N.F.P. for Raetihi

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 14, 4 September 1984, Page 1

N.F.P. for Raetihi

By

Mark

Casey

Raetihi has its first Natural Family Planning Clinic. Mrs Noeleen Sommerville of Raetihi, a registered nurse, has recently completed her training and passed her exams in natural family planning. Noeleen grew up in Ohakune and went to Nelson for her nursing training. After her registration she married, settled in Raetihi, and worked for a while at Waimarino Hospital. Noeleen says she was concerned that couples in her area wanting to attend a natural family planning clinic had to travel to either Wanganui or Palmerston North. To meet this need, Noeleen spent a year training as a natural family planning teacher. Her training involved trips to Wellington and Palmerston North for seminars and a probationary period of teaching under

supervision at Wanganui and Waiouru. At the recent tenth annual conference of the New Zealand Association of Natural Family Planning, Noeleen was presented with a medal confirming her accreditation as a teacher. Noeleen is anxious to dispel two unfortunate myths that may prejudice people against natural family planning: that it has religious affiliations and that it is another name for the so-called 'rhyihm method.' cont'd on page 2

cont'd from page 1 "The Natural Family Planning Association is completely secular," Noeleen says. "It has no connection with any religion. "Unlike the 'rhythm method' which relies on predicting future cycles from past cycles, natural family planning involves interpretation of the progress of the present cycle. "Well taught land well motivated couples can avoid pregnancy as successfully as couples using the contraceptive pill. "On the other hand, couples having difficulty in starting or enlarging their family, can learn how to increase the likelihood of conception. "Women who are breastfeeding, changing from using chemical or mechanical methods of contraception, having irregular cycles, or going through menopause, are still able to use natural family planning."