'OMG...WTF?'

'OMG...WTF?'

April 19, 2023

The maternity system loves a good acronym! 

It can be hard to know what they all stand for, so here’s a list of some of the acronyms that you might find in your pregnancy and birth notes.  If you are unsure what they mean or how they apply to you, please ask your midwife or care provider to explain in further detail.

A/F

Artificial feeding

AN

Antenatal (Latin for ‘before baby’)

AROM

Artificial rupture of membranes

BF

Breast feeding

BM

Breast milk

BNO

Bowels not opened

BO

Bowels opened

BP

Blood pressure

Bpm

Beats per minute.

Br

Breech

BW

Birth weight

CCT

Controlled cord traction

Ceph

Cephalic

Cont/Ctx

Contraction/s

CRL

Crown rump length

CTG

Cardiotocograph

Cx/Cvx

Cervix

DOB

Date of birth

D/W

Discussed with

EBF

Exclusively breast feeding

EBL

Estimated blood loss

EBM

Expressed breast milk

ECV

External cephalic version

EDD

Estimated date of delivery

ELSCS

Elective lower segment caesarean section

EMLSCS

Emergency lower segment caesarean section

FBC

Full blood count

FF

Formula feeding

FHH

Fetal heart heard

FHR

Fetal heart rate

FHT

Fetal heart tones

FM

Fetal movements

GBS

Group B strep

GDM

Gestational diabetes mellitus

GTT

Glucose tolerance test

HBAC

Home birth after caesarean

HC

Head circumference

H/o

History of

HNPmec

Has not passed meconium

HNPU

Has not passed urine

HPmec

Has passed meconium

HPU

Has passed urine

HR

Heart rate

Hx

History

IBCLC

Internationally board certified lactation consultant

IM

Intramuscular

IOL

Induction of labour

IUGR

Intrauterine growth restriction

IUP

Intrauterine pregnancy

IV

Intravenous

LBW

Low birth weight

LC

Lactation consultant

LMC

Lead maternity carer

LMP

Last menstrual period

LOA

Left occiput anterior

LOP

Left occiput posterior

LOT

Left occiput transverse

MEC

Meconium

MP

Maternal pulse

MSU

Midstream specimen of urine

MW

Midwife

NAD

Nothing abnormal detected

NIEL

Not in established labour

NNU

Neonatal unit

NVB/D

Normal vaginal birth / delivery

N20

Nitrous oxide / Entonox

OA

Occipito anterior

OB

Obstetrician

OBGYN

Obstetric gynaecologist 

Obs

Observations

O/E

On examination

OP

Occipito Posterior

OT

Occipito transverse

PG

Pregnant / pregnancy

PMH

Previous medical history

PN

Post-natal

PND

Postnatal depression

PP

Presenting part

PPH

Postpartum haemorrhage

PROM

Prelabour rupture of membranes

PPROM

Premature prelabour rupture of membranes

PU

Passed urine

PV

Per vaginum / Per vagina

Rh

Rhesus

RM

Registered midwife

ROA

Right occiput anterior

ROM

Rupture of membranes

ROP

Right occiput posterior

ROT

Right occiput transverse

RR

Respiratory rate

SROM

Spontaneous rupture of membranes

SCBU

Special care baby unit

SFD

Small for dates

SGA

Small for gestational age

Stat

Straight away

St MW

Student midwife

SVB/D

Spontaneous vaginal birth / delivery

TENS

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

TOC

Transfer of care

TTC

Trying to conceive 

US

Ultrasound 

USS

Ultrasound scan

VB

Vaginal birth

VBAC

Vaginal birth after caesarean

VE

Vaginal examination

WNL

Within normal limits

W/ C

Well contracted