Commonly used acronyms and abbreviations:
AF = Aunty Flo/menstruation
ART = assisted reproductive technology
BFN = Big Fat Negative – The unhappy result of fertility treatments, a negative pregnancy test.
BFP = Big Fat Positive – The holy grail for those undergoing fertility treatments, a positive pregnancy test result.
BT = Blood test – there are plenty of those in IVF land.
Dildo Cam = Another name for the internal ultrasound probes that are a big part of infertility treatments.
FS = Fertility Specialist. Many of our overseas IVF friends use the term ‘RE’ for Reproductive Endocrinologist.
ICLW = IComLeavWe – The brain-child of Mel the Stirrup Queen. It stands for International Comment Leaving Week, but if you say it aloud, doesn’t it sounds like “I come; [but] leave [as a] we”? Where infertility bloggers visit and comment on other infertility blogger’s blogs, en masse.
IVF = In vitro fertilisation
POAS = Pee On a Stick – A term of endearment for home pregnancy sticks. Talk to many IVFers and see how many are addicted to the things.
