The Creighton Model: A Game-Changer in Natural Family Planning

The Creighton Model FertilityCare System (CrMS) is a natural family planning method that identifies the fertile period during a woman’s menstrual cycle. First used in 1980, the Creighton Model has been commonly utilized to both avoid and achieve pregnancy, becoming a great tool for fertility and women’s health specialists. Here’s what you need to know about the Creighton method, its background, how it works, and how you can use it.

The History of the Creighton Model

The Creighton Model was developed by the founder of the Saint Paul VI Institute, a unique organization that specializes in research, diagnosis, and treatment of women’s reproductive and gynecologic healthcare using completely natural methods. Developed in the 1970s, it was soon found to be a reliable method applicable to women throughout their reproductive lives.

How the Creighton Method Tracks Ovulation

The Creighton Model monitors the fertility and health of women through cervical mucus and other biological markers throughout their menstrual cycle. Considered as a standardized version of the Billings Ovulation Method, it’s typically taught in a medical setting and provides a more defined tracking system. It has been shown in studies to be more than 99% effective in avoiding pregnancy, and when couples with normal fertility use it to achieve pregnancy, 76% will successfully do so in their first month.

The Creighton Model's standardized nature also allows it to detect underlying menstrual conditions that can be addressed through direct and meaningful treatment. Natural Procreative Technology, more commonly known as NaProTECHNOLOGY™, was developed based on the research of the biological markers tracked in women’s cycles.

Baylor St. Luke Medical Group OBGYN Dr. Jamie Hernandez discusses the Creighton Model and how it benefits her patients.

How NaProTECHNOLOGY™ Works

NaProTECHNOLOGY™ is a method used by OBGYNs and fertility specialists to identify the underlying cause of infertility in a woman’s reproductive system and treat it directly to increase her chances of pregnancy. Seventy percent of couples who use this form of treatment in conjunction with the Creighton Model have been able to become pregnant.

In addition to helping patients with infertility, NaProTECHNOLOGY™ is also used to treat several other conditions, including:

• Premenstrual syndrome
• Ovarian cysts
• Postpartum depression
• Endometriosis
• Painful menstrual cramps
• Irregular or abnormal bleeding
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Recurrent miscarriage
• Hormonal abnormalities

NaProTECHNOLOGY™ is a valuable method because it works cooperatively with a woman’s body in delivering treatment to correct an underlying problem instead of simply suppressing symptoms. It was developed with the goal of doing so without disrupting a patient’s procreative ability.

How You Can Use the Creighton Model and NaProTECHNOLOGY™

Learning the Creighton Model System begins with an introductory session with a FertilityCare™ provider who gives an overview of the method, reproductive anatomy and physiology, and how to track your cycle. This is followed by a series of essential, personalized follow-up appointments with a FertilityCare™ provider, who instructs couples in the use of the CrMS.

FertilityCare™ practitioners also teach patients how to look for and record changes, such as varying cervical mucus levels throughout their menstrual cycle. These changes appear naturally throughout the cycle and help physicians discover and treat the underlying cause.

If you have a gynecological condition, such as infertility, make an appointment with Caritas Women’s Care at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Group Sugar Land. Caritas is dedicated to honoring both womanhood and human life, and they can review your symptoms and direct you to a FertilityCare™ provider.

Sources:
Creighton Model | Background of the CrMS System
Fertility Care Centers of America
National Library of Medicine | Creighton Model NaProEducation Technology for avoiding pregnancy. Use effectiveness
National Library of Medicine | Use effectiveness of the Creighton model ovulation method of natural family planning