You might have come across this article after spotting one of these terms used in your due date group on Facebook and searching in Google: “What does SAHM mean?” or “What does EBF stand for?” Or perhaps your midwife mentioned the GTT to you and you’ve forgotten what that meant. 

Whether you’re TTC (trying to conceive), are PG (pregnant) or a FTM (first time mum), here is a guide to some of the most common and popular acronyms that you might stumble over:

BBT – basal body temperature

This term is usually used in groups where people are discussing fertility and trying to get pregnant (or perhaps avoiding it). It is used as part of natural family planning or the fertility based awareness method, so you might find people discussing their BBT first thing in the morning as they wait for an incremental increase on their usual figures which signals ovulation.

BF – breastfeeding/breastfed

BF or BFing is used when discussing feeding methods. This one refers specifically to breastfeeding.

BFN – big fat negative

On the other side of this, BFN is used when someone receives a negative result on a pregnancy test.

BFP – big fat positive

In pregnancy groups, BFP is used when someone receives a positive result on a pregnancy test.

CB – cord blood

This is our speciality! When your baby is born, your midwife, doctor or phlebotomist may refer to CB – the blood that flows in the umbilical cord between your placenta and your baby, which we collect and store for you.

EBF – exclusively breastfed

The term EBF is often used when discussing feeding, and may be used both in chat groups as well as by your midwife or health visitor. This is used when an infant is exclusively fed breast milk, which may be directly via breastfeeding or expressed breast milk in a bottle or cup.

EBM – expressed breast milk

The term EBM again may be used in chat groups as well as by midwives and health visitors. It refers to breast milk which has been expressed, and it may be via manual expression or with a breast pump.

EDD – estimated due date

You may see your EDD referred to in your notes, or it may be asked in a due date group. This is the predicted date that your little one will enter the world. It may be calculated by your midwife or doctor based on your LMP (last menstrual period – see below!), based on an IVF transfer date, or perhaps you’ve calculated a slightly different version of your own based on your ovulation pattern.

FH – fundal height

Fundal height is a term that you are mostly likely to notice in your midwife’s notes when they measure your stomach during appointments. This is the distance between the top of your uterus and your pelvic bone, and is used by your healthcare provider to check that your baby is continuing to grow on their projection. 

FTM – first time mum

This is a nice simple one that is very commonly used in Facebook groups and online, FTM simply means first time mum. People will often use it when asking a question about pregnancy, labour, birth or parenting to explain that they’re brand new and need some advice from others who have done it before.

GTT – glucose tolerance test

The GTT is the glucose tolerance test that your midwife or doctor may refer you to if they suspect you may have gestational diabetes. You may hear it spoken about by healthcare providers, or you might hear people discussing how theirs went in chat groups.

HV – health visitor

The term HV is used to refer to your health visitor or health visiting team who are midwives or nurses who specialise in public health and child development. You can read more about health visitors here.

IVF – in vitro fertilisation

IVF is a very common term meaning in vitro fertilisation – a treatment used to help people with fertility problems to conceive a baby.

LMP – last menstrual period

Your midwife or doctor will often ask you for the date of your LMP which means your last menstrual period. They use this to calculate your EDD (estimated due date).

L&D – labour and delivery

When your contractions begin, your waters break or you simply need some specialised advice in late pregnancy, you will be referred to L&D. This is the acronym used for the labour and delivery ward at the hospital or midwife unit.

MW – midwife

You may occasionally see the term MW being used online or in your notes to refer to a midwife, a registered nurse or midwife with specialised training in pregnancy, childbirth, and women’s health. You can find out more about midwives here.

OB-GYN – Obstetrician-Gynaecologist

An OB-GYN is a doctor who combines the fields of obstetrics and gynaecology, that is maternity care, pregnancy and childbirth as well as care of those with a female reproductive system. You will generally only be referred to one if your pregnancy is higher risk or you have a complication while in hospital.

PG – pregnant

This is a simple one: PG stands for pregnant!

PP – postpartum

PP is the acronym for postpartum (sometimes referred to as postnatal) – the time period after giving birth. We have a blog post on advice for the postpartum period here.

PPD – postpartum depression

PPD is the shortened term for postpartum depression, a mental health condition that affects people within the postpartum period after giving birth.

PPROM – preterm premature rupture of membranes

When a doctor or midwife references PPROM, this is the term used medically when your waters have broken early, usually before you are full term at 37 weeks.

SROM – spontaneous rupture of membranes

Similarly, SROM refers to your waters breaking, but this specific term is used when this occurs after you have reached full term pregnancy at 37 weeks but before the onset of labour.

SAHM – stay at home mum

SAHM is a phrase often used in parenting groups online meaning a mother who stays at home to look after her children and the home. You may sometimes see a variation of this: WAHM – work at home mum.

TTC – trying to conceive

The term TTC is often used in fertility based online groups and means trying to conceive. Parents use this to refer to the time in which they are trying to get pregnant.

VBAC – vaginal birth after C-section

VBAC is a medical term but is commonly used among others too to describe a birth in which a baby is born vaginally after a previous birth by C section.

If you stumble over any other pregnancy or parenting acronyms that you think should be included in our list, please let us know and we’ll add them!