When I first logged on to a parenting forum to ask “Will I poop myself when I give birth?” I had no idea I’d need to learn an entire new language. SO. MANY. ACRONYMS.
I can’t get my DD to STTN. I BF and my MIL told me to try CIO, but nothing seems to work.
WTF???
I felt like there was this giant club out there I was not a member of.
Could it be that parents are so busy taking care of their kids, they can no longer write actual words? Will that be me one day?
For what it’s worth, I took it upon myself to decode the main parent forum acronyms so you don’t have to. The sad part is, there are way more out there that are not included on this list.
One day I will speak parenting forum fluently! For now, here’s a cheat sheet.
My Parenting Forum Acronym Glossary
AC – Assisted conception
AF-Aunt Flo
AIO – All-in-one; this means you don’t need a separate cover over the diaper, as in a disposable diaper
AP – Attachment parenting; a child rearing philosophy
ART – Assisted reproductive technology
BBT – Basal body temperature
BC – Birth control
BD – Baby dance (sex for conception)
BF – Breastfeeding
BFN – Big fat negative (as in a pregnancy test)
BFP – Big fat positive
BW – Blood week (period)
CC – Controlled crying; a method of sleep training for infants
CD – Cloth diaper
CIO – Cry it out; a method of sleep training for infants
CM – Cervical mucus
CS – Cesarean section
CVSs – Chorionic villus sampling; a form of prenatal diagnosis to determine chromosomal or genetic disorders
DA – Dairy allergy
DW, DH, DD, DSD, DS, DSS, DP, DB, DF: Dear wife, dear husband, dear daughter, dear step-daughter, dear son, dear step-son, dear partner, dear boyfriend, dear fiancé (etc.)
DI – Donor insemination
DPO – Days past ovulation
DTD – Do the deed (sex)
DWIL – Dealing with in-laws
EBF – Exclusively breastfeeding
EBM – Expressed breast milk
EDD – Estimated date of delivery (due date)
EN – Extended nursing
EP – Ectopic pregnancy
ER – Egg retrieval
ET – Embryo transfer
EWCM – Egg white cervical mucus
FF – Formula feeding
FHR – Fetal heart rate
FIL – Father-in-law
FMU – First morning urine
FTM – First time mom
GD – Gestational diabetes
GF – Gluten-free
GYN – Gynaecologist
HPT – Home pregnancy test
HTH – Hope this helps
IF – Infertility
IUI – Intrauterine insemination
IVF – In vitro fertilization
IYKWIM – If you know what I mean
LAM – Lactational amennorhea method; referring to natural infertility while breastfeeding
L&D-Labour and delivery
LI – Lactose intolerant
LO – Little one
LMP – Last menstrual period
LP – Luteal phase
LSP – Low sperm count
MC – Miscarriage
MIL – Mother-in-law
ML – Maternity leave
MS – Morning sickness
NAK – Nursing at keyboard
NFP – Natural family planning; or the rhythm method
NIP – Nursing in public
NTNP – Not trying/not preventing
O – Ovulation
OB – Obstetrician
OH – Other half
OP – Original poster
OPK – Ovulation predictor test kit
OWT – Old wives tale
PA – Peanut allergy
PAD – Pump and dump
PCOS – Polycystic ovarian syndrome
PG – Pregnant
POAS – Pee on a stick
POF – Premature ovarian failure
PP – Previous poster
PPD – Postpartum depression
SAHD – Stay at home dad
SAHM – Stay at home mom
SB – Stillbirth
SD – Sperm donor
STBX – Soon to be ex
STTN – Sleep through the night
SW – Starting weight
TIA – Thanks in advance
TMI – Too much information
TTC – Trying to conceive
TWW – Two-week window (amount of time you have to wait before taking an accurate pregnancy test)
US – Ultrasound
VBAC – Vaginal birth after cesarean
WAHD – Work at home dad
WAHM – Work at home mom
WM – Working mom
