Official Website of the
Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
Natural Family Planning
Updated Aug. 28, 2026
Click on the drop down menu below to find the NFP options available to couples in the Diocese of Little Rock. There is a fee for classes that includes supplies and services. Scholarships are available. Choose the course that is right for you. For more information, email Elizabeth Reha in the Family Life Office or call her at (501) 664-0340, ext. 373.
Natural Family Planning (NFP) refers to a group of methods that help couples either achieve or postpone pregnancy by observing and understanding the natural signs of fertility and infertility during a woman’s menstrual cycle. When avoiding pregnancy, couples abstain from sexual intercourse and genital contact during the fertile period. NFP methods do not rely on drugs, devices or surgical procedures.
According to Catholic teaching, NFP respects the dignity of the human person within marriage and family life, encourages openness to life and affirms the value of children. By working in harmony with the unitive and procreative purposes of marriage, NFP can strengthen communication, mutual respect and the marital bond between spouses.
NFP Methods
The methods of NFP fall into the three categories below, which focus on one or more signs of female fertility. Below each category are the class options available to couples in the Diocese of Little Rock.
1. Sympto-Thermal Methods (STM)
These teach women to observe and chart multiple fertility signs, primarily cervical mucus, basal body temperature (BBT) and cervical changes to identify fertile and infertile phases of the menstrual cycle.
These are based on the observation of cervical mucus, a primary sign of fertility. By learning to recognize and interpret changes in cervical mucus, women can identify their fertile and infertile phases and pinpoint the days when pregnancy is most likely to occur.
3. Sympto-Hormonal Methods (SHM)
These observe several signs of fertility with the use of an ovulation predictor kit (OPK) or fertility monitor. This approach checks reproductive hormones in the urine.
1. Sympto-Thermal Method (STM)
Couples in the Diocese of Little Rock may choose from the following options that use Sympto-Thermal Methods.
Couple to Couple League
Couple to Couple League (CCL) helps couples grow in mutual love, respect and selflessness while strengthening communication and shared responsibility. By encouraging openness to children and the practice of sexual virtue, NFP can support strong marriages and family life.
SymptoPro Fertility Education
SymptoPro Fertility Education helps women and couples understand fertility, reproductive health and healthy menstrual cycles. Through individualized education and ongoing support, SymptoPro empowers users to achieve or postpone pregnancy, monitor reproductive health, and make informed decisions throughout their reproductive years.
2. Ovulation Method (OM)
Couples in the Diocese of Little Rock may choose from the following options that use Ovulation Methods.
BOMA-USA
BOMA-USA (Billings Ovulation Method Association) provides personalized, evidence-based education in the Billings Ovulation Method®, helping women and couples understand fertility, support reproductive health and achieve their family planning goals naturally.
Creighton Model FertilityCare™ System
The Creighton Model FertilityCare™ System (CrMS) helps individuals and couples understand fertility, monitor health and achieve their family planning goals. The center offers evidence-based education, individualized support and access to NaProTechnology™-trained physicians. St. Anne FertilityCare™ Center in Bentonville provides instruction.
Contact St. Anne FertilityCare™Center
3. Sympto-Hormonal Method (SHM)
Couples in the Diocese of Little Rock may choose the following option that uses the Sympto-Hormonal Method.
FEMM
FEMM (Fertility Education and Medical Management) recognizes that ovulation is a sign of health and empowers women to be agents in the management and care of their overall reproductive health and well-being. FEMM assists in understanding the significant role of reproductive endocrinology in the management of women’s health.
Marquette Method
The Marquette Model uses at-home hormone monitoring technology, often combined with cervical mucus observations or basal body temperature, to identify a woman’s fertile window. By combining biological markers with an evidence-based algorithm, it offers a modern approach to NFP.
