Family Planning Services
Fertility Care Services
Having a baby is a highly personal decision, and only you and your spouse can decide when the time is right. At Mercy, you have access to expert doctors, counselors and specialists dedicated to providing the knowledge and support you need to make informed choices. Whether you’re looking to achieve or avoid pregnancy, our family planning services will help you fully understand your fertility cycles and be proactive about your reproductive health.
Creighton Model FertilityCare™ System (CrMS)
Mercy provides highly effective fertility care services using the Creighton Model Fertility Care System to help couples avoid or achieve pregnancy naturally, without chemicals or devices.
What is the Creighton Model?
The Creighton Model is a safe, reliable, and inexpensive way to plan your family based on tracking markers in your menstrual cycle. Couples who’ve used the Creighton Model report a fuller understanding of their cycles, sexuality, and relationship. We work with specially trained doctors in a specialty called NaProTechnology which works to find the underlying cause of your condition.
Diagnosing Underlying Women's Health Concerns
The Creighton Model system is also used as a tool to help in the diagnosis and treatment of many gynecologic abnormalities. Nearly 50% of our patients come to us with various health issues, including infertility, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), ovarian cysts, hormone irregularities, and endometriosis. If these conditions are suspected through evaluation of the tracking system, we help you provide that information to your doctor.
Diane Daly, a co-founder of the Creighton Model System and the Department of Fertility Care Services at Mercy Hospital, says “the program is highly regarded as a means of planning your family naturally and helpful for couples dealing with infertility and other medical issues.”
How effective is the Creighton Model?
The CrMS is 99.5% effective when you use it to avoid pregnancy. For women with normal fertility, it’s 98% effective when used to become pregnant. You may need the extra help of specialists if health issues make it harder to become pregnant.
Getting Started with CrMS™
After an introductory session, you’ll attend private follow-up sessions with nurses who are fertility care practitioners. They’ll teach you about the fertility cycle, and the clues a woman’s body gives to show where you are in that cycle. You’ll watch for these signs throughout the day and track them. You can track your progress with your nurse, ask questions and much more. Most importantly, you will know the right times to achieve or avoid pregnancy by identifying irregularities in your cycle as you develop a fertility health record. Our staff will be there to join you in your learning journey.
