NEWS

Provides natural, restorative, scientifically-based approaches to managing fertility

New Brunswick, N.J. - July 23, 2024 - Saint Peter’s University Hospital is pleased to announce that Monika B. Potocki, MD, has joined the Saint Peter’s Gianna Center, a service dedicated to providing a more natural alternative to assisted reproductive technologies, in accordance with the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services (ERDs). Saint Peter’s Gianna Center offers unique women's health services such as NaProTechnology™ which provides restorative, scientifically-based approaches to monitoring health and managing fertility within the guidelines of the ERDs. As an obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/Gyn) who also provides comprehensive gynecologic care, Dr. Potocki is the only New Jersey-based physician specializing in surgical NaProTechnology.

NaProTechnology stands for Natural Procreative Technology, a women’s health science that monitors and maintains a woman’s reproductive and gynecological health. It uses the Creighton Model FertilityCare System^TM biomarkers to monitor the occurrence of various hormonal events during the menstrual cycle. By identifying the signs of a woman’s fertility, couples can gain a better understanding of their fertile period, thus using that information to achieve their reproductive goals. Unlike assisted reproductive technologies used to treat infertility, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intrauterine insemination (IUI) in which a woman’s naturally-occurring fertility cycle is “over-stimulated” or “bypassed,” the goal of NaProTechnology is to identify the underlying causes of a couple’s infertility and correct them, allowing a couple to conceive through natural intercourse.

Most fertility centers perform only a limited evaluation of the woman’s fertility cycle before suggesting invasive procedures like IVF or IUI.  Saint Peter’s Gianna Center focuses on evaluating the woman’s cycle and treating it. Labs and hormone studies, the use of ultrasounds, ovulation technology and a semen test for men are all factors used in NaProTechnology. A diagnostic hysteroscopy, hysterosalpingogram and/or laparoscopy can also help determine the underlying physiological conditions which may be contributing to a couple’s inability to conceive. 

According to a multiple-site study of 1,800 couples reported in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, the FertilityCare System is 99.5 percent effective at avoiding pregnancy. When the couple is ready to conceive, they simply choose to use the most fertile days for intercourse. Used in this way, 98 percent of couples with normal fertility will conceive within six months, 75 percent of them in the first month they try to conceive.

For couples who do not achieve pregnancy with the initial approach of NaProTechnology, have abnormal findings documented via the FertilityCare™ System, or suffer recurrent miscarriages, Dr. Potocki provides both medical and surgical treatments.

Other conditions for which there NaProTechnology alternatives include:

1. -Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
2. -Irregular cycles
3. -Abnormal vaginal bleeding
4. -Chronic pelvic pain and painful periods
5. -Menopausal symptoms
6. -Ovarian cysts
7. -Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
8. -Postpartum depression
9. -Natural family planning

Dr. Potocki has immense dedication to patient-centered care, advancing the mission of Saint Peter’s Gianna Center with a deep commitment to honoring a woman’s dignity and the sanctity of human life. Dr. Potocki is a graduate of Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC, and completed her residency at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in New Jersey. Dr. Potocki is also a graduate of the St. John Paul the Great Fellowship in Medical & Surgical NaProTechnology.

For more information about Saint Peter’s Gianna Center, please call (732) 565-5490 or visit saintpetershcs.com/giannacenter.


About Saint Peter’s University Hospital
Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, is a 478-bed acute-care teaching hospital sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Saint Peter’s, which received its sixth consecutive designation as a Magnet® hospital for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2020, is also state-designated children’s hospital and a regional perinatal center, and is a regional specialist in diabetes, gastroenterology, head and neck surgery, oncology, orthopedics, and women’s services. Saint Peter’s is the recipient of the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for the adult intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, cardiac progressive care unit and the pediatric intensive care unit. The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital provides families with access to a full range of pediatric specialties, including a nationally recognized Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, pediatric surgery and orthopedic surgery featuring innovative anterior scoliosis correction. The hospital has the state’s only hospital-based, midwifery-led birth center – the Mary V. O’Shea Birth Center, accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers. Saint Peter’s is a sponsor of residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and internal medicine, and is a major clinical affiliate of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. Visit saintpetershcs.com or call 732.745.8600.