Demystifying NFP Jargon Part 2

There are so many NFP terms that I have decided to create a part 2 to explain more NFP jargon. Let's jump in!

CM - cervical mucus. This is the biomarker that the Creighton Model tracks to determine what days are fertile and infertile using particular instructions. You can learn more about cervical mucus here.

STM - symptothermal method. This is a method of Natural Family Planning that tracks temperature, cervical mucus, and other signs of fertility. There are various methods that fall under this category. You can learn more about different methods of NFP here.

BBT - basal body temperature. Taking your temperature first thing in the morning after waking up is part of some methods of NFP. A special basal body thermometer is needed to take this temperature. Devices such as the tempdrop can making taking this temperature easier.

DPO - days past ovulation. This one is fairly self-explanatory once you know what the acronym stands for. It is often used to determine when women can take a pregnancy test. It can also allow women to know when their period is about to start, since the number of days after ovulation stays stable for a particular woman.

I - intercourse. This abbreviation is used in the Creighton Model System and other methods of NFP to record what days have been used for intercourse on the chart.

LMP - last menstrual period. Another fairly self-explanatory one once you break it down. It is often used to determine the due date for a pregnancy, but it is more accurate to use the date of ovulation or an early ultrasound to date a pregnancy. The length of the pre-ovulatory phase is variable, so ovulation doesn't occur on the same day in each cycle. Dating a pregnancy using the LMP assumes that ovulation occurred on day 14.

BF - breastfeeding. Exclusively breastfeeding (EBF) can suppress ovulation for a certain period of time, so charting during this time will look different than charting during regular cycles. You can learn more about breastfeeding and charting with the Creighton Model System here.

I hope this list of terms can help you navigate the world of NFP. If you want to learn more about the Creighton Model System, you can contact one of our practitioners.