YOUR ANTENATAL CARE

Understanding your notes

The following list will help you understand the abbreviations in your notes:

Alb
Albumin
The protein that may be present in your urine

Br
Breech
Baby lying bottom-down

C
Ceph
Cephalic
Baby lying head-down

E
Eng
Engaged
Baby's head has moved into the pelvis

EDD
Estimated date of delivery

F
Felt (movements)

Fe
Iron
You've been prescribed iron

FHH
Fetal heart heard
Your carer has heard baby's heart beating.

FHNH
Fetal heart not heard
Your carer hasn't heard baby's heart beating yet

FMF
Fetal movements felt
Carer has felt baby's movements

FMNF
Fetal movements not felt
Carer hasn't felt baby's movements

H
Baby's heart heard

LMP
Last menstrual period
First day of your last period

LOA
Left occipito-anterior
Baby's lying head-down on your left side facing your back

LOP
Left occipito-posterior
Baby's lying head-down on your left side facing your front

NAD
No abnormality detected
Normal

NE
N Eng
Not Eng
Not engaged
Baby's head hasn't yet moved into your pelvis

NH
Not heard

NF
Not felt

Nil
None found/normal

NW
Not weighed

OA
Occipito-anterior
Baby's lying head-down facing your back

Oed
Oedema (swelling)

OP
Occipito-posterior
Baby's lying head-down facing your front

Para 0
Parity (having given birth)
No previous births

Para 1, 2, 3 (etc.) + 1
Parity
1, 2 or 3 (etc) previous births
(The number after the + refers to pregnancies not ending in a live birth.)

POP
Persistent occipito-posterior
Baby has remained head-down facing your front throughout the labour

Prot
Protein

ROA
Right occipito-anterior
Baby's lying head-down on your right side facing your back

ROP
Right occipito-posterior
Baby's lying head-down on your right side facing your front

Tr
Trace

Transverse
Baby lying sideways

Vx
Vertex
Baby lying head-down

+,++,+++
Indication of amount found (more + signs = more found)

1/5, 2/5, 3/5, 4/5
Indication of how far baby's head has moved into the pelvis. 2/5 can mean two-fifths of head is above the pelvis or two-fifths has moved into the pelvis.