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Can I Answer Your Question?
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Are You Currently Accepting Clients?Yes! Contact me at hello@smallthingsfertility.com. If it turns out I am not a good fit for you as an instructor, I am happy to refer you to another instructor or method.
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How Do I Schedule a Session?For the Method Instructional Program, the timing of sessions is dictated by your personal cycle rhythms. You can expect to set the date of your next instruction at the conclusion of your session. You can pick a time that works for you via email or at the scheduling portal on Small Things Fertility. If you need to cancel or change a session, please let me know as soon as possible. You can cancel and reschedule through the scheduling portal or via email. Please cancel as soon as you know there is a conflict. I do not charge cancellation fees, but please note that due to a full schedule, it may not be possible to reschedule a session without substantial delays.
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How Do You Conduct Your Classes?I usually schedule sessions between 1 pm- 4 pm ET on some weekdays, or weeknights after 8 PM EST, depending on availability. I currently conduct all sessions via Zoom. If you would like to request a different time for any or all of your sessions, please communicate that to me.
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What Platforms Do You Use?All clients will receive instruction and get plenty of practice working with BCC via Zoom, with possible modifications for your specific needs and intentions. For charting apps, I recommend Read Your Body, which has a small annual fee. An app is not required, however –– you are perfectly welcome to chart on paper.
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How Should I Contact You?Please utilize hello@smallthingsfertility.com for all client communications. This ensures that I can appropriately prioritize client requests as they come in, and will ensure that your message does not get lost if I am unable to answer right away. In your email, please include your relevant chart and a quick reminder for me of which protocol you are doing. If you are Postpartum, please include the cycle number. Current clients can expect a response within 24 hours, even over the weekend. If it has been longer than 24 hours, please resend your request via email. I will ensure that any anticipated delays in communication or service will be communicated through her client email list. All clients are added to this list after their first instructional session.
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How Responsive Are You to Client Messages?In general, I try to respond to client messages via email within 24 hours. Whenever I will have an expected delay in communications (e.g., vacation) I will send out an email to all of my clients in advance.
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Is My Information Confidential?Your privacy is extremely important to me. All client information, including the fact that we are working together, is considered confidential and will never be disclosed to an outside source unless you ask me to. If I need to consult on a particular client case with another Boston Cross Check™ instructor, I will first obtain your permission and remove any identifying information from your charts/notes. Additionally, my emails are encrypted and your personal health data is stored in HIPAA-compliant, encrypted format (E2EE) for extra security.
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What About Emergencies?If you have an actual emergency, you need to visit an emergency room! There may be plenty of urgent questions that come up with charting; however, nothing about NFP or charting constitutes an actual emergency. When in doubt, send your query and assume fertility until we can touch base. If you need help planning for contingencies before your wedding, a trip, or the holidays, please feel free to contact me so I can help you prepare! If you are a current client, that is part of your ongoing privileges.
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How Much Does Boston Cross Check™ Cost?Fees for instruction can vary based on what sort of instruction you need, and whether you require long-term follow-up. You can generally expect to pay about $200-$300 for a course but are encouraged to reach out to get a direct quote. Boston Cross Check™ uses a standardized fee system to be transparent and ensure that all clients receive the same pricing, regardless of which instructor they choose. Your ongoing costs for the method will be determined by which fertility signs you wish to incorporate. There is a one-time cost for a thermometer, which can range from less than $10 for a simple basal body thermometer to $100+ for a wearable device. The hormone monitor is also a one-time cost of about $100, and within regular cycles, you can expect to use 10-15 test sticks per month. As a Friend of Tempdrop, I can provide you with a percentage off code for the purchase of a Tempdrop Wearable Fertility Monitor if you choose to go that route. For charting apps, I recommend Read Your Body, which has a small annual fee (currently $14.99). An app is not required, however –– you are perfectly welcome to chart on paper. As a Friend of Read Your Body, I am also happy to offer three months of free access to the Read Your Body app for all client course packages! The options for charting BCC with RYB will be provided in all sessions.
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How are Boston Cross Check™ Courses and Fees Structured?METHOD INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM ($200): This is the basic BCC course for anyone in "regular cycles" (not postpartum or perimenopause). Four sessions cover a full year of instruction and include unlimited chart checks and consultations. If you are engaged, you will need, at a minimum, Sessions 1 and 2 before the wedding. Session #1: 90-120 mins: Client intake, overview of NFP methods, charting signs with BCC Session #2 (scheduled about one month later): ~90 mins: Calculating the start and end of fertility with BCC with lots of practice charts! Session #3 (scheduled between 4-5 months later): ~ 60 mins: Common charting issues, full client charting review Session #4 (scheduled at the one-year mark): ~ 60 mins: Looking ahead, full client charting review POSTPARTUM BREASTFEEDING PROGRAM ($300): If you're expecting a little one, congrats! Women who will not be breastfeeding should take the Method Instructional Program. If you are breastfeeding, I recommend scheduling a session at six weeks postpartum to go over options for Lactational Amenorrhea Method criteria and specific method protocols for BCC. You can take this course regardless of whether you had been charting with BCC before pregnancy, but there are slight modifications for charters who are new to BCC (and an additional fee of $50). New clients have the option to choose whether or not to continue with BCC once they have completed the postpartum course, in which case they will transition straight into the Method Instructional Program (above) for an additional $150. PERI MENOPAUSE PROGRAM ($200): BCC offers specialized protocols for women entering the menopause transition. Women should inquire about when they meet the cycle criteria for this phase! ONGOING SUPPORT: Are you worried about losing support after the course is over? Clients who have completed the Method Instructional Program are welcome to contact me for one-time consultations/check-ins ($25) or to pay a flat annual retainer ($75) for unlimited consultations.
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How Do I Pay?Small Things Fertility is currently accepting PayPal or Venmo for our payments. If you need to pay a different way, communicate this and we may be able to accommodate you.
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Do You Only Accept Couples As Clients?Learning Natural Family Planning as a couple has many benefits, and I expect that any engaged couple looking to learn the method before getting married will attend classes together. However, many single women may want to learn an NFP method to monitor their health or gain proficiency before becoming engaged. Additionally, couples who are already married (especially those with children!) may find it difficult to attend classes together. I therefore do not require couples to always attend sessions together and respect that all couples may have different comfort levels, needs, and preferences.
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Can I learn Boston Cross Check™ Postpartum?Yes! BCC has a very robust postpartum protocol. Clients will be taught the different protocol options and led through the return of fertility. As your cycles return, we will work together to determine whether you would like to continue learning Boston Cross Check™ for standard cycles, or whether you would like to return to a different method (if you used one before).
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Are You a Medical Professional?No. Boston Cross Check™ does not require instructors to be medical professionals, although some NFP methods do, and some Boston Cross Check instructors are. A BCC instructor is trained to identify potential health concerns based on cycle presentation and to offer any suggestions about how we might address them without medication. If an issue seems to be beyond our scope, or we need additional information that can only be obtained through medical tests, your instructor will help you know what to ask your doctor and will follow up with you based on the results. Some people prefer to have “seamless” fertility care, where they learn a method with a health professional who is also able to diagnose and treat any issues that may come up. If this is important to you, BCC might not be a good fit. But be sure you are familiar with other aspects of the method before choosing one simply because your instructor is also a nurse/doctor.
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Is There a Book That Can Teach Me Boston Cross Check™ Without Using an Instructor?Boston Cross Check™ is a method that is designed to be delivered by a qualified instructor, as this is the best way to achieve maximum efficacy with this (or any other!) method. We do not publicly publish our protocols, nor do we supply protocols to those who are not clients.
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Is Boston Cross Check™ Just Basically Marquette With Temps?Couples familiar with the Marquette Model may find many similarities between MM and BCC when utilizing the hormone monitor; however, these are two distinct methods, and even with the monitor there are slight protocol differences between them. BCC began as a sympto-thermal method and has incorporated the hormone monitor into its unique approach to cervical fluid and temps, making it very easy to use and highly adaptable to your needs. I am happy to discuss the particular differences between methods during consultations.
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Do I Need to Be Catholic to Learn Boston Cross Check™?Natural Family Planning is a wonderful way to learn about fertility, regardless of your religion. If you are not Catholic, you are still very welcome to take a course! Please be advised, however, that Boston Cross Check™ does not allow for barrier methods during the fertile window and I will never advise a client on how to deviate from protocol by using methods that are against Catholic teaching.
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