God’s Guidance Through NFP: A Patient’s Journey with MyCatholicDoctor
Living in Minnesota, this patient has walked a winding path of faith. Raised Catholic, she drifted away from the Church for a time, only to return with a renewed conviction that “God is good!” She began to see how her faith needed to guide not just her prayer life, but also her healthcare.
When she learned more deeply about the Church’s teaching on Natural Family Planning (NFP), she knew it was something she wanted to practice. But the learning process felt overwhelming. “I knew it would be important to find a teacher for NFP instead of just doing research myself,” she explained. The challenge was practical: NFP education often came at a high cost, and she and her husband weren’t on the same page about spending money on it. “This option allowed me to start learning what I needed to know while respecting my husband’s wishes by not having this be a financial burden. So grateful!”
Her regular doctor, meanwhile, offered only the familiar prescriptions. “My regular doctor was in support of birth control, so I knew going through her for this info was not going to result in what I was looking for.” That’s when she turned to online research and discovered something remarkable: free NFP education through MyCatholicDoctor.
Her first appointment was with Dr. David Wachs, who gave her confidence that she was in the right place. “He was extremely caring and knowledgeable. I explained to him how fascinating it all has been and he was happy to share education that was very helpful and interesting!”
From there, she began working with Rosemarie MacKenzie, an NFP instructor specializing in the Marquette Method. Rosemary guided her through charting using Tempdrop and Mira, answered every question with patience, and offered extra reading resources. “The emails with the questions I have during my cycles have been so very helpful. She is very quick to reply to emails and I truly feel I can trust her knowledge.”
The emotional support proved just as important as the instruction. When her husband initially wasn’t on board with NFP, she entered her first meeting feeling discouraged and alone. “She was very kind and sympathetic for my situation and offered support and that she would be praying for us. It meant a lot when I felt completely alone.” Later, when her husband agreed to learn more, Rosemary even repeated an introductory meeting just so he could hear the basics firsthand. “I know that isn’t the typical process and her doing that for me was amazing. Eternally grateful.”
For this patient, MyCatholicDoctor has been more than healthcare — it has been a reminder that God is present in the journey. She recalls two clear “God winks”: first, the indescribable joy she felt when she committed to implementing NFP, and second, discovering that MyCatholicDoctor offered the education for free — a direct answer to prayer in her marriage.
Today, she and her husband continue to grow together in faith. “We’re still working through our faith differences, but my husband being willing to implement NFP has been a huge accomplishment. I know that Rosemary had an impact in that and again — I am so grateful.”
Looking back, she sees the values of Catholic healthcare shining through: providers who understand both the physical and the spiritual reasons for NFP, who take time to listen, and who offer the compassion of Christ. “It makes me feel supported and not alone and like God is walking with me in my care.”
Her advice to others? “Involve your priest and at least get a consultation through MyCatholicDoctor to talk about your options. I have mentioned MyCatholicDoctor on Facebook pages with people asking about NFP — it’s an amazing resource!”
