Q: Do you do IUI, artificial insemination, IVF, embryo transfer, surrogacy, etc.?
A: No, we do not do or refer for any artificial reproductive technologies (ART). We instead can refer to a natural procreative technology (NaProTechnology) physician, locally or via telemedicine, who will help to diagnose male and female reproductive health issues you may have and treat them at their root cause so that you can conceive naturally.
Q: Can we use condoms or other birth control in the fertile time to avoid pregnancy?
A: The Creighton Model FertilityCare System does not allow the use of barrier methods, withdrawal, or other methods of birth control to be used with it. The CrMS is a method of natural family planning (NFP) that teaches abstinence with the use of SPICE during the fertile time of the woman’s cycle when a couple chooses to avoid pregnancy. Teachers of the Creighton Model FertilityCare System affirm and support chastity for teens and singles.
Q: What is a FertilityCare Practitioner (FCP)? What do you do?
A: FertilityCare Practitioners (FCPs) are teachers of the Creighton Model FertilityCare System. FCPs are knowledgeable in the area of reproductive health and are considered allied health professionals. FCPs can identify possible women’s health conditions based on the charting patterns and biomarkers, but they must refer to a NaProTechnology physician for the actual diagnosis and treatment of any health conditions. FertilityCare Practitioners have all received standardized educational training in an education program approved by the Saint Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction in Omaha, Nebraska. A FertilityCare Practitioner Intern (FCPI) is someone who has completed the first part of the education program and is currently teaching at the basic level to gain clinical experience. A FertilityCare Practitioner (FCP) is someone who has completed the entire educational and clinical training and can now handle advanced cases. Finally, a Certified FertilityCare Practitioner (CFCP) is a FCP who is certified by the American Academy of FertilityCare Professionals (AAFCP) after completing and maintaining the certification requirements.
Q: What is it like to work with you? (Expectations and boundaries)
A: With the exception of Introductory Session presentations which may be open to the public, FertilityCare sessions are by appointment only. Appointments are scheduled and agreed upon in advance and may be canceled or rescheduled prior to the appointment (before I get to the office on the day of the appointment or you may be charged a no-show fee). Clients are expected to interact during our sessions (i.e. ask and answer questions) and to allow for the appointment to take up to 1.5 hours to complete. Clients are expected to complete all forms and homework assignments as assigned. Finally, existing clients are encouraged to contact me any time by email, Facebook message, phone call, or text (note that these may not be private or secure) in between appointments to ask any questions. Clients who use the official FertilityCare App may send me private and secure messages and snapshots of their charts from within the app.
Q: How do I get started? (Onboarding process)
A: If you have an existing or suspected reproductive health issue and would like your FertilityCare sessions to be covered by your health insurance, you must first call Gianna of Albany and become a new NaProTechnology patient there. Then, during your first appointment with the physician, you can request to have me as your FertilityCare teacher. Once I become notified that you will become my client, I will contact you to schedule your Introductory Session presentation. Inquiries and new clients who would like to self-pay are welcome to contact me directly to schedule their Introductory Session presentation.
Q: What happens when I am done with regular follow-ups? (Offboarding process)
A: There are many situations where you may be done with the regular follow-up schedule with me such as if you become pregnant, you transfer to another teacher, you decide to discontinue for various reasons, or you simply complete the whole first year of follow-ups. If you become pregnant while using the Creighton Model System, we can do a special Pregnancy Evaluation appointment and we recommend that you continue charting during pregnancy. You can plan to use the CrMS again after delivery while postpartum or breastfeeding and we will check-in with you during your pregnancy at 5, 8, and 10 months since conception. If you move or transfer to another teacher, please let me know so that I can send along your files with your permission to ease the transition to your new teacher. Please let me know if you decide to discontinue for any reason so that I have that information for my records. Finally, after you complete the first year of appointments (the Introductory Session + 8 follow-up appointments), you can continue to be seen long term for every 6 months or 12 months. We recommend that you continue long-term follow-ups as your reproductive category may change over time and you will benefit from the additional specific instruction, individualized to you and your situation. At the 5th Follow-Up and/or when you end the program with me, I ask that you complete follow-up and teacher evaluation forms and provide me with any testimonies, stories, and feedback that you have.