The Creighton Model has played a major part in helping me understand my cycle and body. I first started learning about Creighton when a good friend had serious hormonal imbalances which were giving her immense pain in the form of a cyst. I personally did not have any immediate need to learn as I was single and seemingly healthy, however I was still curious to learn more and improve my overall health.
My experience with the model has been positive and I have been able to understand and see clear indications of changes in my cycle reflecting my life events. It is not always easy to remember observations and navigate your cycle but once you get the hang of it, it is truly empowering. As my cycles unfolded, a hormone imbalance was revealed, which showed through short cycles which may make it difficult to achieve or maintain a pregnancy. With the help of my naturopathic doctor and through a more nutritious diet, I was surprised to see my cycle normalize and lengthen. It was enlightening to know how fast my body responded to proper nutrients, especially my cycle; this was equally concerning when thinking about women who do not feed their bodies well.
After I was married in October 2016 my hormones took a turn for the worse, leaving me extremely lethargic, nauseous and unwell. When I consulted our family doctor, he had no answers aside from recommending the birth control pill. Imagine that - I was seeking help to feel better and ultimately conceive and what he was recommending was a band aid to a more serious underlying issue. It was disappointing not feeling like I was being heard and that my situation was as basic as referring the pill. These symptoms made me think of our Creighton practitioner’s predictions earlier where she discovered red flags just from charting my cycle and advised us to take a deeper look. After months of feeling the symptoms of being pregnant paired with failed pregnancy tests, my husband and I decided to take the next step to pursue NaProTechnology with a trained local Creighton Medical Consultant. Our Medical Consultant immediately put us at ease after she mentioned having worked with many couples with similar issues. We proceeded with treatment. Though difficult at times, we worked through and eventually saw improvements on my symptoms and ultimately achieved pregnancy. We were blessed to find out we were expecting twins (we also were provided care through NaProTechnology to maintain the pregnancy) and carried them for 7 months. I want to point out that I did not suffer from post-partum depression and I believe that had all to do with how my hormones were balanced through my treatment.
Teaching the Creighton Model and providing professional fertility care is important to me because I see the need from the people around me. Those who are Catholic and non-Catholics who wish to have a deeper knowledge of their fertility can find it here in the Creighton Model. With the growing number of women whose fertility cycles are of a complicated nature and oftentimes painful, I recognize the need to seek a deeper scientific understanding of the source of these complications.
My journey with the Creighton Model first as a single women learning about my fertility, then as a married woman struggling with infertility and eventually the gift of pregnancy, has further convinced me of how much women need the knowledge and understanding of this science. I see this method of fertility appreciation as not only limited to the instructions of achieving or avoiding pregnancy but as an opportunity for a woman and/or couples to connect on a deeper level. I regularly come into conversation regarding my personal connection with the Creighton model and feel the need to share my passion with those around me. It would bring me great joy to assist women and/or couples by offering my services in a personal and professional way, encouraging my clients to listen and take care of their bodies.
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