New Mum Glossary : Pregnancy and Birth Lingo

When you get pregnant you realise there is a whole new language out there that you couldn’t imagine existed. We’ve broken it down for you simply so you can understand this Pregnancy lingo. We’ve got you covered FTM (first time mum, if you didn’t know that one yet)!

Acronyms

AND – Any day now

AC – Assisted conception

AC – Abdominal circumference

AF – Aunt Flo (Menstrual period)

BC – Birth control

BD – Baby dace (sex)

BCPS – Birth control pills

BBT – Basal body temperature

BFN – Big fat Negative (pregnancy test)

BFP – Big fat positive (Pregnancy test)

BMI – Body Mass Index

CD – Cycle day

Circ. – Circumcise

CS – Caesarean section

DH – Dear husband

DS – Dear son

DD – Dear daughter

DPO – Days past ovulation

DTD – Doing the deed (Sex)

EBF – Exclusive breast feeding/ Extended breast feeding

EDD- Estimated date of Delivery

EP – Ectopic pregnancy

EPT – Early pregnancy test

ET – Embryo transfer

FET – Frozen embryo transfer

FH – Fetal heart

FM – Fertility monitor

FMU – First morning urine

FTM – First time Mum

GD – Gestational diabetes

GP – General practitioner

HTH – Hope this helps

HSG – Hysteroscopy

IC – Incompetent cervix

IUI – Intrauterine insemination

INF – Infertility

IVF – In Vitro fertilization

LAM  – Lactational amenorrhea

LO – little one

LSP – low sperm count

MC – Miscarriage

ML – Maternity leave

NFP – Natural family planning

O – Ovulation

OC – Oral contraceptives

OTC – Over the counter

PG – Pregnant

PND – Postnatal depression

SB – Still Birth

TIA – Thanks in advance

TTC – Trying to conceive

TR- Tubal reversal

US – Ultra sound

VBAC – Vaginal birth after caesarian

VE – Vaginal examination

VR – Vasectomy reversal

WM- Working mum

Important medical terms

Tips for pregnancy: You should familiarize yourself with these terms as you are likely to come across them during your pregnancy.

• Abortion also referred to as Spontaneous abortion refers to a pregnancy that terminates before 24weeks.
• Aminiotomy is the artificial rapturing of the amniotic sac.
• Antepartum hemorrhage refers to any bleeding that a pregnant woman experiences before birth.
• Birth plan is a way for a soon to be mother to communicate her birth wishes. Who she would like present, type of birth and labor she would like and what should be avoided.
• Bloody show refers to a reddish or brownish discharge that appears at the onset of labor.
• Braxton Hicks Contractions are false or practice contractions experienced by some women.
• Breech presentation – This is when a baby is lying feet or bottom down in the womb.
• Doula a professionally trained labor and birth attendant to offer coping techniques. They do not offer medical care.
• Ectopic pregnancy refers to a pregnancy that is developing in another part of the reproductive system that isn’t the uterus. It could be that it is lodged in the fallopian tubes.
• Endometrium is the lining of the uterus
• Epidural is pain medicine administered during labor
• Episiotomy is cutting of space between vagina and anus to ease birth.
• Lactational amenorrhea means natural infertility a woman experiences while breast feeding.
• Luteinizing hormone – A hormone produced by cells in the anterior pituitary glands. A spike in its volume triggers ovulation.
• Multigravida is a woman who has been pregnant more than once
• Meconium is the baby’s first stool
• Multipara is a woman who has already given birth at least once
• Singleton is a single fetus in the womb.

For more about pregnancy you can check out our website. We have so much that you would love from: articles, business that are just for mums and kids, doctors and specialists, experiences from other mums. Just click Here and join the Village!