A quick guide to NFP abbreviations

If you are a savvy internet user who is interested in fertility and natural family planning, chances are you have found yourself on forums or in social media groups discussing these topics. You come to a website to learn and to contribute to conversation, and then are immediately bombarded by an array of unintelligable abbreviations and acronyms. Never fear, I have assembled some of the most commonly found acronyms related to natural family planning, fertility, and pregnancy and translated them for you!

NFP - Natural family planning. Using knowledge of a woman's fertility cycle to avoid or achieve pregnancy.
FAM - Fertility Awareness Method. Basically the same as NFP, but allows for barrier methods or other forms of contraception during the fertile time to avoid pregnancy, unlike NFP which advocates for abstinence.
HBC/BC - Hormonal birth control or birth control. Usually referring to any one of many methods of contraception using artificial hormones, whether delivered by pill, implant, shot, vaginal ring, intrauterine device, etc.
BBT - Basal body temperature. The 'waking' temperature taken every day, first thing in the morning. One of the signs used to determine a woman's fertile time.
​CM/CF - Cervical mucus or cervical fluid. One of the signs used to determine a woman's fertile time.
EW M/EWCM/EWCF - Egg-white mucus, egg-white cervical mucus or egg-white cervical fluid. The most fertile quality of cervical mucus, so named because of it's resemblance to raw egg whites.

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FP- Fertile phase
RIT - Relatively infertile time. The first, preovulatory phase of a woman's cycle.
PFT - Possibly fertile time. The window between the initial onset of fertility signs until the window of fertility is passed.
FP - Follicular phase. Another name for the possibly fertile time, when the follicles in the ovary are influenced by follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) to mature and prepare for ovulation.
CIT- Completely infertile time. The final, progesterone-influenced phase of a woman's cycle when the window of fertility has passed.
LP- Luteal phase. Another name for the completely infertile time after ovulation, when progesterone causes high temperatures and other signs that indicate a woman is no longer able to conceive that cycle.
Ov - Ovulation. When an egg is released from a mature follicle in the ovary.
HCG- Human chorionic gonadotropin. A hormone released after a new baby has successfully implanted in the uterus. This is the hormone measured by pregnancy tests.
HPT- Home pregnancy test
DTD- Doing the deed. Having sexual intercourse.
BD - Baby dance. Having intercourse with the intention of conceiving.
UP - Unprotected sex. Sexual intercourse or genital contact without barrier methods.
TTA - Trying to avoid. Preventing pregnancy.
TTC - Trying to conceive. Trying to achieve pregnancy.
TTW - Trying to 'whatever'. Neither attempting or avoiding pregnancy, or perhaps loosely avoiding pregnancy but purposefully taking 'risks' such as intercourse or genital contact during the fertile time.
BFP - Big fat positive. Positive pregnancy test.
BFN - Big fat negative. Negative pregnancy test.
AF - Aunt Flo. A menstrual period.
CD - Cycle day. The day of your cycle, starting with the first day of your menstrual period as cycle day 1. 
DH/DD/DS - Dear husband, dear daughter, dear son, etc. 
LO - Little one. A child.
PP - Postpartum. Referring to the period after giving birth.
BF- Breastfeeding.
EBF - Exclusively breastfeeding. Feeding a baby only with breast milk and not supplementing with formula or other food.
LAM - Lactational amenorrhea method. A method of natural family planning that temporarily assumes infertility during the immediate postpartum time, assuming that certain breastfeeding guidelines are met (such as frequency of feeding, not sleeping through the night, not using pacifiers or bottles)

​Questions about any of these terms, or suggestions for more to add? Feel free to comment below!

Photo courtsey of freedigitalphotos/Sura Nualpradid.