Glossary of Abbreviations and Terms

Childbirth, Labor, Birth, Infant and Family

I'm sure I've missed some. If you can think of a missing one,

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ATopAlphabet

AF ~

aunt flow (your moontime, menstruating)

AFP ~

alpha feta protein (maternal blood test for fetal abnormalities)

AP ~

attachment parenting

AROM ~

artificial rupture of membranes (i.e. breaking your waters)

AFAIK ~

as far as I know

Abx ~

antibiotics

BTopAlphabet

BC~

birth center

BD or BBD ~

baby dancing (making love with the intention of conceiving)

BF ~

breast-feeding or breast-fed

BM ~

breast milk (or diaper surprises...)

BH ~

baby hugs (formerly known as Braxton-Hicks contractions)

BOW~

bag of waters (the amniotic sac)

BTDT~

been there, done that

BP~

blood pressure

BTW~

by the way

BBT ~

basal body temperature (for fertility charting)

BC ~

birth center

breech ~

baby presenting bottom end first

babymoon ~

the period of bonding after birth (a moon is 4 weeks... give or take...)

CTopAlphabet

CBC ~

complete blood count

Contx or Ctx ~

contractions (expansions, rushes, etc.)

CVS ~

chorionic villus/villi sampling (maternal blood test for fetal abnormalities)

circ ~

circumcision

CBE ~

childbirth educator

CC ~

cubic centimeters

cm ~

centimeters

CF or CM ~

cervical fluid, cervical mucus

CNM ~

certified nurse midwife

CPD ~

cephalopelvic disproportion (baby bigger than pelvic opening)

CPM ~

certified professional midwife

classical ~

refers to a vertical incision made during a cesarean birth

CS, C-Sec., Emergen-C ~

cesarean birth

DTopAlphabet

dancing ~

making love

D&C ~

dilation and curettage (abortion, medical miscarriage, etc.)

DEM ~

direct entry midwife (also LM)

decels ~

deceleration of the baby's heart rate

DH ~

Darling/Dear Husband

DS ~

Darling/Dear Son

DD ~

Darling/Dear Daughter

DW ~

Darling/Dear Wife

DPO ~

Days past ovulation

ETopAlphabet

EFM ~

external fetal monitor

EBF ~

extended breast feeding

EBM ~

expressed breast milk

EW ~

egg white (refers to cervical mucus)

FTopAlphabet

FYI ~

for your information

FF ~

formula feeding or formula fed

FB ~

family bed

FHT/HT ~

fetal heart tones

FTP ~

failure to progress

FSBC ~

free standing birth center (not attached to a hospital)

FWIW ~

for what it's worth

GTopAlphabet

GD~

gestational diabetes

GTT ~

glucose tolerance test

GSE ~

grapefruit seed extract (anti-biotic, anti-fungal drops)

GBS ~

group beta streptococcus

HTopAlphabet

hCG ~

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (major pregnancy hormone)

HELLP ~

hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count (a condition related to pre-eclampsia)

HTH ~

hope this/that helps

HBAC ~

home birth after cesarean

HT ~

heart tones

ITopAlphabet

iatrogenic ~

complications caused by medical care

IM(H)O ~

in my (humble/honest) opinion

ICAN ~

International Cesarean Awareness Network

IOW ~

in other words

IVF ~

in vitro fertilization

IUI ~

intrauterine insemination

IUGR ~

intrauterine growth retardation

IFM ~

internal fetal monitor

JTopAlphabet

JBLI ~

Joyous Birth League International

KTopAlphabet

KWIM ~

know what I mean

LTopAlphabet

LOL ~

laughing out loud

LMAO ~

laughing my ass off

L&D ~

labor and delivery

LM ~

lay midwife (also DEM)

LMP ~

last menstrual period

LP ~

luteal phase

lotus birthing ~

allowing the placenta to detach from the baby spontaneously (i.e. not cutting the cord)

MTopAlphabet

MAS ~

Meconium aspiration syndrome

mec. ~

meconium

moontime ~

menstruation

Medwife ~

midwife who behaves like an obstetrician

MC ~

miscarriage

NTopAlphabet

NAK ~

nursing at keyboard

NFP ~

Natural Family Planning (charting your cycles of fertility)

NICU ~

neo-natal intensive care unit

NST ~

non-stress test (given when a pregnancy goes "past dates")

OTopAlphabet

OB, sOB, gOBlin ~

Obstetrician

OT ~

Off topic discussion

OTOH ~

On the other hand

OTC ~

over the counter (medications)

PTopAlphabet

PG or pg ~

pregnant

paradigm ~

a pattern of thoughts, a map of reality

PID ~

pelvic inflammatory disease

PIH ~

pregnancy induced hypertension (high blood pressure)

PKU ~

phenylketonuria; a rare metabolic disorder (typically refers to a blood screening test given to newborns)

PPD ~

post-partum depression

PROM ~

premature rupture of membranes

pit. ~

Pitocin (a labor inducing drug)

PCOS ~

polycystic ovarian syndrome

posterior ~

baby's face against mother's pubic bone (usually considered uncomfortable...)

RTopAlphabet

RDS ~

respiratory distress syndrome

ROM ~

rupture of membranes (i.e. "my water broke")

ROTF ~

rolling on the floor (laughing out loud)

ROTFLMAO ~

rolling on the floor laughing my ass off

STopAlphabet

SAHD ~

stay at home dad

SAHM ~

stay at home mom

SO ~

significant other/ partner

SNS ~

supplemental nursing system

TTopAlphabet

TTC ~

trying to conceive

TIA ~

thanks in advance

TTYL ~

talk to you later

transverse ~

baby lying sideways in the womb

UTopAlphabet

UC, UB, UAB, UnaBirth ~

unassisted/unattended childbirth

UBAC ~

unassisted birth after cesarean

UP ~

unassisted pregnancy (no professional routine prenatal exams)

US ~

ultrasound

UTI ~

urinary tract infection

VTopAlphabet

version ~

rotating a baby in the womb

VBAC ~

vaginal birth after cesarean

VBA2C ~

vaginal birth after 2 cesareans

WTopAlphabet

WTEWYE ~

"What to expect when you're expecting" (a mainstream managed pregnancy guidebook)

WAHM ~

work at home mom

WOHM ~

work outside home mom

WTG ~

way to go

YTopAlphabet

YMMV ~

your mileage may vary (i.e. this might not work for everyone)(in nursing conversations this can be: Your Mammaries May Vary, but I don't think you'll run into this usage very often :)