Life is a gift, not a possession
Conjugal love is by its nature open to the procreation and education of children. Parents cooperate responsibly with God, weighing physical, psychological, economic, and social circumstances with a well-formed conscience.
The Church distinguishes periodic abstinence for just reasons from an act deliberately rendered infertile. Fertility awareness methods need to be learned with a qualified instructor; an app cannot diagnose a cycle or a person's reproductive health.
Suggested reading: Psalm 127 and Mark 10:13-16. Children are welcomed as persons and gifts, not as their parents' achievement project.
When the path to having children differs from what was hoped
Infertility causes real pain and is not a punishment. A couple can seek diagnosis and treatment that respect the dignity of procreation, while also discerning adoption, care for others, and fruitful forms of service.
Can we speak peacefully about our desire for children, timing, health, fears, and the possibility of infertility? What are we assuming instead of discussing?
Prepare a list of questions for a physician and a trained fertility awareness instructor. Agree that decisions will be based on truth, prayer, and shared responsibility, without placing the entire burden on one person.
References
Path progress
Love That Bears Fruit
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