24 Fertility Acronyms & Abbreviations You Need When TTC

As part of our TTC community (that’s Trying To Conceive!), you’ll find support, advice, and a fair share of fertility acronyms and abbreviations.

From FET to DPO - the ABCs of TTC can sometimes make your head spin.

Don’t worry!

It’s easier to pick up than you think and you’ll even begin to see that it helps TTC convos flow far more fluidly.

Nothing like a fun fertility abbreviation to take the weight off medical terms like Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI).

Look, the TTC journey can be lonely, confusing, frustrating, and exhausting – fertility acronyms and abbreviations make sure no woman is left behind.

Especially if their opting out of conversation because they don’t want to type out Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) for the fifth time that day.

So let’s get you brushed up on the most common fertility abbreviations and acronyms you’re bound to come across on Peanut’s TTC.

Let’s get you speaking the TTC language.

In this article: 📝

What does BD mean in pregnancy?

It’s not uncommon to find questions like this on Peanut or any other TTC community.

And while this may leave you feeling out of the loop, it’s intended to bring those sharing the TTC journey closer together.

Take BD.

BD stands for Baby Dance - aka getting busy between the sheets.

It can also mean Baby Dust, a way of wishing someone good luck when they’re trying to conceive.

Nothing intimidating about that!

But we get it, it’s hard to feel like the newbie.

So let’s get you fluent in fertility acronyms and abbreviations, and have you replying to questions like the following with confidence:

What does CP stand for in pregnancy?

CP stands for chemical pregnancy (or bio-chemical pregnancy) – an early pregnancy loss that occurs before or around five weeks.

This happens when the embryo produces enough hCG to be identified on a pregnancy test, but doesn’t progress further into a pregnancy.

What is RE in IVF?

RE means Reproductive Endocrinologist, another term for a fertility specialist.

An RE provides fertility treatments like IVF, IUI, and egg freezing.

What are fertility acronyms?

And the fertility acronyms don’t stop there (sorry!).

We’ve put together a handy guide to help you learn the lingo:

• 2WW or TWW: The time between ovulation and your next expected period - aka the longest two weeks ever
• AF: Aunt Flo, your period or menstrual cycle
• BBT: Basal body temperature, which helps you keep track of the monthly spike e in temperature when you ovulate
• BC: Birth control
• BD: Baby dance - aka getting busy between the sheets!
• BFN/BFP: Big fat negative or positive on your pregnancy test
• CD: Cycle day, a specific day in your menstrual cycle
• CM: Cervical mucus, which can be used to predict ovulation
• CP: Chemical pregnancy
• DPO: Days past ovulation
• ET: Embryo transfer
• FET: Frozen embryo transfer
• hCG: Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, the pregnancy hormone
• IVF: In vitro fertilization, a method used in assisted reproduction
• IVM: In vitro maturation, a fertility treatment involving the collection and lab-based maturation of immature oocytes.
• ICSI: Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection, a method used in assisted reproduction, especially in cases of severe male infertility
• LH: Luteinizing Hormone, the hormone that peaks before ovulation
• MC: Miscarriage or pregnancy loss
• OPK: Ovulation predictor kit
• RE: Reproductive Endocrinologist, a fertility specialist
• SMEP: Sperm Meets Egg Plan, a specific method for TTC

What are the most common IVF acronyms?

For many women, IVF and TTC are intertwined.

We asked Navya what other fertility acronyms tend to pop up most in IVF convos in the TTC community:

• FSH: Follicle Stimulating Hormone
• AMH: Anti-Mullerian Hormone
• AFC: Antral Follicle Count
  “FSH, AMH, and AFC are what we use in our hormone reports” says Navya, “and so are something you might encounter on your IVF journey.”

Another common fertility acronym is:

• TVS: Transvaginal sonography. “TVS is done to observe the structure of the uterus – its size, volume – before starting with any procedure” explains Navya. “It forms one of the baseline scans and so again is something that many women might go through.”

So, there you have it! The 411 on the ABCs of TTC.

This list is foolproof but by no means exhaustive.

The road to a parenthood is paved with unexpected and complicated medical terminology.

Don’t worry, you can always bump up your vocab with our trusty guide to must-know pregnancy and motherhood acronyms as well as our TTC cheat sheet.

So now you’re feeling more in the know, all that’s left to do is to join Peanut, where you can connect, chat, and share advice with other women who are trying to conceive.

We’re having the conversation, join us!