Our Catholic faith teaches us that the marital act is to be both unitive and procreative, but when we experience pregnancy or child loss, we learn that openness to life also means openness to loss.

Sometimes the protocols for our cycles after a miscarriage or stillbirth can be unclear, and the work of charting can feel overwhelming as we are still grieving.

Our fertile times each month can be full of conflicting and confusing emotions, as we may long to become pregnant again and simultaneously feel terrified of experiencing another loss.

We may be wrestling with thoughts about God, about our bodies, about our fears and our faith every time we consider intimacy with our spouses – all of which can be challenging to our minds and our hearts, not to mention our marriages.

When I posted a question on social media asking women what was the most difficult part of NFP after child loss, I received very relatable results:

• “How do you even start to be intimate again after that?” 

• “Knowing when you can be intimate again when you’re TTA (trying to avoid)”

• “The fear that comes with becoming pregnant again”

• “The first cycle after, cramps, bleeding in general”

• “Not really wanting to track”

• “Trusting the process. The rules for basic NFP don’t apply to post loss. There is no info.”

In this course, you’ll hear from women who have all experienced pregnancy loss. We’ll talk about the practical and logistical elements as well as the emotional challenges of practicing NFP after child loss.