If you’ve been in the fertility awareness community for any amount of time, you’ve probably come across some acronyms:
- NFP
- FAM
- FEMM
- STM
- LH
- BBT
- CM
- TTA / TTC / TTW
The list goes on and on!
Well, today I’m going to break down what each of these acronyms mean :)
*IMAGE*
NFP = Natural Family Planning
NFP/ Natural Family Planning is an umbrella term for natural family planning methods, such as Billings, FEMM, Creighton, Marquette, etc.
NFP requires the couple to chart the woman’s fertile signs so they can know if she is fertile or not that day. These fertile signs vary depending on the method, but the most popular fertile signs are basal body temperature, cervical mucus, and hormone testing.
This is the only form of family planning permitted by the Catholic Church, but many non-Catholics also use NFP.
FAM = Fertility Awareness Method
You might also see FA (fertility awareness) or FABM (fertility awareness-based method).
FAM and NFP are often used interchangeably, since fertility awareness based-methods are Billings, Creighton, etc.
Some FAM instructors are okay with their clients using barrier methods during the woman’s fertile window. Other FAM instructors encourage abstinence-only.
FEMM = Fertility Education and Medical Management
FEMM is a type of NFP/FAM that involves the woman charting her cervical mucus and LH testing. There is a large focus on learning how hormones work in the body and how to use your cycle patterns to identify potential health issues.
FEMM also has a family planning protocol.
This is the type of FAM that I am going to teach eventually :) I’m currently working with practice clients and my goal is to be certified by March!
STM = Symptothermal Method
This is a method of fertility awareness that tracks basal body temperature and cervical mucus.
Common STMs are Sensiplan and Taking Charge of Your Fertility. You can also learn it from The Couple to Couple League.
LH = Luteinizing Hormone
FEMM, as well as some other FAMBs, involves LH testing.
LH is the hormone that triggers ovulation once a month.
BBT = Basal Body Temperature
This is your temperature reading first thing in the morning.
Your BBT rises after ovulation, so it can be a good fertility sign to track to confirm ovulation has occured.
*Important note: BBT cannot be used to predict ovulation
CM = Cervical Mucus
Cervical mucus is stimulated by the hormone estrogen as your body approaches ovulation. This is a fertility sign that nearly all FAMs track.
TTA / TTC / TTW = Trying to Avoid / Trying to Conceive / Trying to Whatever
These are common terms in the NFP community. Women use these terms to describe their family planning goals.
Here is a helpful breakdown of the levels of TTA/ TTC.
I hope this was helpful for you as you continue to learn about NFP!
If there is an acronym you’ve seen that I didn’t cover in this post, please comment it below so I can add it! :)
Also- f you would like to learn more about what charting your cycle is, read this post. If you want to know WHY it’s good to chart your cycle, read this!
I share helpful tidbits about charting over on Instagram, so be sure to follow me @kara_beth17 if that sounds interesting to you.
