What does multipara mean?
In obstetrics, a multipara is a woman whose obstetric history includes more than one pregnancy that reached viability. The term belongs to the para system used to summarize a patient's pregnancy history, in which each pregnancy reaching a prescribed stage of viability is counted once. It is therefore not simply a count of babies delivered: a pregnancy producing multiple infants still contributes one to the para count, and a pregnancy that ends before viability does not contribute. A woman with no such pregnancies is a nullipara, while one with exactly one is a primipara. The broader medical adjective is multiparous. Although multipara may sometimes be used in general discussion of childbirth, it is primarily professional vocabulary and is most often encountered in clinical records, textbooks, and conversations about obstetric risk. Its value is that it concisely communicates relevant reproductive and pregnancy history.
nounA woman who has had more than one pregnancy that reached viability, as recorded in her obstetric history.
- A woman whose obstetric history includes more than one pregnancy that reached viability.
"The midwife reviewed the notes of a multipara before monitoring the birth of her second child."
"Each multipara was asked about complications in her previous pregnancies."
"The term grand multipara is sometimes used for a woman who has had at least five pregnancies reach viability."
The Latinized plural is used in medical writing; singular and plural forms can otherwise sound identical in speech.
"The clinician reviewed the histories of the two multiparae before scheduling their deliveries."
In obstetric notation, the para count records pregnancies that reached viability, not the number of babies delivered.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does multipara come from?
The word comes from medical Latin, combining the Latin multus, meaning “many,” with parere, meaning “to bring forth” or “give birth.” It developed in obstetric terminology alongside related English words such as parity, parent, and parturition. The modern form reflects its role as the counterpart to primipara and nullipara.
Related word forms
How multipara is actually used
This is chiefly a clinical and obstetric term. It may describe a patient's obstetric history and is normally counted by pregnancies reaching viability rather than by the number of infants born. The related adjective is multiparous.
Easily confused with multipara
A primipara has had one pregnancy reach viability, whereas a multipara has had more than one.