As you enter to the world of fertility issues and infertility struggles, it feels very overwhelming. No denying that. You are struggling with so many different emotions related to your body, your role as a person, your goals related to your family, the struggles that may be placed on your relationship, and so much more.
But something that seems pretty unexpected is that you are also learning a new language. The various Facebook groups and support related to fertility and tracking apps that you may be using have a language all of their own. A common sentence you may read is “My DH and I are TTC now, we are in the TWW and just want a BFP”. And everyday dictionaries don’t have a key for fertility treatments. (Although, they totally should). But luckily, we got you.
Below you will find a comprehensive list of the various words and abbreviations that you come across. Have one we missed? Let us know in the comments!
AF Aunt Flo, i.e., your period
BBT Basal body temperature (see comments for resources)
BD "Baby dance", i.e., have intercourse
BFN Big fat negative, i.e., a negative pregnancy test
BFP Big fat positive, i.e., a positive pregnancy test
BW Blood work
CD Cycle day, i.e., the day in your cycle after the start of your period
CD# Exactly what cycle day someone is on
CM Cervical Mucus
DD Dear daughter
DH Dear husband
DI Donor Insemination
DS Dear son
DTD Do the deed, i.e., have intercourse
DPO Days past ovulation
DPT Days past transfer (during IVF)
EDD Estimated delivery date
EW or EWCM Egg White cervical mucus
FET Frozen embryo transfer
FMU First morning pee
GC Gestational carrier
HPT Home pregnancy test
IVF In-vitro fertilization
IUI Intrauterine insemination
LO Little one, i.e., "my child"
M/C or MC Miscarriage
MF Male factor issue
O'd Ovulated
OH Other half
OPK Ovulation predictor kit
PCOS Polycystic ovarian syndrome
PG Pregnant
POAS Pee on a stick
RAINBOW BABY A baby born after a miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal loss
RPL Recurrent pregnancy loss
SI Secondary infertility
SO Significant other
TEMPING Charting temperature fluctuations to predict ovulation
TTC Trying to conceive
TWW Two week wait (that lovely window between ovulation and when you can test for pregnancy)
