Frequently Asked Questions about the Fertility MattersTM Method
A: The Fertility MattersTM Method is a natural fertility monitoring system and a Sympto-Thermal method of Natural Family Planning/fertility awareness. The FMM can be used by couples wanting to achieve or postpone pregnancy and by women to support or enhance fertility for health reasons with natural (non-pharmacological, non-surgical) means.
A: The first step is to contact us to talk with us about your unique situation. If you are interested in taking our fertility education course, we will help you get registered!
If you are also interested in receiving fertility enhancement counseling (in order to prepare for conception or for health reasons) you are welcome to meet with a fertility counselor for a free initial consultation.
You will receive extensive forms to complete about your personal and health history. It is best if you return the forms to your fertility counselor or fertility midwife before your first class. You will learn about the various FMM programs that are available, in order to pick the program that is best for you. The next step is to sign up for the basic Fertility Matters Method Course. You are not required to share personal information with other couples at this class. The class is taught by a Fertility Matters Fertility Educator. An important part of the FMM is walking you through a goal-setting process in all areas of your life. Throughout the course, you will craft a first draft of your goals. If you are engaged or married, it is worth the effort to complete these goals together.After the introductory class, there are two additional classes in order to deepen your understanding of the Fertility Matters Method. You will meet privately with a Fertility Advisor or Fertility Midwife for confidential review of your charts. At your first appointment, your fertility advisor will initially spend time chatting just to get to know you. After getting acquainted, she will go over your personal and health histories, asking any questions she has about the information. She will also spend time going over your charts and answering any questions you might have about your fertility. (It is best if you always bring copies of your charts for your advisor to study and to keep in your confidential file.) Then you will work together to formalize your goals, including any suggestions that your fertility counselor or fertility midwife might have for you. By the end of the first appointment, you will have a much clearer picture of exactly where you are and where you would like to go.
At future appointments, your fertility advisor or fertility midwife will:
- Deepen her understanding of you and your family, so she can help you to achieve your goals
- Provide accountability so that you continue to work toward your goals
- Make sure you have sufficient understanding of how to observe and record your signs of fertility and how to use your observations to achieve your intentions
- Check to see if your charts demonstrate healthy cycles and provide suggestions to strengthen them, if necessary
- Answer your questions and address your concerns
A: The FMM has six unique programs designed to help support or enhance fertility naturally, designed for women and couples with unique educational needs. This includes programs for achieving pregnancy, postponing pregnancy, after the birth of a baby, natural women's health, and a program for women approaching menopause. There will also be a home study program for mothers & daughters to use at home to help your daughter grow in appreciation for God's amazing plan for women.
A: The "new" part of our method is our unique way of interpreting charts, as well as the idea of combining fertility education with natural fertility counseling. For couples postponing pregnancy, the Fertility Matters Method uses rules that have been used by Natural Family Planning instructors for many years. One of our rules was developed and used in over 30,000 cycles with only 7 surprise pregnancies! If you desire to use our method to postpone pregnancy, whether temporarily or long-term, you can be assured that these rules work.
A: We are not yet able to offer a certification program for candidate teachers and advisors. However, if you would be interested in such an opportunity, please
contact us for more information.