multipara

Multipara, in obstetrics, denotes a woman who has completed two or more pregnancies that reach viability and culminate in birth. It is part of a parity-based terminology used to summarize a patient’s obstetric history. Other terms include nullipara (no births beyond viability) and primipara (one birth). When a woman has five or more pregnancies reaching viability, she is often described as a grand multipara. Some sources use four or more births for grand multipara, but five or more is the more widely used threshold; regional differences may apply.

Parity is distinct from gravidity, which counts all pregnancies, regardless of outcome. For example, a woman who has had two prior births is a multipara, while her gravidity would include those pregnancies plus any miscarriages or abortions.

In clinical practice, parity history helps assess obstetric risk and guide management during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Multiparity may influence expected labor patterns, likelihood of cesarean delivery, and monitoring plans. The term para or para­ous is commonly used in medical records to provide a concise summary of a patient’s prior births.