Common Abbreviations for Charting To Avoid Fertility Awareness

Have you come across abbreviations in the community forums that you don't understand? Well, this list should help explain a few things!

AF: Aunt Flo, menses, your period
BBT: basal body temperature

BOM: Billings Ovulation Method (see resources)

BOMA: Billings Ovulation Method Association (see resources)
BC: birth control
BIP: basic infertile pattern

BFP: Bold Face Positive/Big Fat Positive (pregnancy test)

BFN: Bold Face Negative/Big Fat Negative (pregnancy test)

CBFM: Cearblue Fertility Monitor

CCL: Couple to Couple League (NFP teaching organization, see resources)
CD: cycle day
CF: cervical fluid (same as CM)
CHs: crosshairs (intersection of coverline and ovulation)
CL: coverline
CM: cervical mucus (same as CF)
CO: cervical opening
CP: cervical position

CrMS: Creighton Model (FertilityCare) System (see resources)
CTA: charting to avoid
CTW: charting to "whatever" (not avoiding, not preventing)
DPO: days past ovulation
DTD: do the deed (sex)
EWCM: eggwhite cervical mucus/fluid
FAM: fertility awareness method
FF: Fertility Friend (website, see resources)
HBC: hormonal birth control
HTL: high temp level (0.4°F above LTL, temp rise needed to indicate O)
LAM: lactational amenorrhea method (breastfeeding as birth control)
LP: luteal phase (between ovulation and menses, average 10-16 days)
LTL: low temp level (highest of the 6 temps immediately before temp rise)

MM: Marquette Method (see resources)
NFP: natural family planning

NFPI: NFP International (NFP/Ecological Breastfeeding teaching organization, see resources)
O: ovulation

OPK: Ovulation Prediction Kit (same as OPT)

OPT: Ovulation Prediction Test (same as OPK)
SHOW: soft, high, open, wet (characteristics of the cervix near ovulation)
SR: seminal residue

STM: Sympto-Thermal Method
TCOYF: Taking Charge of Your Fertility (book and website, see resources)
TTA: trying to avoid

TTC: trying to conceive
TTW: trying to whatever

Related Wiki Resources:

Other Common Abbreviations - Can't find what you're looking for here?  Here's a list of almost every abbreviation used on MDC!

Reasons to Choose Natural Family Planning - Why would you want to use charting to plan your family, anyway?  Feel free to add your own reasons for charting!

Types of Natural Family Planning - It's not just the rhythm method.  They've got this down to a science with options galore!

NFP or FAM Methods While Breastfeeding - You have options in the postpartum period while your fertility is returning!

Resources For Learning About Fertility Cycles - Find books to read or websites to visit, find an instructor, post your chart online, and learn about how your diet affects your fertility.

Fertility Awareness Method - A quick-start guide to the Fertility Awareness, a version of the Sympto-Thermal Method taught by Toni Weschler in her book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility.