What is a multipara?

• A. A woman who has given birth two or more times
• B. A woman who has given birth twice
• C. A woman who has given birth once
• D. A woman who has never given birth

Answer: (B)

The main concept here is parity in obstetric history—the number of pregnancies carried to a viable gestational age that have resulted in birth. A multipara is defined by having completed two pregnancies that progressed to birth, so the description “a woman who has given birth twice” fits best. If she had more than two births, she would still be multipara, with higher categories sometimes used for many births (e.g., grand multipara). The other terms describe different groups: a woman who has never borne a child is nullipara, and a woman who has borne one child is primipara.