110 Trying To Conceive (TTC) Abbreviations
If you are new to the world of TTC (Trying to Conceive), you may feel like you have stumbled upon an entirely new world, complete with its own language. When you hit the forums, expect to be met with friendly advice from people who have been in your shoes, but it will probably come in a form of shorthand like none you have seen before.
But soon you will be yukking it up with the best of them – in fluent TTC shorthand. This handy little guide should help familiarize you with the terms. But you will want to bookmark this page for future reference. There are a few too many acronyms for you to try to memorize.
To make is easy for you, we have also created the following infographic. Click the image below to see a larger view. Add this image to your own website by copying and pasting the code at the bottom of the infographic. Or click here to see a menu to filter the TTC abbreviations by letter.
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A
ACOG: American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; often referenced to help women find a reputable obstetrician.
AF: Aunt Flo; no one despises her arrival more than a couple trying to conceive.
AFNW: Aunt Flo Not Wanted
AFSA: Aunt Flo Stay Away
AH: Assisted Hatching; The embryo must break out of its membrane before it can implant in the uterine wall. Assisted hatching is when this occurs in the laboratory.
AI: Artificial Insemination; When the sperm is placed in a woman's reproductive tract, usually done using a special syringe.
ANA: Antinuclear Antibodies; Often refers to a test that is performed to see if these antibodies are present. This is part of a workup to determine whether a patient has a particular autoimmune disease.
AO: Anovulatory; Ovulation is absent.
APA: Antiphospholipid Antibodies; Having APA in your blood could increase your chances of having a miscarriage, but the condition is rare.
ART: Assisted Reproductive Technology; Refers to all interventions for the purpose of increasing a couple's chances of conceiving.
ASRM: American Society for Reproductive Medicine
AWOL: A Woman on Lupron; often refers to mood swings
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B
BA: Baby Aspirin; Baby aspirin works by thinning the blood, and this can prevent clots that may lead to miscarriage in some women. Talk to your doctor before taking any medication while trying to conceive.
BBT: Basal Body Temperature; First morning temperature reading. It will change throughout your cycle and can be used to indicate ovulation.
BCP: Birth Control Pills
BD: Baby Dance or Baby Dust; Baby Dance: Having sex during your fertile period. Baby Dust: A well-wishing that someone will get pregnant.
BFN: Big Fat Negative; A negative result on a pregnancy test.
BFP: Big Fat Positive; A positive result on a pregnancy test.
BMS: Baby Making Sex
BOB: Baby on the Brain
BV: Baby Vibes; same as Baby Dust
BW: Blood Work; one may have this often during their TTC journey.
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C
CAH: Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia; a disease that presents similar symptoms to PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)
CB: Cycle Buddy; Someone with whom your cycle syncs.
CCCT or CCT: Clomiphene Citrate Challenge Test; a fertility test.
CD: Cycle Day; Day of your cycle. Cycle day 14 is the 14th day after your period began.
CM or CF: Cervical Mucus or Cervical Fluid
CMV: Cytomegalovirus; part of the herpes group of viruses.
CL: Clover Line; a line drawn when charting your BBT. Anything above the clover line occurs after ovulation.
CP: Cervical Position
CY#: Cycle Number; Number of cycles since starting treatment or trying to conceive.
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D
DD: Darling Daughter
DE: Donor Eggs
DES: Diethylstilbestrol; A prescribed to women in the 60s and 70s to prevent miscarriages. Women whose mothers took DES may have an increased risk of congenital uterine malformations.
DH: Dear Husband
DHEA: Dihydroepiandrosterone; A precursor to the sex hormones, estrogen and testosterone. Women with PCOS may have elevated levels of DHEA in their blood.
DI: Donor Insemination
DTD: Doing (or Did) the Deed; sex
DPO: Days Past Ovulation
DP: Dear Partner
DPR: Days Past Retrieval; days since the egg was retrieved for IVF.
DPT: Days Past Transfer; number of days past embryo transfer
DS: Darling Son
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E
E2: Estradiol; a hormone that is sometimes measured in fertility treatment
EB: Endometrial Biopsy
EDD: Estimated Due Date
EPT: Early Pregnancy Test
ET: Embryo Transfer; a process done during IVF
ENDO: Endometriosis; a condition where endometrial tissue is present outside the uterus.
EWCM: Egg White Cervical Mucous; The color and consistency of CM when a woman is most fertile.
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F
FE: Frozen Embryo
FET: Frozen Embryo Transfer
FHR: Fetal Heart Rate
FMU: First Morning Urine; used to take a pregnancy test
FM: Fertility Monitor; test to detect ovulation
FSH: Follicle Stimulating Hormone; a hormone responsible for the growth and development of eggs.
FTTA: Fertile Thoughts To All
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G
GIFT: Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer, an assisted reproductive treatment
GS: Gestational Surrogate; a woman who carries a pregnancy for another
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H
hCG: Human Chorionic Gonadotropin; a hormone produced during pregnancy. Also used to detect pregnancy.
HPT: Home Pregnancy Test
hMG: Human Menopausal Gonadotrophin; naturally-occurring hormone found in the urine of post-menopausal women
HOM: High Order Multiples; three or more babies in one pregnancy
HSG: Hysterosalpingogram; special kind of x-ray sometimes used in a fertility workup
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I
IC: Internet Cheapie; inexpensive pregnancy test bought on the internet
ICSI: Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection; when a single sperm is injected into an egg
IF: Infertility or Infertile
IM: Intramuscular Injection
IPS: Imaginary Pregnancy Symptoms
IR: Insulin Resistance
IUI: Intrauterine Insemination; the most common form of AI
IVF: In Vitro Fertiliation; in lab conception
IVF-DE: In Vitro Fertilization with Donor Eggs
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L
LAP: Laparoscopy; a surgical procedure where the doctor inserts a small fiber optic tube fitted with a light and camera to view abdominal organs and/or make repairs
Luteinizing Hormone: a hormone that works with FSH to help a woman's egg mature and develop
LMP: Last Menstrual Period
LPD: Luteal Phase Defect; a problem with the second half of a woman's menstrual cycle
LSC: Low Sperm Count
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M
MC: Miscarriage
MFI: Male Factor Infertility; when the man experiences medical problems that interfere with fertility, such as low sperm count or motility
MS: Morning Sickness
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O
OV: Ovulation
vOHSS: Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome; a potential side effect of fertility drugs
OPK: Ovulation Predictor Kit
OPT: Ovulation Predictor Test (same as OPK)
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P
PCOS: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; an endocrine disorder and common cause of infertility in women
PG: Pregnant
PI: Primary Infertility; Infertility without having had children previously
PNV: Prenatal Vitamin
POF: Premature Ovarian Failure; when ovaries stop releasing eggs before a woman reaches the age of 40
POAS: Pee on a Stick; taking a pregnancy test
PUPO: Pregnant Until Proven Otherwise
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R
RE: Reproductive Endocrinologist; type of fertility expert
RI: Reproductive Immunologist, type of fertility expert
RPL: Recurrent Pregnancy Loss; multiple miscarriages
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S
SA: Semen Analysis
SART: Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies
SB: Stillborn
SHG: Sonohysterogram, type of fertility test
SI: Secondary Infertility; Inability to conceive after giving birth to one or more children
SM: Surrogate Mother
SMU: Second Morning Urine
SP: Sperm Count
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T
2WW: Two Week Wait; the time between sex and when you can take a pregnancy test
TCOYF; Taking Charge of Your Fertility; An often cited book in TTC circles
TESE: Testicular Sperm Extraction
TL: Tubal Litigation; getting your tubes tied
TTC: Trying to Conceive
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U
U/S: Ultrasound
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V
VR: Vasectomy Reversal
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Z
ZIFT: Zygote Intra-fallopian Transfer; a type of ART
