Actually the new terminology is Gravida (G) designating the number of pregnancies a woman has had regardless of the outcome. Parity is broken into four parts TPAL T= term or the number of pregnancies carried to 38 weeks, P= preterm or the number of pregnancies that ended between 24 and 38 weeks, A= abortions (also called aborta) which indicates the number of pregnancies that ended before 24 weeks, and L= living children, which simply indicates the number of children that the woman has given birth to that are currently living. So a woman who has had 5 pregnancies, 2 of which were term, 1 preemie, (all 3 still living) and one miscarriage would be a G5 P 2-1-1-3. On our floor we do sadly refer to our patients who had Cesareans as "sections," but we also refer to women who had vaginal births as "vag." It is demeaning, but it is not intended to be. --And that concludes our medical terminology lesson for the day!--(ROFLOL!! :-> ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ Jeffrey S. Fouche, RN, BSN Assistant Director of Maternal/Child Services and Breastfeeding Educator Barrow Medical Center http://members.gnn.com/jsfouche/breastfeeding.html E_Mail: [log in to unmask] Dad to Tanner 06-28-95 ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~