I understand infertility comes with its own special dictionary. Here is a shortcut to some of the most commonly used acronyms. What am I missing? Feel free to comment and add to the list!
- 2WW: Two-week wait (time between ovulation and period)
- AF: Aunt Flow, that lovely visitor
- ART: Advanced Reproductive Technology
- BCP: birth control pills
- beta- or “beta hCG”- blood test to determine pregnancy
- BD: Baby dance (bluntly put, having sex)
- BFN: Big fat negative (pregnancy test result)
- BFP: Big fat positive (pregnancy test result)
- BW= blood work
- CB: Cycle buddy (someone who is sharing the same cycle as you, working towards a BFP!)
- CD: Cycle day
- CM: Cervical mucus (This is so gross to even blog about, but its so commonly used in the TTC world that I had to include it!)
- DA: Doctor Appointment
- DH: Dear Husband or Darling Husband.)
- DPO: Days past ovulation
- DPIUI= Days past IUI
- DPO= Days Past Ovulation
- DPR= Days Past Retrieval
- dp3dt= Days Past Three Day Transfer
- EW: Eggwhite (re: consistency of cervical mucus – gross, again I know, but …)
- FET: frozen embryo transfer
- FMU: First morning urine (what you are supposed to use to test for a pregnancy test)
- FRER: First Response Early Result pregnancy test
- FSH: follicle stimulating hormone
- Fx: Fingers crossed
- HPT: Home pregnancy test
- hCG, HCG:Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
- HSG: hysterosalpingogram (this is a hospital test that is done to see if the Fallopian tubes are blocked. It can be painful but it’s quick!)
- ICSI: Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (a way to fertilize eggs during IVF)
- IF: Infertility
- IRL: In Real Life
- IUI: Intrauterine Insemination
- IVF: In Vitro Fertilization (I really hope you know this one by now too!)
- LH: luteinizing hormone
- MC or m/c: miscarriage
- OPK: Ovulation predictor kit (this helps women measure specifically when they are going to ovulate … so they can BD!)
- P4: progesterone
- PCP: Primary Care Provider
- PG: Pregnant
- POAS: Pee on a Stick (what you get to do while taking an ovulation or pregnancy test)
- PCOS: Polycystic ovarian syndrome
- Rx: Prescription
- SA: Semen Analysis
- SPA: Sperm Penetration Assay
- TI: Timed Intercourse
- TTC: Trying to conceive
- TSH: thyroid-stimulating hormone
- TWW/2WW: two-week wait- time between ovulation and period
- US or u/s: Ultrasound
Trials Bring Joy 
Ha ha, thank you! I couldn’t figure out a few of them, lol. And I always thought BD meant ‘bed-down’. Guess it’s the same thing!
I bet it could mean a lot of things, hehe! :)
Lol, OPK in french means PCOS !
“Kind of funny” if I could say.
That is funny! Different countries certainly have give words different meanings I guess! :)
I guess effectively. In french, it’s Ovaires microPolyKystiques…Kisses
This is GREAT….I am just starting out in this whole new world of baby making and had no idea what most of these meant. xx
So glad you found this helpful! Hopefully you don’t have to get too familiar with them and have answered prayers soon! Xo!
Hadn’t yet seen a comprehensive list, Chelsea. Thank you for sharing, as I thought I knew most of these, but apparently didn’t.
With heart,
Dani
Thanks for reading and I am glad you have found them helpful! :)
Finally all the acronyms laid out for me. After spending about a year and a half on infertility blogs I am glad to finally understand some of the lingo. :)
So glad you’ve found it helpful!! :)