Baby Acronyms

The title of this post made me crack up because acronyms are of course, a big word covering up for a mix of letters standing for another big word - or several big words.

After visiting a few forums, websites, blogs and message boards, I feel the need to compile some of the acronyms I've come across in these strange uncharted waters.

Now a small elaboration - I love acronyms and in the case of one of my previous jobs even had to make up several new ones because the manager was super paranoid about other stores using our techniques to boost their own success. (This guy was a bit of an insensitive wanker at the best of time, and a miserable bully at the worst) the point is - I like and use acronyms. A lot.

My new job is basically jargon, jargon and translating what people are saying in real time into even more jargon.
It makes my job easier, in a way that defies logic and often makes me wonder if the next person can even read my notes or if they make their own acronyms up and misunderstand me.

In this day and age though, it must be impossible to avoid this kind of short hand writing.
Besides, anyone who's ever been on a chatroom or spoken to a lazy texter will pick up some of the basic ones easily.






Pregnancy acronyms are a bit different. Some of them are in place of some seriously complicated medical terms and others inject a bit of space or a bit of humour between what could be a painful or stressful term. For the rest - it could simply be a way of cutting down typing time.



So there you have it. Before you can say:

Check out my handy dandy list of acronyms to help you survive and keep your sanity!*





ADN - Any Day Now. Suitable for a range of topics, like being asked when are you going to have a baby? When  is it going to rain? Are the end of days going to come soon?
AF - Aunt Flo. Your bloody menstrual time, or Crimson Tide, as I like to call it. AKA -  As F*ck. 
Example - My AF has arrived and this makes me feel cranky AF! 
AIBU - Am I being Unreasonable?

BBT - Basal Body Temperature
BC - Birth Control
BM - either Breast Milk or Bowel Movement. I for one would like to be clearer on this as I find it       fairly important to know which one we're referring to during a conversation/post. 
BFN - Big Fat Negative (in regards to pregnancy tests. No, it's not Butt F*cking Nowhere or Bye For   now like I assumed)
BFP - Big Fat Positive! See also BFN/pregnancy test. 
DPO - Days Past Ovulation.
BSC - Bat Shit Crazy. Oh my yes.

CIO - Cry It Out/Off

EPT - Early Pregnancy Test
ET - Embryo Transfer. Nothing to do with phoning home, surprisingly.

FET - Frozen Embryo Transfer
FHR - Fetal Heart Rate
FP - Fertile Phase
FRER - First Response Early Result - early pregnancy test. Not a misspelt French word.
FTTA - Fertile Thoughts To All
FTM - First Time Mom
FWIW - For What It's Worth

GNRH - Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone

HcG - Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
HPT - Home Pregnancy Test

ICI - Intra-Cervical Insemination
ICSI - Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection
ICBW - I Could Be Wong Wrong
IF - Infertility. As if any of us could forget that. 
IMHO/IMAO/IMBO - In My Humble/Arrogant/Biased Opinion I could use all of these at once!
ITI - Intra-tubal Insemination
IUI - Intra-uterine Insemination
IVF - Invitro Fertilisation (no kidding?)

LAP - Laparoscopy
LH - Lutenising Hormone
LMP - Last Menstrual Period
LP - Luteal Phase
LSP - Low Sperm Count

MF - Male Factor (or MOM - Man oh man!)
NFP - Natural Family Planning. IVF's nemesis. 

OPK - Ovulation Prediction Kits

PCO - Polycystic Ovaries
PG - Pregnant
POAS - Pee On A Stick. Simple. Classy. 

RE - Reproductive Endocrinologist
R-FSH - Recombinant Human Follicle Stimulating Hormone

SA - Semen Analysis
SAHM/SAHD/SAHP - Stay at Home Mom/Dad/Parent
SITD - Still In The Dark
SO - Significant Other

TCOYF - Taking Care of Your Fertility
TIME - Tears in my Eyes
TTC Trying to Conceive
TWW - Two Week Wait

WTG - Way to Go!

ZIFT - Zygote Intra-Fallopian Transfer






*Sanity not included or guaranteed. If symptoms persist, see your doctor.