September 1, 2018

Trying to Conceive: Can you speak the lingo?

Whether you are just starting out on your fertility journey, or you have been trying for a while now, knowing what people are talking about in groups can be difficult. There are many acronyms people use to discuss and you may find yourself searching online for a cheat sheet.

Today, I want to bring the most used ones to you, as well as things to know if you are going to be embarking on a medicated cycle. That brings a whole other onslaught of confusion and each person will experience a unique treatment plan for them.

Acronyms to Know

AF: Aunt Flo
BD: “baby dancing”
BFN: big fat negative (pregnancy test)
BFP: big fat positive (pregnancy test)
CD: cycle day (ex: CD1: cycle day 1-the first day of your new cycle)
CF: cervical fluid
CM: cervical mucus
CP: cervical position
DH/DS/DD: dear husband, dear son, dear daughter
DI: donor insemination
DPO: days past ovulation (ex: 5DPO- 5 days past ovulation)
DTD: do the deed
EDD: Estimated due date
EPT: early pregnancy test
EW/EWCM: egg white cervical mucus (a sign of fertility and ovulation being close)
FMU: first-morning urine
FSH: follicle stimulating hormone
GnRH: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone
hCG: Human chorionic gonadotropin
HPT: Home pregnancy test
IF: Infertility
IUI: intrauterine insemination
IVF: in vitro fertilization
LH: Luteinizing hormone
LMP: last menstrual period
LP: Luteal phase
LPD: Luteal phase defect
M/C: Miscarriage
O: ovulation
OPK: Ovulation prediction kit (can be useful to determine when ovulation is close to happening)
POAS: Pee on a stick
TTC: Trying to conceive
TWW: Two-week wait between ovulation and when you can do a pregnancy test or when AF will start a new cycle

Infertility Acronyms to Know

AMH: anti-Müllerian hormone (used to determine ovarian egg reserve)
Beta: beta pregnancy test (blood test to determine that a healthy pregnancy is progressing)
BW: blood work
DE: donor egg
E2: estrogen levels, also known as estradiol
ENDO: endometriosis
GC: gestational carrier
HSG: hysterosalpingogram (dye test to check for blockages in fallopian tubes)
ICSI: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (used with male factor infertility; a single healthy sperm is injected directly into an egg by an embryologist)
MF: male factor
OHSS: ovarian hyperstimulation
P4: progesterone levels
PCOS: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (hormonal imbalances where the ovaries overproduce testosterone)
PGS: preconception genetic screening
RPL: recurrent pregnancy loss
SA: semen analysis
SI: secondary infertility
US: ultrasound

There still may be more to know about your unique journey. Medications can be called different things to others and can be confusing at times too. Embarking on your journey to a child can be exciting and overwhelming. If you are in the trenches and starting to seek medical help, it can be mind-blowing all the other components to learn. Don’t get caught up in all the boards and online forums of people discussing everything. It can be good to seek common grounds with others but don’t become so inundated with it that it causes undue stress. Know your boundaries with this journey, it will help you stay sane!