WOOMB International (World Organization Ovulation Method Billings) teaches awareness of woman`s natural signs of fertility and infertility
By Marcy Millette, President of NFP Saskatchewan
Great News! Billings teachers from British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan recently completed the Billings Ovulation Method (BOM) Teacher Training Extension Program.
The WOOMB International approved course was held April 24-26 at Holy Family Cathedral in Saskatoon. Facilitators were experienced teachers, Dr. Karen MacDonald from Nova Scotia, and Shawna Van Uden from Alberta.
Billings teachers are expected to re-certify or upgrade every three years. These participating teachers are able to support couples who wish to postpone or achieve pregnancy, and help women monitor their health in all stages of reproductive life.
This user-friendly and economical method assures couples that they can confidently chart through stress cycles, breastfeeding or peri-menopause. Couples who discern to postpone pregnancy are assured with the user-effectiveness rate of 99%.
The Billings Ovulation Method also provides valuable information for sub-fertile couples, allowing the woman to identify the time of maximum fertility in each cycle.
A five-year Australia-wide Study on the use of the BOM to achieve pregnancy has examined this efficacy of the BOM with encouraging results: the confirmed pregnancy rate was 78.3% with an average of 4.7 months from initial instruction to conception. This is a much higher success rate than is promised by In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Some couples who had previously unsuccessfully used IVF or other assisted reproductive technologies, were also able to achieve pregnancy.
Of concern is the study’s questionnaire which revealed that 82% of all couples had no prior knowledge on the science and signs of their fertility. Clearly, there is much work to be done to improve our promotion of this natural method of family planning. As Dr. Evelyn Billings would state, “This is knowledge of her body that every woman ought to have.”
The Natural Planning Association of Saskatchewan takes this statement to heart as we offer mother/daughter sessions and marriage preparation courses, as well as Free Information Nights similar to the presentation held April 23 at Holy Spirit Parish in Saskatoon.

Billings Ovulation Method teacher training was held April 24-26 at the Cathedral of the Holy Family. A public information night about the method of Natural Family Planning was also held April 23 at Holy Spirit Parish in Saskatoon. (Photo courtesy of NFP Saskatchewan)
For more information about the Billings Ovulation Method visit the NFP Saskatchewan website at: www.nfpsask.ca or e-mail: nfpsask@gmail.com.
RELATED: “Menarche to Menopause” is an online opportunity for health care professionals to learn more about supporting women who are monitoring their cycle using the Billings Ovulation method while also dealing with the physiology and hormonal processes of the ovulatory cycle. The course will be presented virtually by Dr. Karen MacDonald, MD and Elizabeth Tanguary, RN, June 11 and June 18. Find more information at: woombcanada.wordpress.com
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