Discerning Family Size and Building Community Feat. Melanie Smith

“This is not a sin or something wrong with me; this is my call.”

Why do Catholics have a tendency to judge each others’ family size? What does the Church say (and not say) about the “right” number of children for a Catholic family? Does being “open to life” mean that married couples should always try to conceive a child? What about emotional well-being: is that a good enough reason to delay a pregnancy or would it be selfish? In this episode I discuss some of the ins and outs of discerning God’s plan with my friend Melanie Smith. I hope we can help de-mystify this subject for anyone who is married or who wants to be married. Ultimately, it’s essential to remember that God’s opinion is the only one that matters.

Discerning family size is highly personal, so I thought the best way to approach it would be from my own particular angle (vulnerability alert!) Melanie is an amazing model of how to be a compassionate friend as well as a wealth of resources to approach parenthood with both generosity and prudence :)

Melanie is also an incredible community builder, so we get into some specifics on how to start a young adult group in your area. Community is HUGE in discerning call and in enriching our experience of life so enjoy this bonus content!

Topics Discussed

• Postpartum depression and emotional health
• The joys and difficulties of NFP
• Just reasons for avoiding pregnancy
• Trusting God with your fertility
• Getting rid of preconceived notions of how many children you “should” have
• What the Church says and doesn’t say about how many children to have
• How to start a young adult small group in your area

Resources

• naturalwomanhood.org
• NaPro Technology
• Fulton Sheen- Three to Get Married
• Dan and Amber DeMatte- Three Secrets to Holiness in Marriage
• Catechism of the Catholic Church 2368- reasons to space children
• Flourish in Hope Blog
• Theology of the Body Institute- Head and Heart Immersion Course
• Walking With Purpose
• Melanie’s email: melanie.yonushonis@gmail.com
• The Sisters of Life Retreat House