Tour of Internet Darknets: Parenting Forums

If you thought geek speech was difficult to decipher on IRC, here’s an incomplete list of apparently common acronyms used on the subculture darknet referred to more ominously as “parenting forums”:

  • AB - after baby
  • AC - assisted conception
  • ACC - all crossables crossed (good luck)
  • AF - Aunt Flo or Aunt Fran (menstruation)
  • AFAIK - as far as I know
  • AFK - away from keyboard
  • AI - artificial insemination
  • AP - attachment parenting
  • ATTY - a thousand thank you’s
  • BBL - be back later
  • BBS - be back soon
  • BCPS - birth control pills
  • BD - baby dance (intercourse)
  • BF - breastfeed(fed) or boyfriend
  • BFing - breastfeeding
  • BFP/BFN - big fat positive/negative (pregnancy test)
  • BIL - brother-in-law
  • BK - before kids
  • BM - breast milk or bowel movement
  • BMS - baby making sex
  • BOF - birds of a feather
  • BRB - be right back
  • BTDT - been there, done that
  • BTW - by the way
  • BW - baby wearing
  • CC - controlled crying
  • CD - cloth diaper(ing) or cycle day
  • CIO - cry it out
  • CIRC - circumcision
  • CNM - certified nurse midwife
  • CS or C/S - cesarean section
  • CTS - consider the source
  • CWIM - see what I mean
  • DC - daycare
  • DD - dear daughter
  • DF - dear fiance
  • DH - dear husband
  • DS - dear son
  • DSD - dear step-daughter
  • DSS - dear step-son
  • DW - dear wife
  • EBF - extended breastfeeding
  • EBM - expressed breast milk
  • EDD - estimated due date or expected date of delivery
  • EP - ectopic pregnancy
  • EPO - evening primrose oil (used to help induce labor)
  • ETA - edited to add
  • FB - family bed
  • FC - fingers crossed
  • FF - formula feeding
  • FTR - for the record
  • FWIW - for what it’s worth
  • H&H9 - happy and healthy nine months (congratulations on your pregnancy)
  • HMOC - holy mother of cheese (oh my gosh)
  • HPT - home pregnancy test
  • HS - homeschool
  • HTH - hope that helps
  • IAE - in any event
  • IDK - I don’t know
  • IF - infertility
  • IME - in my experience
  • IMHO - in my humble opinion
  • IMNSHO - in my not so humble opinion
  • IMO - in my opinion
  • IOW - in other words
  • IRL - in real life
  • ITA - I totally agree
  • IUI - intrauterine insemination (artificial insemination)
  • IVF - in-vitro fertilization
  • JFTR - just for the record
  • JJ or J/J - just joking
  • JK or J/K - just kidding
  • JM2C - just my two cents
  • JMHO - just my humble (or honest) opinion
  • KWIM - know what I mean
  • L&D - labor & delivery
  • LO - little one or love olympics (intercourse)
  • LOK - lots of kids
  • LOL - laugh out loud
  • MC or M/C - miscarriage
  • MIL - mother in-law
  • ML - maternity leave
  • MO - month old
  • M/S - morning sickness
  • MW - midwife
  • NAK - nursing at keyboard
  • NFP - natural family planning
  • NMS - not my style
  • NMSAA - not my style at all
  • NP - no problem or nurse practitioner
  • OMG - oh my gosh
  • OP - original poster
  • OPK - ovulation predictor kit
  • OR - original responder
  • OT - off topic
  • OTOH - on the other hand
  • PED - pediatrician
  • PG - pregnant
  • PIAC - pee in a cup (pregnancy test)
  • PM - private message
  • POAS - pee on a stick (pregnancy test)
  • POV - point of view
  • PP - previous poster
  • PPD - postpartum depression
  • PTL - pre-term labor
  • RFLMBO - rolling on floor, laughing my butt off (sometimes “A” is used in place of “B” - easy to draw the obvious conclusion there)
  • ROBI - Robitussin
  • ROFL - rolling on floor, laughing
  • RPL - recurrent pregnancy loss
  • RSA - recurrent spontaneous abortion
  • SAHM/SAHD - stay-at-home mom/stay-at-home dad
  • SAHP - stay-at-home parent
  • S/B - still birth
  • SBV - sticky baby vibes (good wishes that a newly discovered pregnancy will last resulting in a healthy delivery)
  • SIL - sister-in-Law
  • SO - significant other
  • TIA - thanks in advance
  • TMI - too much information
  • TTC - trying to conceive
  • TTYS - talk to ya soon
  • TY - thank you
  • U/S - ultra sound
  • VAX - vaccination(s)
  • VBAC - vaginal birth after cesarean
  • WAH - work at home
  • WAHM/WAHD - work-at-home mom/work-at-home dad
  • WAHP - work-at-home parent
  • WOH - work out of home
  • WOHM/WOHD - work-out-of-home mom/work-out-of-home dad
  • WOHP - work-out-of-home parent
  • WTG - way to go
  • YO - year old
  • YW - you’re welcome