstrual cycles
are a hassle or worse; that their
femininity needs to be controlled to
have empowered lives; that girls need
medications in order to get through
their periods.
When they get older, the prevail-
ing message is that motherhood is
likely to be an impediment to a career,
and this has led to U.S. women
delaying motherhood. According to
the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, women are now more
likely to have their first child in their
early 30s than they are to begin their
family in their 20s.
And yet the experience of NFP
couples is that sharing with our
daughters about fertility aware-
ness as a teen does help cultivate
appreciation and even awe for
God’s design of their bodies
and his plan for their sexuality.
It helps points them toward
hope…hope for blessings
like marriage and children.
It honors their femininity.
That is the much
better, much more
positive and hopeful
message that our
daughters deserve!

CCL begins outreach for teens
To better support young girls,
CCL has launched programming to
help mothers more easily introduce
fertility awareness information to
their daughters. We were excited to
kick this off by co-sponsoring a vir-
tual event on September 24 produced
by our partner, Natural Womanhood.
Nearly 1,000 women tuned in
online to a presentation headlined by
former CCL promoter and fertility
educator Emily Sederstrand. Speak-
ing from her experiences of working
with teens, Emily shared both the
importance of empowering teenage
girls to know their bodies, and some
strategies that she has found helpful.
As a leader in promoting fertility
awareness, Natural Womanhood’s
president Gerard Mignon has recog-
nized the pressing need to introduce
this to young women at earlier ages,
and was excited to use this event to
connect parents with helpful infor-
mation and resources.
“I consider the education of teen-
agers critical in order to bring about
the change of culture we need,” he
said, “and the success of this webinar
on this issue shows a huge interest.”
Feedback was overwhelmingly
positive, with many viewers eager
to share the recording with others.
Some, like Helena Zamora, watched
with their daughters.
“Thank you so much for this
event! The information and resourc-
es provided are extremely help-
ful,” she said. “I had my 17-year-old
daughter sit in on this with me, and it
was definitely a conversation starter.
I was able to share my charting with
her again. She was able to ask ques-
tions and get clarification on the ba-
sic charting she has done and things
she’s noticed.”
CCL’s mother/daughter area
“Coordinating with Natural
Womanhood on their webinar pre-
sented a great opportunity to tease
our own new program for moms and
daughters,” said CCL Executive Di-
rector Katie Zulanas. “We have been
working on this for many months and
We are happy to offer the
Mother/Daughter
Program
to our CCL members
at an introductory
50% discount!
Use code CCLMom50 at checkout.
Valid through 12/31/20.
Visit momsanddaughters.org
to share this with your daughter
for $25 (retail price $50).
were delighted that Gerard wanted
to support our own efforts to educate
teen girls.”
This is the first program
launched under the Live the Love
brand, and is designed to facilitate
conversations between mothers
and daughters. This helps ensure
young girls receive trusted, accurate
information grounded in the truths
of God’s beautiful plan for femininity
from within their own family, from
those who love them the most and
know them best.
The Mother/Daughter Area is an
online space featuring educational
content, resources and commu-
nity connections, the centerpiece of
which is a series of short video les-
sons: “Fertility 101: Basic facts every
young woman should know.”
Ideally to be watched together,
daughters will be introduced to
fertility awareness in talks from a
CCL teacher, a nurse practitioner
and an OB/GYN. For moms there is
bonus content and a community area
to support each other. The entire
program is designed to help young
girls discover and treasure the gift
FAMILY FOUNDATIONS November/December 2020
they have been given in being female,
and moms are presented with several
suggested tracks based on the age of
their daughter.
“Any one of our NFP teachers
can tell you that one of the most
frequent comments they get from
their students is, ‘Why didn’t anyone
teach me this when I was younger?!”
Zulanas said. “And with so many
couples not coming into NFP classes
until their late 20s, that leaves a gap
of far too many years when women
are just too easily shuffled onto the
birth control pill.”
CCL is excited about bringing
beautiful, gentle and trusted educa-
tion to girls about their amazing
fertility cycle before they get caught
up in the assembly line toward birth
control found at too many physi-
cian’s offices. They will receive a
basic understanding of their fertility
hormones, effective self-help and
natural remedies for cycle discom-
forts, how to know what should be
brought to a doctor’s attention, and
most importantly, how to advocate
for themselves as they work with
healthcare professionals to support
a healthy life.
You are invited to visit
momsanddaughters.org to learn more.
21
CULTIVATING CONFIDENCE POSTPARTUM
Cultivating confidence continued from page 14
postpartum charts,” says Elizabeth, “and everyone is
just so different. You really can’t predict for women
when they will be fertile again, so it is really important
to not compare other peoples’ postpartum experiences
to your own.”
ADVICE FOR STRUGGLING COUPLES
When asked for their best advice for couples
struggling during the postpartum transition, Seth
immediately recommends talking together as a
couple, and getting help. “Get help
from a teaching couple, a mentor,
a priest, anyone you trust so that
you don’t feel like you’re doing it
all on your own.”
He also says to take the time to
devote toward your marriage and
your relationship, after all, he says,
“It’s what your family is founded
on!” Take time for a date night,
afternoon, or morning — whatever
you need to do.
“That’s advice we give couples
regardless of where they are in
their marriage,” says Seth. “It’s
easy to accept that babies get to
take over your life,” says Elizabeth,
“but they shouldn’t! You can’t be a
good parent if you don’t have those
foundations laid with your spouse.”
Elizabeth also adds the impor-
tance of having a prayer life and making sure that each
of you has some dedicated prayer time. “Keep laying
that spiritual foundation however you can.”
She also recommends simplifying your life as much
as possible, especially during the early months, and not
to be afraid to change your schedule, if needed, to do less.
“You have to get better not just at asking for help,
but at accepting help,” Elizabeth says. “If someone
wants to start a meal train for you, let them! Let people
bless you, and when you are in a position to do so, bless
someone else who needs it, too.”
Elizabeth also highly recommends cultivating your
community of other “mom friends.”
“Go to your church’s mom’s group,” she says, “or
start one yourself! My sister laughed at us when we
took out an ad in the bulletin at our parish advertis-
ing our couples’ groups. She said, ‘You’re advertising
for friends!’ But that is where we have found some of
our closest friends, the ones we can call on to help us
through anything, including postpartum.”
22
Postpartum transition continued from page 15
become masters of their own arousal curve.” (On that
note, when asked if there is a corresponding men’s
group for discussing the postpartum transition, Me-
lissa says they are gauging interest in that — so please
reach out to CCL if you feel called to this ministry!)
Postpartum Consulting
If a woman needs more individualized NFP in-
struction or attention to her charts, she can also have
a 20-minute consultation with a CCL teacher well-
versed in this transition — another ini-
tiative in the Live the Love campaign.
CCL knows NFP needs change in the
postpartum time.
We also have new help for postpar-
tum women with a constantly chang-
ing mucus pattern. Some in this situa-
tion have found the Marquette Method
to be helpful in providing some much-
needed objectivity with this, and then
return to CCL’s Sympto-Thermal
Method (STM) once their cycles have
re-normalized. Rosemary Mackenzie
is a CCL teacher who is cross-trained
in both CCL’s STM as well as the Mar-
quette Method, and helps couples fig-
ure out how to integrate the ClearBlue
Fertility Monitor during the postpar-
tum time. This is an excellent partner-
ship that indicates CCL’s willingness
to meet couples where they are, and to
help them continue to grow in faith and love with one
another during this transitional period.
Postpartum Digital Platform
CCL plans to continue growing their postpartum
community and resources, and is working toward
creating a digital platform — the Postpartum Place —
where couples can access all of these resources at any
time and be connected to consultants for more individ-
ualized instruction. The goal is for the support groups,
resource platform and consulting to eventually be
available to anyone, regardless of their method of NFP.
With all of these new resources on the horizon,
CCL hopes to make couples feel confident and support-
ed throughout the postpartum transition. In educating
couples, helping them form meaningful communities
with others, and providing additional resources and
instruction when NFP can be its most difficult, CCL
hopes to cultivate the soil for the incredible growth of
the postpartum time to come to fruition.
 Since 1990, Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition
has promoted healthy nutrition and lifestyle
choices for women. The completely updated &
revised 5th Edition continues this mission with:

• An updated “12 rules for better nutrition” • Advice on boosting your ability to digest food
• Steps you can take to increase your energy • Tips on homesteading & growing your own food
• The latest research on preventing endometriosis
• New information on male infertility

“One of my favorite resources is Marilyn Shannon’s

Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition because it is so pertinent to
women’s health from a medical perspective. I particularly
like the fact that Marilyn first emphasizes good nutrition,
before she targets particular problems such as painful
cycles, PMS, polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility, thyroid
or any of a number of other issues. It is amazing for me to
see the number of problems that simply resolve with good
nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.”
— Marie A. Anderson, M.D., FACOG
Tepeyac OB/GYN Center

Available in the CCL store

www.ccli.org/ccl-store
CCL has
moved!

Please use our new address:

5440 Moeller Avenue
Suite 149 i s cri sis!
ug h t h
Cincinnati, OH 45212
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