About Marquette Method
What is the Marquette Method?
The Marquette Method uses modern technology to help women monitor their fertility using urinary hormone biomarkers and then applying that information to avoid or achieve pregnancy naturally. This method, although considered “new” has been around since 1999. Women use a monitor to chart their rises in estrogen and luteinizing hormone to determine a fertile window in which to avoid intercourse if trying to space children. When the fertile window is identified, the couple modifies their behavior to either achieve or avoid pregnancy. Once 6 cycles have been successfully observed and charted, an algorithm can be applied which may help to shorten the fertile window. This modern method uses technology while encouraging the woman to observe her body and the changes it undergoes each cycle.
This method can help women of all backgrounds and ages to plan their family in a natural way. Catholic couples can use this method of natural family planning to align with the teachings of the Catholic Church on contraception. Non-Catholic couples can use this method to get away from artificial hormones that can be so harmful to the female body. It really is for every woman!
What is NFP?
Natural Family Planning is a method to achieve or avoid pregnancy by observing the signs of fertility in a woman’s body and altering sexual intercourse during that time of the fertile window. The fertile window is the identified time that a woman has a high likelihood of pregnancy. It begins a few days before ovulation and ends several days after the body indicates ovulation is nearing.
Who is Marquette Method for?
Marquette Method can help many different types of women using different protocols for:
- regular cycles
- short cycles
- long cycles
- perimenopause
- coming off hormonal contraception
- return to fertility after miscarriage
- breastfeeding
Who teaches Marquette?
Only healthcare professionals who have a bachelor’s degree or higher and have gone through the training curriculum at Marquette University are eligible to teach. These instructors complete the program in approximately 1 year taking a core curriculum course and a teacher training course. Some go on to complete an extra medical applications course as well. Through these courses and practical real world experience, a Marquette instructor becomes well equipped to help women navigate their fertility in many phases of their lives. You can be assured that your qualified Marquette instructor has a solid foundation of medical knowledge to assist you in your fertility journey.
What are the health benefits?
A woman’s menstrual cycle is her 5th vital sign and an important overall indicator of health. Observing and charting fertility helps a woman to know her body and be alerted when changes occur. Marquette can be helpful to women experiencing health issues such as PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and endometriosis. Women are empowered in learning their bodies and starting to connect the myriad of changes that occur every cycle from mood to complexion changes to cervical mucus and more.
Have some time? Check out this interesting documentary on contraception called The Business of Birth Control: https://thebusinessoffilms.vhx.tv/
Is the Marquette Method effective?
Marquette has been studied since it’s development in 1999 at Marquette University with Dr. Richard Fehring, PhD, RN and his team*.
Regular cycles perfect use effectiveness rates: 98-99.4%
Regular cycles typical use effectiveness rates: 94-98%
Breastfeeding cycles perfect use effectiveness rates: 98%
Breastfeeding cycles typical use effectiveness rates: 92%
*Fehring, & Schneider (2017) Effectiveness of a natural family planning service program.
*Bouchard, Fehring, & Schneider (2013) Efficacy of a new postpartum transition protocol for avoiding pregnancy.
What can I expect with a method of Natural Family Planning/Fertility Awareness Based Method?
Natural Family Planning/Fertility Awareness Based Methods are completely reliant on observation and charting; they don’t seek to manipulate the body or suppress fertility! This observation and charting helps a woman to identify her fertile window and alter behavior based on achieving or avoiding pregnancy. However, what is it really like? Click here to find out more about fertility awareness based methods: https://www.factsaboutfertility.org/what-is-charting/
What kind of time commitment is involved to practice Marquette?
Clients receive instruction in a 45-60 minute introductory session and begin charting on their own via a google sheets document or printed pdf chart.
Clients typically monitor their urine each morning for about 10-15 days per cycle. It’s a simple 15 second test! Then they must input their result into a chart after waiting 5 minutes for the monitor to read their test stick.
What is the cost to practice Marquette Method (United States)?
Clients must first enroll in a class. Instructors charge anywhere from $125-300.
Clients purchase a Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor and accompanying test sticks. These monitors range from $80-$125 depending on if buying used or new.
The test sticks cost $40 for a box of 30 that typically lasts 3 months.
The long term monthly costs are approximately $12 for regular cycles women. They can be higher with special circumstances such as PCOS or breastfeeding.
The upfront costs are well worth the peace of mind brought with a simple, reliable and healthy form of natural family planning.
Do not try to learn on your own! We see clients come to us who have tried to piece it together from online blogs, facebook posts or friends with limited success. Nothing replaces a qualified instructor available to you for 6-12 months answering all the questions pertinent to your unique situation!