Pregnancy Terms
Preterm or premature labor
Labor that occurs after 20 weeks but before completion of 37 weeks gestation
Post term labor
Labor that occurs after 42 weeks gestation
Primipara
A woman who has had one birth at more than 20 weeks gestation regardless of whether the infant was born alive or dead
Multipara
A woman who has had two or more births at more than 20 weeks gestation
Nulligravida
A woman who has never been pregnant
Multigravida
A woman who is in her second or any subsequent pregnancy
Primigravida
A woman who is pregnant for the first time
Nullipara
A woman who has had no births at more than 20 weeks gestation
Stillbirth
An infant born dead after 20 weeks gestation
Gravida
Any pregnancy regardless of duration including the present pregnancy
Para
Birth after 20 weeks gestation regardless of whether the infant is born alive or dead
Abortion
Birth that occurs before the end of the 20th weeks' gestation or the birth of a fetus/newborn who weighs less than 500g
Term
The normal duration pregnancy (37 to 42 weeks)
Gestation
The number of weeks since the first day of the last menstrual period
Antepartum
Time between conception and the onset of labor; often used to describe the period during which a woman is pregnant; used interchangeably with prenatal
Postpartum
Time from birth until the woman's body returns to an essentially pre-pregnant condition
Intrapartum
Time from the onset of true labor until the birth of the infant and placenta