Recommended Products
All of these items are also flexible spending approved items if you have a FSA or HSA account.
These are Amazon Affiliate links, so a small portion of each purchase will help support our NFP coaching program.
To get started with the Marquette Method of NFP, I recommend the monitor, test sticks for the monitor as well as 1 package of LH tests.
LH tests are optional but highly recommended when beginning.
The Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor
This monitor is used with the Marquette Method of NFP to more easily detect ovulation. It is meant to be used in regular cycling women who are trying to conceive, however it can be used along with the rules used in the Marquette Method of NFP to avoid pregnancy as well. The monitor cannot be used alone to avoid pregnancy, but does help objectively and easily detect ovulation which is important information when using Natural Family Planning.
While having regular cycles is recommended for ideal use, we can use it for women with long cycles, women who are postpartum, post hormonal contraception or in peri-menopause with special instructions from a Marquette Method NFP instructor.
You will also need to purchase test sticks to use with the monitor.
These are the test sticks you will need with the Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor. They work with both the old style and newer touch screen model. They can be purchased online from many drug stores but the subscribe and save option on Amazon is an easy way to save a little on the cost.
When using in regular cycles, expect to need 10-20 tests per month. When using after having a baby before cycles return, you will need 1 box per month until your first period.
These LH tests are supplemental tests to the monitor used for many situations, often when circumstances are more complicated such as postpartum, peri-menopause, or when just getting started while you are getting the hang of the monitor. These cost about 30¢/test. 1 package of LH tests are recommended when getting started.
Premom Semi-quantitative LH tests
These LH tests are a more objective option for LH testing. They provide a quantitative reading of your LH level by using the Premom app to interpret the results. They are slightly more expensive than the traditional comparative LH tests like Easy@home, but the results are more clearly interpreted. The cost goes down with the purchase of more tests.
Some of my favorite things
These are also amazon affiliate links. None of these items are required to practice the Marquette Method, but may be helpful to you as I mention them in the course or in consultations.
While any cup in your house is sufficient to collect your urine samples for testing, if you’d like a disposable option, these are especially nice for packing because the plastic doesn’t crack if crushed in your packing supplies and you can take a stack with you and toss them when traveling.
A reusable menstrual cup that is a healthy, safe and conscious alternative to disposable pads and tampons. Sckooncup is a bell-shaped reusable 100% USA Medical Grade FDA Approved silicone and FDA Cleared menstrual cup that collects your menstrual blood. Inserted like a tampon, Sckooncup sits comfortably in your vagina and can be safely worn for up to 12 consecutive hours. Comes in a small size for those who have not given birth before and a large size for women who have had babies.
I recommend this cup because it is one of the softest on the market and has a very quick learning curve.
For other menstrual cup options and to compare brands, check out www.putacupinit.com
When you are testing with the Clear Blue easy fertility monitor, it is recommended to dip the test stick in the urine sample for exactly 15 seconds. I have found that it is helpful to keep a clock in the bathroom to make this testing process as easy as possible first thing in the morning. This clock comes in many color options.
Easy@home Bluetooth BBT Thermometer
For easy tracking and saving your basal body temps in an app as well as saving the date/time on the thermometer, this thermometer works with the Premom app to sync your temps. This can be used as an oral or vaginal thermometer for BBT tracking. Basal body temps are an optional biomarker with the Marquette Method of NFP. To take daily temps, they need to be done at the same time every morning just upon waking. This biomarker will detect the progesterone rise that happens after ovulation. A temp module is in the NFP course for learning how to track temps and include them into the Marquette Method.
If a lower cost BBT thermometer is preferred, try this easy@home BBT thermometer.
Basal body temping is one of the ways you can track ovulation and fertility. The biomarker detects the progesterone rise that causes a slight basal body temp increase only after ovulation has already happened. Typically oral or vaginal temps need to be taken at the exact same time each morning just upon waking, however for many women this rigid schedule makes it more difficult to be successful. The wearable thermometer takes away the need for the rigid sleep/wake rules with traditional BBT monitoring and will also input your temps into a smartphone app for easy monitoring and syncs with the favorite Read Your Body app for NFP tracking. While this is a supplemental option, many women like the ease of use and confirmation of progesterone rise.
Common wisdom portrays sex and church to be at odds, yet studies show that Catholics have better sex, and more often. This witty, frank, and refreshingly orthodox book draws from the beautiful truths of Catholic teaching to show people of all faiths about rich and satisfying sexuality. Hailed by Christians across the spectrum from Christopher West and Janet E. Smith to John L. Allen, Jr., Holy Sex! includes dozens of questionnaires, quizzes, and valuable lessons from real-life stories.
I highly recommend this book for all married couples whether newlywed or married for 20+ years and everything in between. Popcack goes over everything from mismatched expectations in the bedroom, when NFP is hard, to coming together for a more connected prayer life, as well as the importance of foreplay and practical aspects of married love.
The Good News… By Christopher West
The Good News about sex and marriage is an excellent book outlining the beautiful teachings from Theology of the Body and it’s lived application within marriage. This book gives many practical tips to understand what is permissible vs the things that even within marriage are immoral since sexual intercourse should always be a total gift of self to one’s spouse.
“It’s my heartfelt prayer that, whatever your state and stage in life, this book will help you in your quest to know, understand, live, and experience the beautiful truth about human love. For that’s where we find the image of the divine, a foretaste of heaven—the consummate satisfaction of all our most intimate longings.” —from the introduction
Period Repair Manual is your guide to better periods using natural treatments such as diet, nutritional supplements, herbal medicine, and natural hormones. It contains advice and tips for women of every age and situation. If you have a period (or want a period), then this book is for you.
Hormone Repair Manual is a practical guide to feeling better in your 40s, 50s, and beyond. It explains how to navigate the change of perimenopause and relieve symptoms with natural treatments such as diet, nutritional supplements, and bioidentical hormone therapy.