Blogging Abbreviations

Reading blogs can be confusing if you don’t know the commonly used abbreviations. Here is a list (and add more in the comments section below) of ones utilized by the American infertility/pg loss/adoption community (non-Americans sometimes have different terms such as EPU–egg pick up instead of ER–egg retrieval).

2WW–two week wait (post ovulation until beta)
AD–adoptive parent
AF–aunt flo (your period)
AH–assisted hatching
AI–artificial insemination (an old name for IUIs. No longer commonly used)
AO–anovulation
ART–assisted reproductive technologies
BBS–boobs
BBT–basal body temperature
BCP–birth control pills
BD–baby dancing (having sex. More commonly used on bulletin boards instead of blogs)
BF–biological father
BFN–big fat negative
BFP–big fat positive
BG–blood glucose
BH–braxton-hicks contractions
BIL–brother in law
BMom–biological mother
BP–biological parents
BP–blood pressure
B/W–blood work
CBAVD–congenital bilateral absence of vas deferens
CCAA–china center for adoption affairs
CCCT–clomid challenge test
CD–cycle day
CM–cervical mucous
D&C–dilation and curettage
DD–dear daughter
DE–donor egg (sometimes also donor embryo)
D&E–dilation and evacuation
DH–dear husband
DHS–department of homeland security
DI–donor insemination
DIUI–IUI with donor sperm
DIVF–usually IVF with donor eggs but could be any donor gametes
DOR–date of referral
DOT–date of travel
DP–dear partner
DP3DT–days past three day transfer
DP5DT–days past five day transfer
DPO–days past ovulation
DS–dear son
DTC–dossier to china (or DTV, DTE–dossier to…)
DW–dear wife
Dx–diagnosis
E2–estrogen level
EDD–estimated due date
Endo–endometriosis
ER–egg retrieval
ET–embryo transfer
EWCM–egg white cervical mucous
FC–foster care
FET–frozen embryo transfer
FF–fertility friend (online charting service)
FIL–father in law
FRED or FRER–first response early detection (peestick)
FSH–follicle stimulating hormone
GnRH–gonadotropin-releasing hormone
GS–gestational surrogate/surrogacy
hCG–human chorionic gonadotropin
HPT–home pregnancy test (also called a peestick)
HS–home study
HSG–hysterosalpingogram
HTH–hope that helps
ICSI–intracytoplasmic sperm injection
IF–infertility
IF–intended father (surrogacy)
IM–intramuscular
IM–intended mother (surrogacy)
INS–immigration and naturalization
IP–intended parents (surrogacy)
IUGR–intrauterine growth restriction
IUI–intrauterine insemination
IVF–in vitro fertilization
IVIG–intravenous immunoglobulin
Lap–laparoscopy
LH–luteinizing hormone
LMP–last menstrual period
LP–luteal phase
LPD–luteal phase defect
M/C–miscarriage
MF–male factor
MIL–mother in law
O–ovulate (or O’ing)
OB/GYN–obstetrician/gynecologist
OHSS–ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome
OPK–ovulation predictor kit
P4–progesterone
PAP–potential or prospective adoptive parents
PCOS–polycystic ovarian syndrome
Peestick–home pregnancy test
PG-pregnant
PGD–preimplantation genetic diagnosis
PID–pelvic inflammatory disease
PIO–progesterone in oil
POAS–pee on a stick (take a pregnancy test)
POF–premature ovarian failure
PROM–premature rupture of membranes
PUPO–pregnant until proven otherwise
RE–reproductive endocrinologist
RI–reproductive immunologist
RPL–recurrent pregnancy loss
Rx–prescription
SA–semen analysis
S/B–stillbirth
SFC or SFBC–single father by choice
SHG–sonohysterogram
SIF–secondary infertility
SIL–sister in law
SMC or SMBC–single mother by choice
SPC or SPBC–single parent by choice
TCOYF–taking charge of your fertility (book by Toni Weschler)
Temp–taking BBT
TS–traditional surrogate/surrogacy
TSH–thyroid stimulating hormone
TTC–trying to conceive
Tx–treatment
U/S–ultrasound
UTI–urinary tract infection
UU–unicornate uterus
VBAC–vaginal birth after cesarean
xfer–transfer