Keep in mind that the CREIGHTON MODEL FertilityCare™ System can be used to assist in the evaluation of nearly any women's health problem and more information can be obtained by contacting the affiliate nearest you (see Directory). Or, if you need further information log onto:

The CREIGHTON MODEL System is a system of both achieving as well as avoiding pregnancy. When used to avoid a pregnancy it can be highly successful in accomplishing its goals. In a major study of its method and use effectiveness to avoid pregnancy, published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine in 1998, 1,876 couples for a total of 17,130 couple months of use were evaluated.

In this study, the method effectiveness to avoid pregnancy was 99.5%. The use effectiveness to avoid pregnancy (its use under real life conditions) was 96.8%. On both of these measurements of effectiveness, it is equal to or better than any other drug or device on the market.

It can also be very successful in its use to achieve a pregnancy. When the days of fertility are identified and used, data published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine in 1992 revealed that 76.0% of couples will achieve pregnancy in the very first cycle that they will attempt to do so. By the sixth cycle, 98.0% will be pregnant. This is what is called "Fertility Focused Intercourse" and allows a couple to achieve pregnancy in a conscious way by identifying the true time of fertility. In doing so, they can also date the beginning of that pregnancy.

It should also be pointed out that in studies that have not yet been published, the wanted pregnancy rate has been extraordinarily high in the use of the CREIGHTON MODEL System. Over 98.0% of pregnancies were called, within the first three months of the pregnancy by the couples using the system, "wanted". This is due, at least in part, to the fact that the couples are working out of a knowledge of their fertility as opposed to an ignorance of their fertility and they are much more likely to take responsibility for their pregnancy intentions.

In order to achieve these types of success rates, it is extremely important that couples be properly taught the system. This can only be accomplished by receiving instruction from a specialist in the CREIGHTON MODEL System. These specialists have gone through a 13 month allied health education program. These effectiveness ratings cannot be expected to be accomplished without education from a fully certificated CREIGHTON MODEL FertilityCare Practitioner. These individuals can be located by logging onto the FertilityCare™ Centers of America Directory.

Infertility is defined as the inability of the married couple to achieve a pregnancy over the course of one year when intercourse is occurring randomly. A newer definition of infertility also exists in a situation where the woman is NaProTRACKING™ her menstrual cycles (a technique learned through the use of the CREIGHTON MODEL FertilityCare™ System). With NaProTRACKING™, a couple can use fertility focused intercourse. In such a situation, if pregnancy does not occur over the course of six menstrual cycles then it can be assured that a fertility problem exists.

There is some question as to whether infertility is on the increase or not. Indeed, there is evidence to suggest that the lifestyle that exists in much of the western world, which is on the one hand very hectic and stressful and, on the other hand, encourages promiscuity, has actually led to an increase in the number of infertile couples. This rate may be close to 20 percent. At the same time, there are some who believe that infertility rates have not changed over the last 20 to 30 years.

In any regard, infertility is an extremely difficult problem because it not only involves physical disease entities or problems but it also involves psychological and emotional effects. Most infertility problems are related to some type of functional or anatomic disease process and most infertility problems create emotional feelings of sadness, regret, inadequacy, frustration, discouragement, etc.

In approaching a problem of infertility, it is best to seek assistance from physicians who are disease based in their approach to the evaluation and treatment of infertility and also will provide a comprehensive plan for the evaluation and treatment of this condition. With this approach, as opposed to the more widely known reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization, IVF, artificial insemination, gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), etc. a higher pregnancy rate can be achieved while, at the same time, having the underlying disease process recognized and treated.

Most problems related to infertility have an underlying organic cause and/or a hormonal/functional cause. The latter usually results in some type of abnormality in ovulation while the former creates other difficulties including obstruction of the fallopian tubes, biochemical disturbances that disrupt fertility, etc. About 30 percent of infertile couples will also have an associated male factor problem.

Conditions such as endometriosis, pelvic adhesions (scar tissue), previous infections with chlamydia or gonorrhea, polycystic ovarian disease, etc. are all organic, diseased causes of infertility. In addition, many of these women have associated hormonal dysfunctions which ultimately create abnormal ovulatory patterns which are either incompatible with pregnancy or prone to producing miscarriages, tubal pregnancies, etc.

The most important approach to any infertility problem is to have an adequate evaluation. NaProTRACKING™ the menstrual cycle is the first step for accomplishing this. This is a system of evaluating different naturally occurring biological markers of menstruation, fertility and infertility and then recording them appropriately so that a daily record can be obtained. In order to NaProTRACK™ the menstrual cycle one goes to classes where the CREIGHTON MODEL FertilityCare™ System is taught. NaProTRACKING™ becomes the foundation upon which other testing can be accomplished including the cooperative and reproducible hormone evaluation of the menstrual and ovulation cycles.

Most women with infertility problems should have a pelvic ultrasound examination or a series of ultrasound examinations to determine any ovulatory disorders that might occur. Their husbands should also have a seminal fluid analysis to assess their ability to successfully achieve pregnancy. If abnormalities exist then specific treatments can be implemented.

Finally a diagnostic laparoscopy and hysteroscopy should be conducted and if necessary, a selective hysterosalpingogram. The first of these tests allows for the visualization of the internal reproductive organs of the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, etc. Such diseases as endometriosis, pelvic adhesions, polycystic ovaries, obstructions of the fallopian tubes, etc. can be visualized and diagnosed. The latter examination allows for a specific testing of the integrity of each fallopian tube separately to make sure that there are no obstructions present, even subtle ones.

With a disease based approach to infertility and comprehensive planning in its treatment, there is a considerable amount of hope that is available to the woman and her husband seeking help with an infertility problem.

Couples with a previous unsuccessful history with an artificial reproductive approach to their infertility, are very pleased with this new approach. For the first time, these couples are educated and become very knowledgeable as to the "why" of their infertility.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a medical condition with a combination of emotional and physical symptoms that can disrupt your health, work and personal life. This medical condition displays symptoms that occur on a regular, routine basis during the premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle (usually 7 to 10 days prior to the onset of menstruation). It can be a very debilitating condition for the woman and for her family.

PMS symptoms are very real. There are now listed 150-200 different symptoms associated with PMS. Common symptoms are bloating, fatigue, irritability, depression, teariness, breast tenderness, carbohydrate craving, weight gain, headache and insomnia. These begin to occur at least four days prior to menstruation. Only with the CREIGHTON MODEL FertilityCare™ System can the hormonal abnormalities in the menstrual cycle be corrected.

It is important to distinguish symptoms which are present premenstrually and those that are present all the time, e.g. symptoms associated with depression.

PROBLEM

The physiological reason for this condition is due to hormonal abnormalities. Women need to be reassured that this condition is "not in their head."

EVALUATION

Your physician will ask you to begin charting your cycles using the CREIGHTON MODEL FertilityCare™ System (CrMS). After you have two months of charting accomplished, the doctor will recommend a hormone evaluation.

By timing the hormone evaluation based on the information provided by your fertility chart, your physician will be able to determine the extent to which hormone levels are abnormal. Premenstrual Syndrome has generally been considered to be a progesterone deficiency condition. Studies have also shown that decreased levels of Beta-endorphin may be present. In many patients with PMS a relative degree of hypothyroidism is also present.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

In some cases your doctor may prescribe medication to reduce your symptoms. These are administered in cooperation with your menstrual and fertility cycles.

EFFECTIVENESS OF TREATMENT

Based on research at the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction, the overwhelming majority of patients treated according to established protocols, either feel significantly improved or much better.


NUTRITIONAL ASPECTS

A healthy diet may help to reduce your symptoms and support the rest of your treatment plan.

A healthy diet means one which is low in fat, salt and sugar; and consisting mostly of complex carbohydrates (whole grains; vegetables and fruit). Avoid artificial sweeteners, caffeine, nicotine and alcohol.

Vitamin supplements may also help to relieve symptoms. Especially important are vitamins B6 and E.

SLEEP ASPECTS

The quantity and quality of your sleep can be a critical factor in lowering PMS symptoms. It's best to get at least eight hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.

STRESS ASPECTS

Stress makes Premenstrual Syndrome worse. It is helpful to balance periods of stress with periods of relaxation.

If you are not successful in learning stress reduction techniques on your own, you may wish to see a professional counselor.

EXERCISE

Exercise helps to reduce symptoms of PMS. It reduces stress and helps you to sleep better.

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

You may benefit from emotional support during and after treatment. Your doctor and your FertilityCare™ Practitioner can be an important source of support.

Even with all of the available technology, one of the puzzles of modern obstetrics is that the physician has not yet learned how to date the beginning of a pregnancy. The traditional way of measuring the beginning of pregnancy is to measure it from the first day of the last menstrual period. On average, this will be approximately two weeks prior to the actual date of the pregnancy itself.

Pregnancy can be measured in two ways. The most common is measuring the gestational age. The gestational age of the pregnancy is measured from the first day of the last menstrual period. In this way of dating the pregnancy, the pregnancy is 40 weeks in duration (on average) instead of the actual 38 weeks. In other words, it dates the pregnancy, on average, two weeks longer than it actually is.

The other way of measuring the dates of the pregnancy is to measure the fetal age. The fetal age of the pregnancy is measured from the time of conception or the estimated time of conception. When measuring the pregnancy in this fashion, the pregnancy is 38 weeks in gestation or 2 weeks shorter than gestational age dates. The fetal age, of course, is the actual age or date of the pregnancy.

Historically, the physician focused on the first day of the last menstrual period for two reasons. First of all, the menstrual flow itself was a fairly dramatic symptom which the woman could be expected to remember. In addition, it was easy to teach her to record the first day of the last menstrual period so that when that information was elicited by the physician, at a later time, it would be available.

However, when one is charting the CREIGHTON MODEL FertilityCare™ System, one can date the pregnancy accurately from the actual or estimated time of conception. Therefore, one can date the pregnancy according to its true date or in fetal age terms. This is measured by evaluating the acts of intercourse that occur during the time of fertility and establishing an estimated time of conception through this evaluation.

A study of 173 patients, in a consecutive fashion, who were charting the CREIGHTON MODEL System has been carried out. The estimated time of conception (ETC) and the estimated time of arrival (ETA) (formerly the EDC or the estimated date of confinement) were calculated. On this group of patients, early ultrasound dating of the pregnancy was also obtained. This dating was obtained by the measurement of the crown-rump length of the embryo or fetus. Most of the examinations were performed during the first trimester of the pregnancy when the dating of the pregnancy was thought to be accurate within plus or minus three days.

The CREIGHTON MODEL ETA and the ultrasound ETA were equal plus 1.97 days. Thus, the CREIGHTON MODEL dates were highly accurate with the two being within ten days of each other in 100% of the cases.

One of the most important things that can be accomplished in obstetrics is to date the pregnancy. So much relies upon having accurate dates. A great deal of effort is generally put into establishing accurate dates and, to some extent, that can be eliminated once one is monitoring their cycles using the CREIGHTON MODEL System.

By accurately identifying one's date of conception, it will lead to a decreased degree of obstetrical interference by having an accurate assessment of fetal age. For example, there is a decreased use of amniocentesis for fetal lung maturity prior to Cesarean Section. By having accurate dates, one can better assess the normal progression of the pregnancy and also determine both prematurity as well as postmaturity conditions. If induction of labor is a consideration, that consideration can be made without added obstetrical manipulation.

While it is true that a cervical mucus discharge is not a "high tech" idea. It is also true that it is an incredibly good bioassay. Everyone concerned needs to recognize the accuracy of this bioassay system and the ease with which such information is obtained so it's benefits can better be incorporated into obstetrical practice. By learning the CREIGHTON MODEL FertilityCare™ System, one will have the information from that bioassay to make this accurate identification.

The CREIGHTON MODEL FertilityCare™ System is a natural means of regulating human fertility. It can be used to both achieve as well as avoid pregnancy. No drugs or devices are used in its application. As a result, the system is completely safe. In over 24 years of its use now in the United States, there have been no medical side effects associated with its use.

With NaProTECHNOLOGY®, certain medications or even surgical procedures may be recommended to correct underlying abnormalities of the reproductive system. Most of these are associated with no known medical side effects or a short list of potential side effects or complications. The principles behind NaProTECHNOLOGY® is to work cooperatively with your fertility cycles and menstrual cycles. When any medical evaluation or treatment is recommended with this cooperative approach of NaProTECHNOLOGY®, we recommend that you consult your physician for any potential side effects, complications or risks that you might encounter.