A little while ago, I joined a Facebook group for a specific subset of people trying to conceive, the name of which is just a string of different acronyms (if you know, you know). I’ve been thinking since then about how many different acronyms there actually are within this community. I’ve written out this handy guide to help you understand what the heck people are talking about in those online groups! We follow a vaguely chronological path from the beginning of treatment to pregnancy. You may notice that I’ve skipped some euphemisms for intercourse and periods (Baby Dancing and Aunt Flo can stay in the 1950’s, thanks), and included some common phrases that aren’t technically acronyms. Hopefully this feels pretty all-encompassing - let me know in the comments if there are any I missed!
TTC - Let’s start things off with the reason we’re all here! TTC stands for Trying to Conceive. Whatever method(s) you pursue, you’ll see lots of references to folks’ TTC Journeys.
IF - Infertility.
POF - Premature Ovarian Failure. A condition in which the ovaries don't produce normal amounts of Estrogen or release eggs regularly.
ART - Assisted Reproductive Technology. Any medical intervention designed to help you get pregnant.
RE - Reproductive Endocrinologist. This is the fertility specialist who will be managing your care.
ASRM - The American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Many of us have been watching ASRM’s website closely throughout the pandemic, because their recommendations are what many of our clinics follow when making changes to their care.
CD1 - Cycle Day 1, which is the first day of your period. Cycle days are numbered accordingly from that point forward: CD2, CD3, etc.
CM - Cervical Mucus. It comes up a surprising amount, as your discharge can be an indicator of your fertility / location in your cycle.
OPK - Ovulation Predictor Kit, used to detect the LH surge that precedes ovulation. However, these tests cannot confirm whether ovulation actually occurs the anticipated day or two later. These home tests are most likely to be used if attempting to conceive at home.
IUI / ICI - Intrauterine Insemination and Intracervical Insemination. In an IUI procedure, “washed” sperm (see below) is placed directly into the uterus during ovulation by passing a catheter through the cervix. In an ICI procedure, a washed or unwashed sample is placed high in the vagina, close to the cervix. ICI can often be done at home, and during the procedure the cervix and cervical fluid only let highly motile sperm cells up into the uterus, similar to PIV (penis-in-vagina) intercourse
Washed / Unwashed - “Washed” sperm has been processed prior to cryopreservation to separate the motile sperm cells from the seminal fluid. “Unwashed” sperm has not.
RX - Prescription.
BCP - Birth Control Pill. If you’re just starting out, you might be surprised to know that many TTC cycles include the Pill. It’s used to suppress your body’s natural ovulation, so that your doctor can control when it happens (as in an egg retrieval cycle), or you can skip it entirely (as in an embryo transfer cycle).
Stims - Stimulating Hormones, usually injectable medications (gonadotropins).
SubQ / IM - Subcutaneous Injection / Intramuscular Injection. Fertility medications are often injected into subcutaneous fat (usually the belly), or muscle (usually the upper booty).
Pulling the Trigger - administering the hormone injection used to trigger ovulation during an egg retrieval (ER) cycle, or an insemination cycle. Once the egg(s) have reached optimal development, a trigger shot is administered, causing ovulation within 36 to 42 hours.
OHSS - Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome, a potential side effect injectables medications taken during an IVF egg retrieval cycle. It causes the ovaries to swell, and can be quite painful.
FSH - Follicle-Stimulating Hormone. It is released from the pituitary gland in the brain that stimulates an egg follicle to grow each month. If your doctor suspects you may have PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), they will test your FSH blood levels prior to diagnosis.
IVF - Most of us know this one already: In Vitro Fertilisation. One egg and a sperm sample are introduced in a petri dish. Ideally, the egg is fertilized, and ultimately develops into an embryo.
DE / DS - Donor Egg / Donor Sperm. Often a modifier to explain your IVF journey, like DEIVF.
EDA - Embryo Donation / Adoption.
DCP - Donor Conceived Person. Anyone conceived with the aid of donor gametes (see the lat 2 points).
ICSI - Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection. The process by which one sperm is directly injected into the egg. This procedure is usually recommended when the sperm might need a little extra help (i.e., low sperm count, or abnormal sperm shape / motility).
AH - Assisted Hatching, a procedure in which the outer shell of the embryo is artificially weakened by making a small hole in the zona pellucida (outer shell). It may be recommended to those who have already had multiple unsuccessful IVF cycles.
U/S - Ultrasounds, they’re not just for pregnancy! You’ll likely have a couple of dates with Wanda (the trans-vaginal ultrasound wand) before the day of your procedure. MET / SIS - Mock Embryo Transfer and Saline Infusion Sonohysterogram (sometimes alternatively abbreviated SHG). For me, these were part of the same procedure. The doctor passed a catheter through my cervix to get a sense of the “geography” so that she will be prepared on the day of the transfer. They then performed a saline ultrasound by filling my uterus with saline, allowing the endometrium (uterine lining) to be seen clearly.
HSG / Dye Test - Hysterosalpingogram, a procedure used to evaluate the uterus and Fallopian tubes. It involves placing an iodine-based dye through the cervix and taking x-rays.
ERA - Endometrial Receptivity Analysis. A test that takes a small sample of the endometrial lining to determine which day will be best to transfer the embryo during an IVF cycle.
Scratch - An endometrial scratch is a procedure proposed to improve endometrial receptivity (basically, increase the probability of pregnancy) by causing a slight wound to the uterine lining. It is generally only used for patients who have already had multiple unsuccessful IVF cycles. PGS / PGD and NIPT - Preimplantation Genetic Screening, or PGS, determines if the cells in an embryo have the correct number of chromosomes (23, in case you were wondering). The results of PGS will be either “normal” or “abnormal.” Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, or PGD, detects the presence of genes associated with specific diseases, as well as the sex of the embryo. Noninvasive Prenatal Testing, or NIPT, determines the risk that the fetus will be born with certain genetic abnormalities by analyzing small fragments of DNA circulating in a pregnant person’s blood.
FET - Frozen Embryo Transfer. As opposed to a fresh transfer, which is done immediately after egg retrieval and fertilization, a FET cycle (pronounced like “fed” with a t) culminates in the transfer of a cryopreserved embryo.
DPT / DPR / DPO - Days Post Transfer / Retrieval / Ovulation. The number of days since your procedure took place.
_DP_DT - These acronyms were the hardest ones for me to figure out when I first started hanging out in TTC groups. As above, they refer to the number of days post embryo transfer - as well as the age of our embryo when it was transferred. For example, you typically get a blood pregnancy test 7 to 10 days after the transfer of a five day embryo, or 7DP5DT.
TWW - the dreaded Two Week Wait. The agonizing period of time between when your procedure takes place and when you can take your first pregnancy test. For insemination, it is a full two weeks - however, for an embryo transfer, some of that waiting is done in the Petri dish. As noted above, an embryo transfer test is usually done 7 to 10 days post transfer.
PUPO - Pregnant Until Proven Otherwise. This term is used during the time between your embryo transfer and your blood test. There is a real live embryo inside of you, so if it helps your mindset you can consider yourself PUPO.
HPT / PoaS - Home Pregnancy Test / Peeing on a Stick. Pretty self-explanatory. Resist the urge to test too soon, lest you get a disappointing false result!
Beta / hCG / Doubling or Rising - The blood pregnancy test performed at your doctor’s office is called a “Beta.” That's because the test actually measures a beta chain portion of the hCG (Human chorionic gonadotropin) hormone molecule, in case you’re looking for a nerdy party fact. If the first beta test is positive (most doctors want a number above 50), it will be repeated in 2 to 3 days. Levels of hCG are expected to double every 48 to 72 hours, and the doubling or rising rate is used to determine whether the embryo is implanting successfully.
BFP / BFN - Big Fat Positive or Big Fat Negative. Results of a pregnancy test.
M/C - Miscarriage
Are you trying to conceive? What acronym or term has baffled you the most?
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