Has the definition of Para changed over the years?

[Bonny619]

I'm a nursing student and we are learning Para as the number of pregnancies a woman has completed past 20 weeks, regardless of whether the infant is born alive or dead. Refers to the number of pregnancies, not fetuses.

So, my mom was a post partum nurse in the 80's and she said they were not using para that way. She said even the doctors didn't, she said they used para as number of living children.

Any ideas on this?

[km5v6r, EdD, RN]

I graduated in 1984 and OB was my last clinical rotation. My "follow through" mom was a P3G0. Three pregnancies, no live births up to that point. Thankfully she became a P3G1. Funny how I still remember the details about Baby Julie's birth after all these years. The definition hasn't changed.

[Bonny619]

Ok, but that doesn't make sense either. We are learning Gravida as the number of times a woman has been pregnant, regardless of duration or outcome.

[NurseNora, BSN, RN]

For the 37 years I have been an OB nurse, para has been defined as the number of pregnancies carried to 20 weeks or more. There have always been people who wanted it to be babies born (twins counting as 2 births rather than as one pregnancy carried past 20 weeks), but a search of the literature showed them the proper defination.

Now, many places are using the more complete TPAL for para. That is term, premature, abortions, living. G2 P0 1 0 2 for second pregnancy with surviving premature twins. Complicated situations still will need a written description, but this system does give more information than the simple GP.

[Bonny619]

Thanks for the input!

[km5v6r, EdD, RN]

Ok, but that doesn't make sense either. We are learning Gravida as the number of times a woman has been pregnant, regardless of duration or outcome.

Sorry I wasn't more clear. This Mom was a G3P0 when I met her. She had been pregnant twice before for a total of 3 pregnancies. The first 2 pregnancies ended in still births after 20 weeks so she remained a P0. She left the hospital a G3P1 after Baby Julie was born living. It was the last pregnancy that I came into contact with the Mom and remembered.

[km5v6r, EdD, RN]

Ok I also looked at my original reply and realized my dyslexia was showing. I ment to write my follow through Mom was a G3 P0. Nothing like totally screwing everything up.

[Bonny619]

lol, it's ok!

[twinner]

Hi.

If Baby Julie's mom went past 20 weeks with the other 2 pregnancies, she is a G3P3, one living.

I have twins and I am a G3P3, 4 living, or according to the TPAL system

G3 T=2 P=1 (the twins) A=0 L=4

I agree that many people try to make para the number of babies born, not the individual pregnancy. I see it all the time.

[Bonny619]

twinner, that's what I thought. If you're past 20 weeks, regardless of outcome, you count it.