Services Serena Offers
Serena provides information about fertility awareness and natural family planning. Our trained teachers are committed to helping couples work with, not against, their natural fertility to achieve their goals of family planning.Instruction in the Sympto-Thermal Method of natural family planning Serena is an organization of trained and nationally accredited volunteers who are users of the Sympto-Thermal Method. Our teacher-couples are specially trained to give instruction in fertility awareness and in the effective practise ofthe Sympto-Thermal Method. Specific instruction is available which meets the needs of women and couples in various situations that occur during their reproductive lives. Our teacher couples can offer you personalized guidance and ongoing support.
Typically a consultation consists of one or two sessions with an accredited Serena teacher-couple. The first step is to provide a basic understanding of human fertility and to teach the basic rules for following the Sympto-Thermal Method and interpreting the data. Then, after reviewing sympto-thermal charts which illustrate various real life situations, the couple will be given the opportunity to use their new found knowledge by filling in a practise chart as part of a review of the rules of interpretation.
A couple will learn to observe and chart natural changes in a woman’s body that signal whether she is fertile or infertile on any given day of the menstrual cycle. With this knowledge, a couple can determine when they are fertile. Through loving dialogue a couple can choose, each menstrual cycle, to avoid a pregnancy or to conceive a new member of their family.
Why the emphasis on meeting as a couple? In my situation, this is not possible. Can I still meet with a Serena Teacher-Couple?
In Serena's experience, teaching couple to couple provides the best outcome. Both members of the teacher-couple bring their life experience, viewpoint and skills to the teaching session. The couple receiving instruction can both ask for clarification, and will have the opportunity to start this new enterprise with a common experience. However, when necessary, we will meet with an individual, either a woman, or as has happened, a man. Follow-ups Your teacher-couple remains available for additional consultations, as needed. There is no charge for further education - only for materials as required. You can contact your teacher-couple by phone or e-mail to ask them to repeat or to add to information given, and to help you interpret your sympto-thermal chart if questions arise. Consulting with an accredited teacher-couple is encouraged when difficult situations or changes in life arise. These follow-ups are an essential step toward successful use and confidence in the method.
The best way to learn the Sympto-Thermal Method is in a face-to-face meeting with an accredited teacher-couple. For a couple nearest you, contact our national coordinator at sc@serena.ca or go to our provincial contacts list. When emailing an enquiry, please indicate your complete address.
Group Sessions Many Serena teachers are available to present information sessions about natural family planning and related issues to various groups, from students to professionals. For more information, please contact our national coordinator at sc@serena.ca
or go to our provincial contacts list. Material and Documentations Section under revision in french version
Serena produces materials on the Sympto-Thermal Method of natural family planning, and distributes texts and books on fertility, infertility, sexuality, intra-uterine life, breastfeeding, pre-menopause and menopause. For further information on any of these subjects, please contact our national coordinator at Email: sc@serena.ca or contact a Serena teacher-couple using our provincial contacts list.
Serena has charts for every circumstance:
- Charts for cycles of varying length
- Charts for pre-menopause
- Charts for breastfeeding
- Planning Your Family the ST Way by Suzanne Parenteau, M.D (80 pages)
This is the essential reference for anyone learning the Sympto-Thermal Method. While it cannot replace the couple-to-couple teaching provided by Serena, it is a very useful summary, with numerous examples of specific applications in the various situations that a couple may encounter throughout their life together. If you use this as your introduction to the Sympto-Thermal Method we encourage you to contact Serena to arrange for a meeting with one of our supportive Teacher-Couples.
- The Menstrual Cycle by Dr. Suzanne Parenteau-Carreau, MD (15 pages)
(This contains a good explanation of physiology.)
- Managing Your Fertility-Naturally (15 pages)
(Is an introduction to NFP)
- The Effectiveness of NFP by Thomas W McGovern, MD (20 pages)
- The Effects of Light on Cervical Mucus Patterns (9th edition, 2003)
- Fertility, the Menstrual Cycle and Lifestyle
- Coming Off the Pill with Sympto-Thermal
- Getting Pregnant Can NFP Help