"Life-Giving Love in an Age of Technology" (USCCB, 2009)
"It is estimated today that one out of six couples will experience infertility. The suffering of unanticipated childlessness is real. Spouses may feel they have somehow failed, that they are inadequate in a basic aspect of marital life. Their pain may even be aggravated by regret or guilt over past contraceptive use, sterilization, abortion, or other factors that can contribute to infertility. The sight of other couples' children may make them year for a child all the more and add to their distress. Infertility can affect a couple's sexual relationship and the stability of their marriage. It may even affect relationships with parents and in-laws who express disappointment at the absence of grandchildren. Catholic couples may feel this pain even more deeply as they hear the Church praise family life and teach that children are the 'supreme gift of marriage.'
In an age of advances in reproductive medicine, many solutions are offered to couples going through this distress. Some solutions offer real hope for restoring a couple's natural, healthy ability to have children. Others pose serious moral problems by failing to respect the dignity of the couple's marital relationship, of their sexuality, or of the child. The Church has compassion for couples suffering from infertility and wants to be of real help to them.
Finding Solutions Through NaProTECHNOLOGY
and Diet/Lifestyle Changes
NaProTECHNOLOGY uses the biomarkers of the Creighton Model FertilityCare System to recognize health and disease. These biomarkers are "an authentic language of a woman's health and fertility." NaProTECHNOLOGY identifies the problem, cooperates with the menstrual and fertility cycles, corrects the condition, maintains the human ecology, and sustains procreative potential. NaProTECHNOLOGY is of greater effectiveness than in vitro fertilization for helping infertile couples achieve pregnancy.
All NFP charting methods provide insight into a woman's fertility status. In many cases, changes in diet & lifestyle may be enough to improve fertility cycles and chances for conceiving and sustaining a much desired pregnancy. For more information on how your diet can affect your fertility, check out Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition: How Your Diet Affects Your Menstrual Cycles & Fertility
"It is estimated today that one out of six couples will experience infertility. The suffering of unanticipated childlessness is real. Spouses may feel they have somehow failed, that they are inadequate in a basic aspect of marital life. Their pain may even be aggravated by regret or guilt over past contraceptive use, sterilization, abortion, or other factors that can contribute to infertility. The sight of other couples' children may make them year for a child all the more and add to their distress. Infertility can affect a couple's sexual relationship and the stability of their marriage. It may even affect relationships with parents and in-laws who express disappointment at the absence of grandchildren. Catholic couples may feel this pain even more deeply as they hear the Church praise family life and teach that children are the 'supreme gift of marriage.'
In an age of advances in reproductive medicine, many solutions are offered to couples going through this distress. Some solutions offer real hope for restoring a couple's natural, healthy ability to have children. Others pose serious moral problems by failing to respect the dignity of the couple's marital relationship, of their sexuality, or of the child. The Church has compassion for couples suffering from infertility and wants to be of real help to them.
Finding Solutions Through NaProTECHNOLOGY
and Diet/Lifestyle Changes
NaProTECHNOLOGY uses the biomarkers of the Creighton Model FertilityCare System to recognize health and disease. These biomarkers are "an authentic language of a woman's health and fertility." NaProTECHNOLOGY identifies the problem, cooperates with the menstrual and fertility cycles, corrects the condition, maintains the human ecology, and sustains procreative potential. NaProTECHNOLOGY is of greater effectiveness than in vitro fertilization for helping infertile couples achieve pregnancy.
All NFP charting methods provide insight into a woman's fertility status. In many cases, changes in diet & lifestyle may be enough to improve fertility cycles and chances for conceiving and sustaining a much desired pregnancy. For more information on how your diet can affect your fertility, check out Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition: How Your Diet Affects Your Menstrual Cycles & Fertility
Catholic Women's Healthcare & Infertility
Women's Healthcare That Reverences Your Life... And The Life Of Your Family
This page is for women of all ages who want a natural approach to women's healthcare that reverences her fertility and health. The resources contained within uphold Catholic teaching and support women in understanding their fertility to identify and correct any underlying abnormalities and restore her back to health.
In particular, these resources are vital for women struggling with infertility. Our hope is that this page -- and its prayer and information resources -- will encourage renewed hope and consolation.
This page is for women of all ages who want a natural approach to women's healthcare that reverences her fertility and health. The resources contained within uphold Catholic teaching and support women in understanding their fertility to identify and correct any underlying abnormalities and restore her back to health.
In particular, these resources are vital for women struggling with infertility. Our hope is that this page -- and its prayer and information resources -- will encourage renewed hope and consolation.
NaPro TECHNOLOGY
Infertility presents couples with an unexpected cross. Marriage is inherently called to bring forth new life, and those couples unable to conceive suffer from this unfulfilled, natural human desire. There is hope. The Creighton Model FertilityCareTM System, used in conjunction with NaPro TECHNOLOGY – a medical approach cooperating with natural hormonal balance of the human body, can increase a couple’s potential to conceive a child.
National Gianna Center for Women's Health & Fertility
Catholic Health Care for Women, Infertility Concerns, Natural Family Planning, etc.
The Gianna Center provides comprehensive gynecologic primary care and specialized fertility and family planning techniques to uncover the causes of infertility for all women. They offer a natural alternative to assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization, in accordance with the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services.
The Gianna Center provides comprehensive gynecologic primary care and specialized fertility and family planning techniques to uncover the causes of infertility for all women. They offer a natural alternative to assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization, in accordance with the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services.
For a list of Gianna centers and its affiliates, you can check here.
Saint Peter’s Gianna Center of Manhattan
Anne Nolte, MD
15 E. 40th Street
Suite 101
New York, NY 10016
Phone: (212) 481-1219
Fax: (212) 481-1423
Learn More
Gianna Center of Long Island
Paul Carpentier, MD, CFCMC222
Gianna Center of Long Island
1000 Montauk Hwy
West Islip, New York 11795
Phone: (631) 376-3232
Learn More
Gianna Center of Philadelphia
Delia Larrauri, MD, FACOG
Barbara Rose, AGPCNP, CFCP
2705 DeKalb Pike, Suite 207
East Norriton, PA 19401
Phone: (844) 204-0005
Learn More
Gianna Center of Albany
Jan Patterson, MD, DABFM, CFMCMC, FCP
242 South Central Avenue
Mechanicville, NY 12118
Phone: (518) 779-5225
Learn More
Gianna Center of Syracuse
Karen Dalton, MD
127 Chapel Drive
Syracuse, NY 13219
Phone: (315) 488-3139 ext. 16
Learn More
Mercy Care for Women’s Health, an Affiliate of The National Gianna Center
Cynthia Mangubat, MD
819 S. Governors Ave
Dover, DE 19904
Phone: (302) 883-3677
Fax: (302) 736-6951
Learn More
Morningstar Family Health Center
Jean Golden-Tevald, DO, CFCP, FCP
Eddie Fleming, MD, NFPMC
54 Old Route 22
Clinton, NJ 08809
Phone: (908) 735-9344
Fax: (908) 735-7136
Learn More
Gianna Family Care
Terese Bauer, MD
Angelique Pritchett, MD, FCMCr.
10820 West 64th Street, Suite 202
Shawnee, KS 66203
Telephone: (913) 890-2555
Fax: (913) 890-2550
Learn More
St. Gianna’s Center in FL
the Smart Sixty-Six office center at 2360 66th St. N, Room C2 in Largo, FL 33773.
Learn More
Saint Peter’s Gianna Center of Manhattan
Anne Nolte, MD
15 E. 40th Street
Suite 101
New York, NY 10016
Phone: (212) 481-1219
Fax: (212) 481-1423
Learn More
Gianna Center of Long Island
Paul Carpentier, MD, CFCMC222
Gianna Center of Long Island
1000 Montauk Hwy
West Islip, New York 11795
Phone: (631) 376-3232
Learn More
Gianna Center of Philadelphia
Delia Larrauri, MD, FACOG
Barbara Rose, AGPCNP, CFCP
2705 DeKalb Pike, Suite 207
East Norriton, PA 19401
Phone: (844) 204-0005
Learn More
Gianna Center of Albany
Jan Patterson, MD, DABFM, CFMCMC, FCP
242 South Central Avenue
Mechanicville, NY 12118
Phone: (518) 779-5225
Learn More
Gianna Center of Syracuse
Karen Dalton, MD
127 Chapel Drive
Syracuse, NY 13219
Phone: (315) 488-3139 ext. 16
Learn More
Mercy Care for Women’s Health, an Affiliate of The National Gianna Center
Cynthia Mangubat, MD
819 S. Governors Ave
Dover, DE 19904
Phone: (302) 883-3677
Fax: (302) 736-6951
Learn More
Morningstar Family Health Center
Jean Golden-Tevald, DO, CFCP, FCP
Eddie Fleming, MD, NFPMC
54 Old Route 22
Clinton, NJ 08809
Phone: (908) 735-9344
Fax: (908) 735-7136
Learn More
Gianna Family Care
Terese Bauer, MD
Angelique Pritchett, MD, FCMCr.
10820 West 64th Street, Suite 202
Shawnee, KS 66203
Telephone: (913) 890-2555
Fax: (913) 890-2550
Learn More
St. Gianna’s Center in FL
the Smart Sixty-Six office center at 2360 66th St. N, Room C2 in Largo, FL 33773.
Learn More
Helpful Resources
- “Embracing the cross of Infertility” by Dr. Marie Meaney
- “Life-Giving Love in an Age of Technology” by the USCCB
- Infertility Journey a booklet by Jeannie & Bruce Hannemann
- Waiting for Gabriel: Learning to Pray through Infertility
- The Infertility Companion for Catholics by Angelique Ruhi-Lopez and Carmen Santamaria.
- Dealing With Infertility by Julie Kelemen, discussing what the Church teaches about assisted reproductive technologies and offers comfort and advice on how to deal with the emotional, financial, and spiritual challenges of infertility.
- “New Hope in Infertility” by Dr. Anne Nolte, founder of the Gianna - Catholic Healthcare Center for Women.
- Facing infertility: A journey of faith, hope and love by Mary Louise Kurey
USCCB Guidance & Prayers
- Life-Giving Love in an Age of Technology: a statement published by the USCCB, November 17, 2009.
- Catholic Infertility Prayers
- General Infertility Prayers