Some Infertility Terms

Some Infertility Terms

• 2ww - Two Week Wait, two weeks between ovulation and taking a pregnancy test
• A.R.T. - Assisted Reproductive Technologies
• b/w - blood work
• BCP - birth control pills
• beta - blood pregnancy test
• BFN - Big Fat Negative (negative pregnancy test)
• BFP - Big Fat Positive (positive pregnancy test)
• ER - Egg Retrieval, removal of eggs from the ovaries. A needle is inserted into each follicle individually to drain fluid and extract the eggs
• ET - Embryo Transfer, putting the fertilized eggs (embryos or blastocysts depending on the day of transfer) back into the uterus
• ICSI - Intercytoplasmic Sperm Injection: The embryologist fertilizes each egg individually by injecting one sperm into each egg, bypassing "natural" fertilization
• IUI - Intrauterine Insemination otherwise known as artificial insemination
• IVF - In Vitro Fertilization
• Lupron - suppression medicine used to stop homone production from the pitutary gland, prevents follicles from forming on the ovaries until necessary, and prevents ovulation until the desired time
• OHSS - Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome; Potential side effect of stimulating the ovaries, fluid builds up in the abdomen causing breathing difficulty, fever, sudden weight gain. Can be life threatening if not treated.
• PCOS - Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
• PIO - Progesterone in Oil, big OUCHIE shot given in the butt after the embryo transfer until around the 10th week of pregnancy (we hope!)
• RE - Reproductive Endocrinologist (fertility doctor)
• stims - drugs used to encourage the production of many follicles and eggs
• Trigger - hCG injecting given to force ovulation
• TTC - Trying to Conceive
• u/s - ultrasound