You. Your Pregnancy. Your Baby.

Understanding your medical notes

Like any industry, the world of medicine uses many abbreviations for speed and clarity. But these can be confusing to a pregnant mother trying to understand her medical notes.

Medical notes are filled with abbreviations that help medical professionals quickly understand a patient's status. Many mothers find their notes difficult to understand and intimidating. But these abbreviations can also help you better understand your pregnancy. These abbreviations have been sorted into three categories: pregnancy abbreviations, labor and delivery abbreviations and general medical abbreviations.

Pregnancy abbreviations: A-E | F-G | H-I | J-O | P-Z
  • 18+5: length of pregnancy (18 weeks & 5 days)
  • AB: abortion
  • AGA: appropriate gestational age
  • amnio: amniocentesis
  • AP: antepartum
  • CBC: complete blood count
  • Cerv.: cervix, cervical
  • CMV: cytomegalovirus
  • cnst: constipation
  • D&C: dilation & curettage
  • D&E: dilation & evacuation
  • DIU: death in utero
  • DUB: dysfunctional uterine bleeding
  • Ed: edema
  • EDD/EDC: estimated due date / estimated date of confinement
  • EGA: estimated gestational age
  • Fe def.: iron deficiency
  • FEKG: fetal electrocardiogram
  • fh: fundal height
  • FH: fetal heart
  • FHH/NH: fetal heart heard / not heard
  • FHR: fetal heart rate
  • FMF: fetal movements felt
  • FUB: functional uterine bleeding
  • FW: fetal weight
  • G: gravida, or pregnant
  • gest: gestation
  • GMA: grand mal attack
  • Grav: gravida, or pregnant
  • GTT: glucose tolerance test
  • GYN: gynecology
  • Hb, Hgb: hemoglobin
  • HBP: high blood pressure
  • Hct: hematocrit
  • IDDM: insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
  • Inc. AB: incomplete abortion
  • Inev. AB: inevitable abortion
  • IUCP: intrauterine contraceptive device
  • IUFD: intrauterine fetal death
  • IUGR: intrauterine growth retardation
  • IUP: intrauterine pregnancy
  • IUTP: intrauterine term pregnancy
  • LBP: lower back pain
  • LGA: large for gestational age
  • LH: luteinizing hormone
  • LMP: last menstrual period
  • LNMP: last normal menstrual period
  • MH: marital history
  • MSU: midstream urine sample
  • NAD: no apparent distress
  • NIDDM: non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
  • NSA: no significant abnormality
  • N&V: nausea and vomiting
  • NVD: nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
  • OB, OBG: obstetrics
  • OB/GYN: obstetrics and gynecology
  • OV: office visit
  • Para: Prior births (para0 = no prior births, para1 = 1 prior birth, etc)
  • PET: preeclamptic toxemia
  • PFC: persistent fetal circulation
  • plac: placenta
  • plts: platelets
  • PM: petit mal seizure
  • PMH: past medical history
  • primip: primipara (first time pregnancy)
  • PU: pregnancy urine
  • sono: sonogram (ultrasound)
  • TAB: therapeutic abortion
  • US, u/s: ultrasound
  • ut: uterus, uterine
  • UTI: urinary tract infection
  • VE: vaginal examination
  • VIPS: voluntary interruption of pregnancy and sterilization service
  • vit: vitamin
  • VN: visiting nurse

Labor abbreviations: A-C | D-G | H-K | L-O | P-Z
  • 1/5 - 5/5: indicated extent of head engagement
  • AROM: artificial rupture of membranes
  • Br: breech presentation
  • BW: birth weight
  • CB: cesarean birth
  • cont: contractions
  • Ceph: cephalic presentation (baby is head down)
  • CPD: cephalopelvic disproportion
  • C/S, cs: cesarean section
  • DR: delivery room
  • ELF: elective low forceps
  • Eng/E: engaged (the baby's head has dropped into the pelvis
  • Epis: episiotomy
  • Epis. LML: left mediolateral episiotomy
  • Epis. Med: medial episiotomy
  • Epis. RML: right mediolateral episiotomy
  • FD: fully dilated
  • FHR-UC: fetal heart rate uterine contraction
  • FHT: fetal heart tones
  • FTD: failure to descend
  • FT: full term
  • FTND: full term normal delivery
  • GA: general anesthesia
  • L&D: labor and delivery
  • LBW: low birth weight
  • LOA: left occipital anterior (back of baby's head is forward on your left)
  • LOL: left occipital longitudinal lie (baby is lying sideways with the head on your left)
  • LOP: left occipital posterior (back of baby's head is backwards on your left)
  • LR: labor room
  • LSCS: lower segment cesarean section
  • NB: newborn
  • NE: not engaged
  • NIC: neonatal intensive care
  • NICU: neonatal intensive care unit
  • Pit: pitocin (a synthetic oxytocin used to stimulate contractions)
  • PP: presenting part
  • ROA: right occcipital anterior (back of baby's head is forward on your right)
  • ROL: right occipital longitudinal lie (baby is lying sideways with the head on your right)
  • ROP: right occipital posterior (back of baby's head is backwards on your right)
  • RUC: regular uterine contraction
  • SB: stillborn
  • TBLC: term birth living child
  • UC: uterine contractions
  • VTX, Vx: vertex presentation

General medical abbreviations
  • alb: albumin
  • ab: antibody
  • A&W: alive and well
  • bas: basal
  • bili: bilirubin
  • BOW: bag of water
  • BR: bedrest or bathroom
  • IUC: intrauterine catheter
  • N&W: normal and well
  • NBS: normal bowel sounds or normal breath sounds
  • NED: no evidence of disease
  • NI: no insurance
  • NKA: no known allergies
  • TCA: to come again
  • TCDB: turn, cough, deep breathe
  • UCD, UCHD: usual childhood diseases


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