Mothers spur the fertility revolution on
Two Sydney women say they feel blessed to be able to provide women and couples with a powerful but little-known approach to reproductive health and infertility issues.
Eliza Segarra, of Panania, and Raimonda Waddy, Earlwood, say that if not for discovering the Creighton Model of reproductive health their young children may never have been born.
Both are interns currently training to become certified allied health professionals expert in the approach, and can accept clients under the supervision of Cathryn Marshall, Brisbane-based founder of Magnolia FertilityCare. The Creighton Model FertilityCare System is based upon the knowledge and understanding of the naturally-occurring phases of a woman’s fertility and infertility.
Evidence-based approach to women’s health
Using a standardised method of charting a woman’s menstrual cycle, it promotes overall health and, integrated with medical care, offers wholistic alternatives to IVF that are respectful of the couple’s relationship and any new life.
The model allows medical practitioners trained in the women’s health science NaProTechnology (Natural Procreative Technology) to gain information to promote a women’s reproductive and gynaecological health and help couples to achieve pregnancy or avoid or space pregnancies.
“This model and especially used as a couple, allows the couple to work with the woman’s body to try and conceive or avoid if needed,” said Eliza. “The whole process allows a couple to grow closer together, which is a beautiful thing for a marriage and another reason why I am so passionate about being an instructor.
“We are blessed to have our son Mateo, who without the assistance of our instructor and NaPro doctor, might not be here today. I want to be able to pass this knowledge on to other couples, as it has been such a benefit to us and I am so passionate about it.”
Both women are being sponsored to undertake the 13-month training program by the Life, Marriage and Family team of the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation. Raimonda said that the Creighton Model and NaProTechnology are the “hidden gems” of reproductive health science.
“They are the key to finding out the root cause of infertility and treating it with excellent success rates, but so many people don’t know about them,” she said. “Why aren’t more people using this method of natural family planning?
“Part of the reason I decided to study to become a Creighton Fertility Care Practitioner is get the word out to couples who are experiencing infertility, to support them on their journey and show them that it’s very possible to conceive even when you’re been told otherwise.
“I am so blessed to be given this opportunity to learn this method through the Archdiocese of Sydney and I look forward to the privilege of being part of married couples’ journey to becoming parents.”
Hopeful approach to family planning, infertility
Cathryn says she has witnessed powerful stories in her own practice of women healed and children being born and that there is increased demand for women wanting to find out the reason for their infertility or wanting to use a natural method to avoid pregnancy.
“So it’s a matter of finding that they can’t cope with the contraceptive pill or they may have a moral reason for not wanting to get on the contraceptive pill to start with,” she said.
There are also a lot of women who know there’s something wrong with their bodies but there’s just not that professional out there who’s going to take the time to listen and has an authentic way to get to the bottom of it as well, whether it’s pre-menstrual syndrome which can be quite devastating for women’s lives.”
The Creighton Model FertilityCare system and NaProTechnology are developments of the Saint Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction in Omaha in Nebraska. It was founded in 1985 to answer the call for reproductive health care that fully respects life, and was inspired by Pope St Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical letter, Humanae Vitae.
Sydney Life, Marriage and Family team leader Steven Buhagiar said he was overjoyed that the young women, with the support of their husbands, had taken up the invitation to train as FertilityCare practitioners.
“It all comes down to the beauty, awe, mystery, sacredness of a woman’s body, and the havoc wreaked by a contraceptive mentality which is at the very heart of todays’ cultural conversation around sex and consent,” he said. “We have all been appalled by recent news headlines and seen thousands of women recently march through Sydney asking for simple respect.
“But we can’t rebuild the culture without addressing the deeper core issues, which Pope Paul VI so presciently addressed in Humanae Vitae.”
For more information go to Fertility Care Centres of Australia fccau.org
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