Alphabet Soup

After you have the discussion with your husband and you decide to start a family, everything changes. It seems you cross some imaginary line and suddenly, you're in a differently world. A world that speaks another language. Out of nowhere, there are all these acronyms you need to know - baby lingo, so to speak.

You're now TTC (trying to conceive) with your DH (dear hubby) and people accuse you of having BOTB (babies on the brain). For some, that may mean casually stopping BCPs (birth control pills) or any other form of birth control. For others, that means being a bit more proactive than just not TTA (trying to avoid). Some women start charting - this means recording temperatures daily with a BBT (basal body thermomter) and tracking changes in your CM (cervical mucus) for signs of increased fertility. (This post isn't meant to teach anyone the ins and outs of charting - for that, check out FF (Fertility Friend) or TCoYF (Taking Charge of Your Fertility)). Before we started TTC, the big O had an entirely different meaning. It referred to a mind blowing almost out of body experience. Now the big O = ovulation! Go figure.

So, you chart your temperatures and check your CM to find out when you're most "fertile" and to pinpoint your O. Each day on your chart is referred to as a CD (cycle day). The first day of your period is CD1. The problem with charting using a BBT, though, is that it tells you when you O'd after the fact, not before. So while that's great to know for the next go around, your O day can actually vary +/- a few days each cycle. The widely stated fact that women O on CD14 is merely an average, for the women that have a 28 day cycle and a 14 day LP (luteal phase). The fact is, that most women O anywhere as early as CD9-10 and all the way out to CD60! So for those who are wanting a bit more of a head's up on when they might O, they use OPKs (ovulation predictor kits). OPKs detect a surge in LH (luteinizing hormone), the hormone responsible for triggering ovulation of mature follicles. OPKs can be a bit trickier than PG (pregnancy) tests because instead of one line = negative and two lines = positive, you can often have two lines on an OPK. It's only considered positive if the test line is equal to or darker than the control line. The first time I used OPKs, I was squinting at the lines, holding them out at a distance, trying to figure out if my line was darker. Eventually, I got a +OPK, and then it became obvious what a positive result looks like. The cheapest brand I've found in retail stores is the brand Answer. You can find it at Walmart, Walgreens, and CVS for about $1 per test stick. If you don't want to deal with subjectivity and ambiguity of these types of OPKs, you can get the ones that show you a smiley face when they're positive - like the one pictured below in Bibliosaur's post. Or you can go even more high-tech and get the CBEFM (Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor).

Regardless of what method you use, once you know you're O'ing, it's time to BD (baby dance), FLB (f__ like bunnies) or FWP (f__ with purpose). Those who prefer to be more politically correct can use the medical term TI (timed intercourse). The hope is that with good timing, you'll be KU after a few cycles. The odds of getting PG each cycle varies based on several factors (male fertility, the woman's age, frequency of intercourse around O, etc.) but in general it is about 25%.

After you get the big O, you enter into the dreaded 2ww (two week wait). I swear that time likes to stand still during the 2ww when you're waiting to find out if you're KU (knocked up) - or as some jokingly refer to it - KTFU (knocked the f__ up). The time period after a woman O's, the LP (luteal phase), can vary, but it's usually anywhere from 10-14 days. Once you're TTC, you start referring to the days after O as DPO (days post ovulation). Many women refer to their monthly period as "Aunt Flo," or AF for short. On average, most women can expect to see her about 14 DPO - hence the term 2ww.

A lot of women who are TTC (myself included), have a hard time waiting for AF to show up to find out if they're KU. It's highly recommended that you refrain from POAS (peeing on a stick) until you are officially "late," or on the day you expect AF to show up at the earliest. Testing too early can cause a false negatives and can be discouraging. Not to mention it can be expensive. Not to worry, though, because if you have a bad POAS habit, you can get them for $1 each at Dollar Tree (they can detect as little as 20 mIU/mL of hCG - click here for a list of sensitivity ranges for most HPTs). If you're not in a rush, you can save even more money by getting them online and having them shipped to you from here. To describe how much it sucks to get a negative HPT (home pregnancy test) when you're hoping for a baby, it's called a BFN (big fat negative). Conversely, you can celebrate when you finally get that BFP (big fat positive). If you're lucky enough to see those two beautiful lines, then your OB (obstetrician/gynecologist) will have you go in for a beta (blood test to measure the pregnancy hormone hCG) and in a few weeks, you'll be scheduled for an U/S (ultaround).

So there you have it. A whole mess of alphabet soup we learn to use once we finally decide we want to become pregosaurs. It's a lot to take in, isn't it?

Here's a quick summary:

2ww = 2 week wait
AF = aunt flo aka menstruation
BBT = basal body thermometer
BCPs = birth control pills
BD = baby dance (timed intercourse)
Beta = hCG = human chorionic gonadotropin (anything over 5 is considered pregnant)
BOTB = babies on the brain
BFN = big fat negative
BFP = big fat positive
CBEFM = Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor
CD = cycle day
CM = cervical mucus
DH = dear husband, dear hubby
DPO = days post ovulation
FF = fertility friend
FLB = f__ like bunnies (frequent intercourse)
FWP = f__ with purpose (timed intercourse)
HPT = home pregnancy test
KU = knocked up (pregnant)
KTFU = knocked the f__ up (pregnant)
LH = luteinizing hormone (triggers ovulation)
LP = luteal phase
O = ovulation
OB = obstetrician/gynecologist
OPK = ovulation predictor kit
PG = pregnancy
POAS = pee on a stick (take a home pregnancy test)
TCoYF = Taking Charge of Your Fertility
TI = timed intercourse
TTA = trying to avoid
TTC = trying to conceive
U/S = ultrasound