The first time Holly read an infertility message board, she thought everyone was writing in code. "DH and I are CD14, OPK positive, starting the 2WW, baby dust to all!" Here's the decoder ring we wish somebody had handed us. Medical terms are explained as best we understand them, so ask your doctor about anything that applies to you.

TTC

Trying to conceive.

DH / DW

Dear husband / dear wife. Sometimes said sarcastically.

AF

"Aunt Flo," your period. As in "AF showed up." Nobody likes her.

CD

Cycle day. CD1 is the first day of your period.

DPO

Days past ovulation.

BBT

Basal body temperature, your temperature first thing in the morning before you get out of bed. Charting it every day can show a small rise after you ovulate.

OPK

Ovulation predictor kit, the drugstore test that picks up the hormone surge that comes before ovulation.

2WW

The two-week wait between ovulation (or a transfer) and finding out. The longest two weeks there are.

HPT

Home pregnancy test.

BFP / BFN

Big fat positive / big fat negative. We are still waiting for our first BFP.

Beta

The blood test at the doctor's office that measures the pregnancy hormone. More reliable than a home test.

OB-GYN / RE

Your regular women's doctor / a reproductive endocrinologist, a doctor who specializes in fertility.

HSG

Hysterosalpingogram. An X-ray test using dye to see whether the fallopian tubes are open.

SA

Semen analysis. Greg's test. He would like it noted that he was a good sport.

PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormone condition that can keep a woman from ovulating regularly. Holly's diagnosis.

Clomid

A brand of clomiphene, a pill often used to help with ovulation.

Stims

The injectable medicines that stimulate the ovaries during IUI or IVF cycles.

IUI

Intrauterine insemination. The doctor places specially prepared sperm into the uterus around the time of ovulation.

IVF

In vitro fertilization. Eggs are retrieved, fertilized in the lab, and the embryos are placed back in the uterus a few days later.

ER / ET

Egg retrieval / embryo transfer, the two big days of an IVF cycle.

FET

Frozen embryo transfer, using embryos frozen from an earlier cycle. That's what we just did.

Cycle buddy

Someone on a message board whose treatment is on the same schedule as yours. Holly's cycle buddy is in Ohio and they've never met, but they've e-mailed every day since April.

Baby dust

Good wishes, sprinkled on everybody. We'll take all we can get.

Know one we missed? [email protected]

Last updated September 25, 1999 · Back to Still Trying