(IN PROGRESS - feel free to edit/add to this!)

When you first start midwifery training, it can feel as though you need to learn a whole new language. Listed below are some of the more common abbreviations you may see or hear on placement. Some of the terms are in brown - click on these if you want to go to the glossary description.


AF - Artificial Feed
ANC - Antenatal Clinic
ANP - Advanced Neonatal Practitioner
APH - Antepartum Haemorrhage
ARM - Artificial Rupture of Membranes
BAT - Brown Adipose Tissue
BBA - Born before Arrival
BCP - Biochemical profile
BD - Twice Daily
BF - Breast Feeding
BFI - Baby Friendly Initiative
BMI - Body Mass Index
BNO - Bowels Not Open
BO - Had Bowels Open
BP - Blood Pressure
BPM – Beats per minute
CCT - Controlled Cord Traction
CEMACH - Confidential Enquiry into Materal and Child Health
CESDI - Confidential Enquiry into Stillbirth and Deaths in Infancy
CSU - Catheter Specimen of Urine
CTG - Cardiotocograph
CS - Caesarean Section
C and S - Culture and Specimen
CVS - Chorionic Villus Sampling
CX - Cervix
D & C - Dilatation and Curettage
D & V - Diarrhoea and Vommiting
DIC - Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
DNA - Did Not Attend
DTA - Deep Transverse Arrest
DVT - Deep Vein Thrombosis
EBM - Expressd Breast Milk
ECV - External Cephalic Version
EDD - Estimated Date of Delivery
EFM – Electronic fetal monitoring
EFW - Estimated Fetal Weight
Epis - episiotomy
EMLSCS - Emergency Lower Segment Caesarean Section
ERPC - Evacuation of Retained Products of Conception
FAS - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
FBC - Full Blood Count
FBS - Fetal Blood Sample
FE – Iron
FGM – Female genital mutilation
FHR - Fetal Heart Rate
FHHR - Fetal Heart Heard Regular
FMF - Fetal Movements Felt
FSE - Fetal Scalp Electrode
GA – General anaesthtic
G and S - Group and Save
GBS - Group B Streptococcus
GI - Gastro-intestinal
GTT - Glucose Tolerance Test
HAI - Hospital Acquired Infection
HB - Haemoglobin
HBAC - Home Birth After Caesarean
HFFD - Haigh Ferguson Forceps Delivery
HELLP - Haemolysis, Elevated Liver Proteins and Low Platelets
HR - Heart Rate
HPV - Human Papilloma Virus
HVS - High Vaginal Swab
HSE - Health and Safety Executive
HSV - Herpes Simplex Virus
HX - History of...
I/P - Intrapartum
IOL - Induction of Labour
IM – Intramuscular
IU – International units
IUD - Intrauterine Device
IUD - Intrauterine Death
IUGR - Intrauterine Growth Retardation
IV - Intravenous
IVF - In vitro fertilisation
IVI - Intravenous infusion
KFD - Kielland Forceps Delivery
KSF - Knowledge Skills Framework
LBW - Low Birth Weight
LFD - Light for Dates
LFT - Liver Function Test
LMP - Last Menstrual Period
LOA - Left Occipto-Anterior
LOL - Left Occipito-Lateral
LOP - Left Occipito-Posterior
LOT - Left Occipito-Transverse
LSCS - Lower Segment Caesarean Section
LVS - low vaginal swab
MAP – Mean arterial pressure
MDT - Multi-Disciplinary Team
MEC - Meconium
MOT - Medical Obstetric Team
MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging
MSSU - Mid-Stream Specimen of Urine
MSU - Mid-Stream Urine
NAD - Nothing Abnormal Detected
NAS - Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
NB - Normal Birth
NBFD - Neville Barnes Forceps Delivery
ND - Normal Delivery
NEC – Necrotizing enterocolitis
NICU - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
NICE - National Institute of Clinical Excellence
NIEL - Not In Established Labour
NIDDM - Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
NND - Neonatal Death
NNU - Neonatal Unit
NMC - Nursing and Midwifery Council
NSAID - Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug
NSF - National Service Framework
O/E - On Examination
ODA - Operating Department Assistant
ODP - Operating Department Practitioner
OP - Occipito Posterior position - see position
O/P - On Palpation - often written this way by the docs!
P - Pulse
P/A - Par Abdomen (sometimes seen before documenting palpation)
PCT - Primary Care Trust
P/S - Per Speculum
PCA - Patient Controlled Analgesia
PE - Pulmonary Embolus
PIH - Pregnancy Induced Hypertension
PGD - Patient Group Directive
PKU - Phenylketonuria
PN - Postnatal
PO - Orally
PPH - Postpartum Haemorrhage
PP - Presenting Part
PPROM - Prelabour Premature Rupture of Membranes
PR - Per Rectum
PRN - As required
PROM - Premature Rupture of Membranes
PU - Pass Urine
PV - Per Vaginum
QDS - Four Times Daily
RDS - Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Rh - Rhesus factor
ROA - Right Occipito-Anterior
ROL - Right Occipito-Lateral
ROP - Right Occipito-Posterior
ROT - Right Occipito-Transverse
SB - Still Birth
SBR - Serum Bilirubin
SC - Subcutaneous
SCBU - Special Care Baby Unit
SFD - Small for Dates
SGA - Small for Gestational Age
SHO - Senior House Officer
SIDS - Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
SIGN - Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network
SOB- Sub Occipto-Bregmatic
SOB - Shortness of Breath
SPD - Symphysis Pubis Disorder
SROM - Spontaneous Rupture of Membranes
STD - Sexually Transmitted Disease
STI - Sexually Transmitted Infection
STS - Skin To Skin
SVD - Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery
TCI - To Come In
TDS - Three times daily
TEDs – Thromboembolic deterrent stockings
TTO - To take out (medications)
U and E - Urea and Electrolytes
USS - Ultrasound Scan
UTI - Urinary Tract Infection
VBAC - Vaginal Birth After Caesarean
VE - Vaginal Examination. Would be more correctly written epv (examination per vaginam) as you are examining via the vagina, not examining the vagina itself!