Fertility Abbreviations Explained: A Glossary for Indian TTC & IVF

• Hormone acronyms (AMH, FSH, LH, E2, P4, TSH, PRL, hCG) describe blood tests that map your ovarian reserve, ovulation, thyroid and pregnancy status — each is measured at a specific point in the cycle.
• Treatment acronyms move from least to most intensive: IUI (insemination), IVF (lab fertilisation), ICSI (single-sperm injection), FET (frozen embryo transfer), PGT (embryo genetic testing).
• Cycle-timing shorthand — CD (cycle day), DPO (days past ovulation), LMP, EDD, TWW (two-week wait) — is how both clinics and TTC communities track where you are.
• Costs in India vary widely: a single AMH test runs roughly Rs 1,500–3,500, an IUI cycle Rs 8,000–20,000, and one IVF cycle Rs 1.5–3 lakh.
• These acronyms help you understand reports, but they never replace a fertility specialist's interpretation of your full picture.
• Indian ART is governed by the ART (Regulation) Act 2021 and the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act 2021 — every clinic offering IVF/ICSI/IUI must be registered.

Hormone abbreviations are the ones you will see most often, because they appear on almost every fertility lab report. Each names a specific signalling molecule with a defined clinical role, and understanding them helps you read your own results instead of relying entirely on a quick verbal summary at the clinic.

AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) is made by small growing follicles and acts as a proxy for your ovarian reserve — roughly, the size of your remaining egg pool. It can be checked by a single blood test on any cycle day (it barely fluctuates, which is convenient). Reproductive-age values are typically 1.0–4.0 ng/mL; above 2.0 is reassuring, 1.0–2.0 borderline, and below 1.0 suggests diminished reserve. Indian labs (SRL, Metropolis, Apollo Diagnostics, Thyrocare, Dr Lal PathLabs) charge roughly Rs 1,500–3,500. Women with PCOS often have falsely high AMH from many small follicles. Our detailed guide to AMH and ovarian reserve testing explains how to read the number in context.

FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone) is made by the pituitary gland and pushes ovarian follicles to grow early in the cycle. It is measured on cycle day 2 or 3. Normal day-2 FSH is usually under 10 mIU/mL; 10–12 may signal declining reserve, and above 20 suggests a peri-/menopausal range. Cost: roughly Rs 500–1,500.

LH (Luteinising Hormone), also from the pituitary, triggers ovulation through a mid-cycle surge that releases the egg. Baseline day-2/3 LH is typically 5–20 mIU/mL. Detecting the LH surge is how home ovulation predictor kits work. Cost: roughly Rs 500–1,500.

hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) is produced after the embryo implants and is the hormone every pregnancy test looks for. It roughly doubles every 48–72 hours in early pregnancy. A quantitative beta-hCG blood test (Rs 300–800) is more sensitive than a urine test: under 5 mIU/mL is not pregnant, 5–25 is equivocal, and over 25 is pregnant. For common queries, see our hCG pregnancy-test FAQ.

TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is the main screen for thyroid function, and thyroid problems affect cycles, fertility and pregnancy. For women trying to conceive the target is usually under 2.5 mIU/L, with values above 4.0 generally needing levothyroxine (Thyronorm, Eltroxin; roughly Rs 100–300/month). Cost: Rs 200–500. See thyroid and fertility for why this matters before conception.

PRL (Prolactin) is another pituitary hormone; when raised (hyperprolactinaemia) it suppresses ovulation and is a treatable cause of missed periods. Normal is usually under 25 ng/mL in non-pregnant, non-breastfeeding women, ideally on a morning fasting sample (Rs 300–800). Our guide to high prolactin covers causes and treatment.

E2 (Estradiol) is the main estrogen made by growing follicles; it rises through the follicular phase and peaks just before ovulation. Baseline day-2 E2 is usually under 50 pg/mL; above 80 on day 2 can hint at diminished reserve. Cost: Rs 500–1,500.

P4 (Progesterone) comes from the corpus luteum after ovulation. It is measured on day 21 of a 28-day cycle (about 7 days after presumed ovulation) to confirm ovulation happened; above 10 ng/mL strongly suggests it did. Cost: Rs 300–800.

Imaging is central to a fertility work-up, and the scans carry their own acronyms that turn up on referral notes and reports.

TVS (TransVaginal Sonography) is the standard ultrasound for assessing the ovaries, uterus and pelvis. A slim probe inside the vagina gives high-resolution images. At Indian fertility clinics it costs roughly Rs 800–2,000 per scan and is the workhorse of the whole evaluation.

AFC (Antral Follicle Count) is the number of small antral follicles (2–10 mm) seen on TVS across both ovaries, counted in the early follicular phase. With AMH, it is one of the two main markers of ovarian reserve. A normal AFC is around 10–20; below 5–7 suggests diminished reserve, and above 25 may point to polycystic ovaries.

HSG (HysteroSalpingoGram) is an X-ray in which contrast dye is passed through the cervix to outline the uterine cavity and check whether the fallopian tubes are open (tubal patency). It is usually done on cycle day 6–10 and costs roughly Rs 2,500–6,000. It can be crampy but is generally well tolerated; paracetamol or mefenamic acid beforehand helps. See our full guide to the HSG tubal patency test.

SIS (Saline Infusion Sonography), also called sonohysterography, is a TVS done while saline is gently instilled into the uterine cavity through a thin catheter. It shows the cavity more clearly than plain TVS and can detect polyps, fibroids, adhesions or congenital anomalies. Cost: roughly Rs 2,000–5,000.

HyCoSy (Hysterosalpingo-Contrast Sonography) is like HSG but uses ultrasound with contrast instead of X-ray, so there is no radiation and it can be done in the clinic. Cost: roughly Rs 3,000–7,000; it is becoming more common in India.

USG (UltraSonoGraphy) is the general term for ultrasound. It can be transabdominal (TAS) or transvaginal (TVS) depending on what is being looked at.

FM (Follicular Monitoring) is a series of TVS scans (usually 3–5) across the cycle to track follicle growth, confirm ovulation and check the lining. It is used for natural-cycle TTC, ovulation-induction monitoring and IUI timing. Cost: roughly Rs 2,500–6,000 for the series.

NT (Nuchal Translucency) measures the fluid space behind the fetal neck at 11–13 weeks as part of first-trimester screening for chromosomal conditions including Down syndrome. Cost: roughly Rs 1,500–4,000.

Other imaging terms include MRI (for complex uterine anomalies or endometriosis), CT (rare in fertility) and PET (oncology, not fertility). PCOM (Polycystic Ovary Morphology) is the ultrasound appearance of polycystic ovaries — 12 or more small follicles per ovary, or ovarian volume above 10 cm³.

Procedural acronyms name the actual treatments and lab techniques of modern reproductive medicine.

ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology) is the umbrella term for any treatment that handles eggs, sperm or embryos outside the body. In India it is regulated by the ART (Regulation) Act 2021, which sets standards for clinics, banks and procedures, and includes IUI, IVF, ICSI and FET.

IUI (IntraUterine Insemination) places washed, concentrated sperm directly into the uterus through a thin catheter, bypassing the cervix, timed around ovulation — natural-cycle or with stimulation using letrozole, clomiphene or gonadotropins. It is less invasive and cheaper than IVF, at roughly Rs 8,000–20,000 per cycle, with per-cycle success of about 10–20% depending on the cause and your age. See our breakdown of IUI cost and process in India; when donor sperm is needed, our donor sperm IUI guide covers the specifics.

IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) retrieves eggs through a transvaginal needle under sedation, fertilises them in the lab (conventional or via ICSI), grows embryos for 3–5 days, and transfers one or more into the uterus. In India it costs roughly Rs 1.5–3 lakh per cycle, with per-transfer success heavily age-dependent — about 35–45% under 35, falling with age. See IVF cost, process and success rates.

ICSI (IntraCytoplasmic Sperm Injection) injects a single sperm directly into each mature egg under a micromanipulator. It is used for severe male-factor infertility, prior fertilisation failure, thawed frozen eggs, or when PGT-A is planned, and adds roughly Rs 30,000–80,000 to an IVF cycle.

FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer) thaws and transfers previously frozen embryos in a separate cycle from retrieval, letting transfer be timed independently and often improving outcomes by avoiding the high-hormone stimulation environment. Cost: roughly Rs 60,000–1.5 lakh per cycle. See frozen embryo transfer in India.

PGT-A (Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy) biopsies a few cells from a blastocyst (day 5–6) to check chromosome numbers, helping select normal embryos and potentially improving implantation and lowering miscarriage risk, especially in older women or recurrent loss. It adds roughly Rs 60,000–1.5 lakh depending on how many embryos are tested.

PGT-M (… for Monogenic disorders) tests embryos for a specific single-gene condition (such as thalassemia, sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis or Huntington's) when one or both parents are carriers; it costs more than PGT-A and needs a custom probe per family.

PGT-SR (… for Structural Rearrangements) tests for chromosomal structural problems such as translocations or inversions carried by a parent.

Other procedural terms: TESA (Testicular Sperm Aspiration — sperm taken from the testis for ICSI when none is in the ejaculate), PESA (Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration — similar, from the epididymis), micro-TESE (microsurgical extraction in severe male-factor cases) and AH (Assisted Hatching) — helping an embryo break out of its outer shell before implantation.

Timing acronyms are how you — and your specialist, and every TTC group — describe where you are in the cycle.

CD (Cycle Day) counts from CD1, the first day of full bleeding, onwards. CD14 is day 14, often quoted as an average ovulation day, though real ovulation varies a lot. Understanding what ovulation actually means makes these numbers far more useful.

DPO (Days Past Ovulation) is counted from ovulation day (most often called DPO 1). It matters most in the two-week wait, because it tells you when a test becomes reliable: sensitive home tests may pick up pregnancy from 10–12 DPO in some women, while standard tests are reliable from about 14 DPO. Our guide to 10 DPO symptoms and implantation signs covers what is and isn't meaningful this early.

LMP (Last Menstrual Period) is the first day of your most recent period and the standard starting point for dating a pregnancy. "Weeks pregnant" are counted from LMP, not conception — so a "6-week" pregnancy is about 4 weeks since conception and 2 weeks since the missed period.

EDD (Estimated Date of Delivery), or due date, is 280 days (40 weeks) from LMP. It is only an estimate: about 5% of babies arrive on the EDD, with most within two weeks either side.

EWCM (Egg-White Cervical Mucus) is the clear, stretchy, slippery mucus that appears in the days before ovulation as estrogen rises. It is the most fertile mucus type and a key fertile-window sign — learning to read it is one of the highest-yield TTC skills. See cervical mucus tracking for TTC.

BBT (Basal Body Temperature) is your resting temperature first thing in the morning. It rises 0.3–0.5°C after ovulation due to progesterone, giving retrospective confirmation that ovulation happened. It needs daily measurement with a sensitive thermometer (Rs 200–800) and several cycles of data to show a pattern.

TWW (Two-Week Wait) is the stretch between ovulation and your expected period — often the most psychologically intense part of TTC. See our guide to surviving the two-week wait.

OPK (Ovulation Predictor Kit) is a home test that detects the urine LH surge. Indian options include i-can strips (Rs 80–150 each), the Inito device (Rs 7,000–12,000 with cartridges) and generic strips (Rs 50–100). See ovulation test kits in India.

Other timing shorthand: AF (Aunt Flo, the period), CB (cycle buddy), BD (baby dance, timed intercourse), POAS (pee on a stick), HPT (Home Pregnancy Test) and BFP/BFN (Big Fat Positive/Negative).

These acronyms name the conditions that affect fertility and reproductive health.

PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is a hormonal condition affecting roughly 9–22% of Indian women of reproductive age. It is defined by some combination of irregular cycles, signs of high androgens (acne, excess hair, scalp thinning) and polycystic ovary morphology on scan, and is the most common cause of ovulatory infertility. Diagnosis uses the Rotterdam criteria (any two of three: ovulatory dysfunction, hyperandrogenism, polycystic ovary morphology). See PCOS treatment options and, if conceiving is the goal, PCOS fertility treatment.

PCOD (Polycystic Ovarian Disease) is the older Indian name for PCOS; the terms are often used interchangeably, though some clinicians use PCOD for a milder, mainly reproductive presentation. Internationally, PCOS is preferred — our explainer on PCOD vs PCOS untangles the two names.

POI (Premature Ovarian Insufficiency), formerly Premature Ovarian Failure, is loss of normal ovarian function before age 40 — high FSH (usually above 25 mIU/mL on two occasions at least 4 weeks apart), low estradiol, irregular or absent periods, and estrogen-deficiency symptoms. It affects about 1% of women under 40. Causes include genetic (Fragile X premutation, Turner syndrome), autoimmune, chemotherapy or radiation, surgical removal of the ovaries, and idiopathic (most common).

DOR (Diminished Ovarian Reserve) is a milder reduction in ovarian function — low AMH (often below 1.0 ng/mL), low AFC (below 5–7) and a reduced response to stimulation, without the full POI picture. It becomes more common with age but can also occur in younger women.

RPL (Recurrent Pregnancy Loss), or recurrent miscarriage, is two or more consecutive losses before 20 weeks. It affects about 1–2% of couples and warrants a structured work-up — parental karyotyping, antiphospholipid antibody panel, thyroid, prolactin, AMH, uterine cavity evaluation and sometimes thrombophilia testing. See our guide to recurrent miscarriage workup and care.

OHSS (Ovarian HyperStimulation Syndrome) is a complication of stimulation in IVF/IUI where the ovaries over-respond, enlarge and leak fluid into the abdomen. Mild OHSS is common; severe OHSS needing admission occurs in about 1–5% of stimulation cycles, and modern antagonist protocols with agonist triggers in high responders have cut severe rates substantially.

PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease) is infection of the upper reproductive tract — uterus, tubes and surrounding structures — usually from sexually transmitted bacteria (chlamydia, gonorrhoea) ascending from the cervix. Untreated, it can scar the tubes and cause tubal-factor infertility. See pelvic inflammatory disease in India.

LPD (Luteal Phase Deficiency/Defect) is a contested diagnosis of inadequate luteal progesterone or a shortened luteal phase. ASRM has said it is not a clinically useful diagnosis in naturally conceiving women, though the term is still used in Indian practice — our piece on luteal phase defect explains the nuance.

OAT (Oligo-Astheno-Teratozoospermia) is the most common male-factor pattern: low count (oligo), low motility (astheno) and abnormal shape (terato).

Other terms: ER (estrogen-receptor positive, in oncology), hydatidiform mole (a rare abnormal pregnancy) and DUB (Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding) — abnormal bleeding with no structural cause found.

Anatomy and body-measurement acronyms appear in clinical notes, scans and preconception checks.

FT (Fallopian Tube) — the tubes link the ovaries to the uterus and are where fertilisation usually happens. Whether they are open (patency) is assessed by HSG or HyCoSy; damage from past infection, surgery or endometriosis is a common female-factor cause.

CL (Corpus Luteum) — the temporary gland that forms from the ruptured follicle after ovulation and makes progesterone through the luteal phase. Its function is essential to early pregnancy until the placenta takes over around 7–10 weeks.

ET (Endometrial Thickness) — the uterine lining thickness on TVS. It changes through the cycle: about 4–8 mm early proliferative, 8–14 mm late follicular around ovulation, and 7–14 mm in the luteal phase. Adequate thickness (usually above 7–8 mm at ovulation) is linked to better implantation. (ET also stands for Embryo Transfer in IVF contexts — read it from the setting.)

BMI (Body Mass Index) — weight in kg divided by height in metres squared. WHO cut-offs are underweight (<18.5), normal (18.5–24.9), overweight (25–29.9) and obese (≥30). Indian/South Asian cut-offs are shifted lower because of higher cardiometabolic risk — overweight from BMI 23 and obesity from BMI 25. BMI affects fertility through ovulation, hormones and pregnancy risk; see preconception weight and BMI for Indian women.

BP (Blood Pressure) — systolic over diastolic in mmHg; normal is around 120/80. High BP in pregnancy is a major risk factor for preeclampsia, eclampsia and HELLP syndrome.

BG (Blood Glucose/blood sugar) — in mg/dL or mmol/L. Fasting BG: normal under 100, prediabetes 100–125, diabetes 126+. HbA1c reflects average sugar over 2–3 months: normal under 5.7%, prediabetes 5.7–6.4%, diabetes 6.5%+. Indian women have higher rates of gestational diabetes than international averages, partly from genetics and partly from refined-carbohydrate-heavy diets.

BMI, BP and BG form the basic preconception work-up at Indian fertility centres because all three affect both conception and pregnancy safety — and getting your body ready to conceive starts with optimising them.

Other anatomy terms: GS (Gestational Sac, the first visible pregnancy structure, from about 4.5–5 weeks), YS (Yolk Sac, from about 5.5 weeks), FHR (Fetal Heart Rate, typically 110–170 bpm in the first trimester), CRL (Crown-Rump Length, the standard early dating measurement) and AFV (Amniotic Fluid Volume, measured later in pregnancy).

These acronyms name the bodies that set standards, publish guidelines and regulate fertility practice in India and abroad.

ART Act 2021 — the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, India's law governing all fertility clinics, gamete banks and ART procedures (IVF, ICSI, IUI, egg/embryo freezing). It sets standards for lab accreditation, embryologist qualifications, consent, registration, age limits (women up to 50, men up to 55) and outcome reporting. Every Indian ART clinic must be registered with the National Registry of ART Clinics and Banks.

Surrogacy Act 2021 — the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, the companion law. Surrogacy is limited to married heterosexual Indian couples with specific medical indications; commercial surrogacy is banned and only altruistic surrogacy by a close relative is allowed. See surrogacy laws and process in India.

FOGSI — the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India, the apex body for OB-GYNs, with 35,000+ members across 250+ societies. It publishes clinical guidelines and position statements, and is the Indian counterpart to ACOG and RCOG.

ISAR — the Indian Society for Assisted Reproduction, the professional body for reproductive-medicine specialists practising ART; the Indian counterpart to ASRM and ESHRE.

ICMR — the Indian Council of Medical Research, the apex government body for biomedical research. It publishes guidelines on reproductive health, ART and infertility, and maintains the National Registry under the ART Act.

ASRM — the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, a major US body whose journals, guidelines and position statements are widely referenced in India.

ESHRE — the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, the European counterpart to ASRM, publisher of the journal Human Reproduction.

NICE — the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. NICE guideline NG73 (Fertility problems: assessment and treatment) is one of the most rigorously evidence-based fertility guidelines globally and is widely referenced in India.

ACOG — the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, whose women's-health, pregnancy and reproductive guidelines are referenced internationally.

AUA — the American Urological Association, which publishes male-infertility guidelines used in Indian andrology. See male factor infertility.

NABL — the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, India's accreditation body for diagnostic labs. NABL-accredited labs are the gold standard; major labs (SRL, Metropolis, Apollo Diagnostics, Thyrocare, Dr Lal PathLabs) are NABL accredited.

Male factor accounts for roughly 40% of Indian fertility problems, and it has its own vocabulary for tests, conditions and procedures.

SA (Semen Analysis) is the basic male fertility test (Rs 500–2,000 at NABL labs). It reports sperm concentration, motility, morphology, volume, pH and viscosity. WHO 2021 lower reference limits are: volume ≥1.4 mL, total count ≥39 million per ejaculate, concentration ≥16 million/mL, total motility ≥42%, progressive motility ≥30%, and normal morphology ≥4%. See our full guide to semen analysis in India.

OAT (Oligo-Astheno-Teratozoospermia) is the commonest abnormal pattern — low count, low motility and abnormal shape — graded mild, moderate or severe.

Other abnormal findings: Oligozoospermia (low count), Asthenozoospermia (low motility), Teratozoospermia (abnormal shape), Necrozoospermia (high proportion of dead sperm), Azoospermia (no sperm in the ejaculate), Cryptozoospermia (very few, found only after concentration) and Aspermia (no ejaculate).

AZF (Azoospermia Factor) is a region of the Y chromosome carrying genes essential for sperm production. AZF microdeletions are a genetic cause of severe oligozoospermia or azoospermia, and AZF testing is recommended when concentration is below 5 million/mL.

DFI (DNA Fragmentation Index) measures sperm DNA damage. A high DFI (commonly above 15–30% depending on the assay) is linked to reduced fertility, higher miscarriage risk and poorer IVF outcomes. Testing (Rs 5,000–15,000) is used selectively in unexplained infertility, recurrent loss or repeated IVF failure.

TESA (Testicular Sperm Aspiration) retrieves sperm from the testis with a fine needle under local or general anaesthesia, for ICSI when no ejaculated sperm is available (obstructive or severe non-obstructive azoospermia).

PESA (Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration) retrieves sperm from the epididymis instead, used in obstructive azoospermia where the testis makes sperm but the ducts are blocked.

micro-TESE (microsurgical Testicular Sperm Extraction) opens the testis and samples seminiferous tubules under an operating microscope, used in non-obstructive azoospermia with higher retrieval rates than conventional TESA. Cost: roughly Rs 75,000–2 lakh at specialist centres.

Severe male factor (OAT, very low count/motility, prior fertilisation failure) is typically treated with IVF plus ICSI rather than conventional IVF. AUA guidelines are widely referenced in Indian andrology for diagnosis and treatment standards.

Once pregnancy is confirmed, a fresh set of acronyms appears in obstetric care for dating, screening and monitoring.

GA (Gestational Age) is the duration of pregnancy from LMP, written as weeks+days (for example, 12+3 = 12 weeks 3 days). Full term is 37–42 weeks; preterm is before 37; post-term after 42.

GP (Gravida Para) is obstetric shorthand: G is total pregnancies including the current one; P is deliveries after 20 weeks. G2P1 means second pregnancy, one prior delivery. Longer formats add A (abortions/miscarriages) and L (living children) — so G3P1A1 means three pregnancies, one delivery, one miscarriage.

GTT (Glucose Tolerance Test) screens for gestational diabetes (GDM). The standard Indian test is a 75 g oral glucose load with fasting, 1-hour and 2-hour readings, usually at 24–28 weeks. Indian women have higher GDM rates than international averages.

NT (Nuchal Translucency) at 11–13 weeks is combined with the maternal blood markers PAPP-A and free beta-hCG (the "combined test") to estimate the risk of Down syndrome and other trisomies.

AFP (Alpha-Fetoprotein) is a second-trimester maternal blood marker for neural tube defects and chromosomal conditions, part of the "quad test" (with hCG, estriol and inhibin A) at 15–20 weeks.

PAPP-A (Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein A) is a placental protein measured at 11–13 weeks in first-trimester combined screening.

NIPT (Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing) analyses fetal DNA fragments in maternal blood to screen for Down, Edwards and Patau syndromes and sex-chromosome conditions. It is more accurate than the combined or quad tests and can be done from 10 weeks. Cost: roughly Rs 15,000–40,000 depending on the panel. See NIPT in India.

NST (Non-Stress Test) monitors the fetal heart rate for 20–40 minutes in late pregnancy to check wellbeing, usually weekly or twice-weekly in high-risk pregnancies from 32–34 weeks. See fetal monitoring in Indian pregnancy.

AFI (Amniotic Fluid Index) measures amniotic fluid on ultrasound; normal is about 5–24 cm, with values outside this suggesting oligohydramnios (low) or polyhydramnios (excess).

PROM (Premature Rupture Of Membranes) is when the sac breaks before labour; PPROM is the same before 37 weeks.

PIH (Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension) is high BP in pregnancy; with proteinuria it becomes preeclampsia, which can progress to eclampsia (seizures) or HELLP syndrome (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, Low Platelets).

Other terms: MTP (Medical Termination of Pregnancy, regulated under the MTP Act 1971 with its 2021 amendment), MROP (Manual Removal Of Placenta) and IUFD (Intra-Uterine Fetal Death).

TTC communities — Reddit's r/TryingForABaby, Indian TTC Facebook groups and clinic WhatsApp groups — have their own shorthand. These are not medical terms but appear constantly in peer chat.

TTC (Trying To Conceive) is the core acronym. TTC#1 means trying for a first baby; TTC#2 for a second (sometimes implying secondary infertility — see secondary infertility in India).

BFP (Big Fat Positive) is an enthusiastic positive test; BFN (Big Fat Negative) is the opposite, often with implied disappointment.

AF (Aunt Flo) is the period. "AF arrived" means it started — usually disappointing in a TTC context.

BD (Baby Dance) is timed intercourse. "BD every other day" is a common fertile-window strategy.

POAS (Pee On A Stick) means taking a home pregnancy test; a "POAS-aholic" tests compulsively in the TWW. For the science, see how home pregnancy tests work.

CB (Cycle Buddy) is someone on the same cycle as you, sharing daily updates and support.

DH (Dear Husband) refers to the male partner; variants are DP (Dear Partner) and SO (Significant Other).

MIL (Mother-In-Law) appears often in Indian TTC posts because of the cultural weight of family expectations — usually in venting threads.

FX / FXed (Fingers Crossed) expresses hope; PUPO (Pregnant Until Proven Otherwise) is a coping phrase used between embryo transfer and the test.

Several clinical acronyms double as community ones: DPO (Days Past Ovulation), OPK (Ovulation Predictor Kit), HPT (Home Pregnancy Test) and EWCM (Egg-White Cervical Mucus).

Other community terms: NTNP (Not Trying Not Preventing), WTT (Waiting To Try), BCP (Birth Control Pill), IUD (IntraUterine Device), and IVF-specific ones such as ER (Egg Retrieval), ET (Embryo Transfer — distinct from Endometrial Thickness) and BETA (the post-IVF beta-hCG test).

Learning the community vocabulary is genuinely useful, because peer support is one of the more evidence-based ways to carry the emotional load of TTC. Indian peer communities include r/TryingForABaby (with active Indian members), Indian TTC and IVF Facebook groups, the iCall and Vandrevala Foundation peer-support lines, and clinic-organised WhatsApp groups.

Acronyms help you read reports, but some situations need a specialist rather than a glossary. Book a fertility or OB-GYN consultation if any of the following apply.

• You are under 35 and have been trying to conceive for 12 months without success, or 35 or older and have been trying for 6 months — the standard thresholds for an infertility work-up. If no cause is found, our guide to the unexplained infertility work-up explains the next steps.
• Your cycles are irregular, very long, very short or absent, which can signal ovulation problems such as PCOS, thyroid disease or high prolactin.
• You have had two or more miscarriages, which warrants a recurrent-loss work-up.
• A semen analysis is abnormal, or there is known male-factor history.
• You have a history of pelvic infection, endometriosis, pelvic surgery or a known tubal problem — endometriosis and infertility often need earlier specialist input.
• You are considering preserving fertility for the future (for example before cancer treatment or for age-related reasons) and want to discuss egg freezing.

• WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen, 6th edition (2021)
• NICE Guideline NG73: Fertility problems — assessment and treatment
• The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 — Government of India
• ESHRE Guideline: Management of women with premature ovarian insufficiency
• ACOG: Evaluating Infertility (Frequently Asked Questions)
• Rotterdam ESHRE/ASRM-Sponsored PCOS Consensus Workshop Group — diagnostic criteria02888-3/fulltext)