Gravida & para calculator (decode G3P2002 and TPAL)
Enter the numbers to see what obstetric shorthand like G3P2002 means, or use it to work out your own gravida and para (TPAL). Educational only; your provider’s record is definitive.
How to read the shorthand
What gravida and para mean
Gravida is how many times a person has been pregnant, counting the current pregnancy and regardless of outcome. Para is how many pregnancies reached a viable age. In many charts, Para is expanded into TPAL: Term, Preterm, Abortions/losses, Living. So G3P2002 reads as gravida 3, and para 2-0-0-2 — two term births, no preterm, no losses before 20 weeks, and two living children.
Worked example: G3P2002 at 7w5d
Someone recorded as G3P2002 at 7 weeks 5 days has been pregnant three times (this pregnancy is the third), has had two term deliveries, no preterm births, no early losses, and has two living children — and is currently 7 weeks 5 days along. To work out their due date from that gestational age, use the gestational age calculator.
Why the numbers may not add up
Twins and other multiples are a common source of confusion: they count as one pregnancy (gravida) and one birth event (para), even though more than one baby is born, so the living-children figure can be higher than the birth count. Conventions also vary between clinics. When in doubt, your provider’s notes are the definitive record.
Frequently asked questions
What does G3P2002 mean?
Gravida 3, Para (TPAL) 2-0-0-2: pregnant three times in total, with 2 term births, 0 preterm births, 0 losses before 20 weeks, and 2 living children. If currently pregnant, that third pregnancy is the current one.
What is TPAL notation?
TPAL breaks “Para” into four numbers: T = term births (37 weeks or later), P = preterm births (20–36 weeks), A = abortions or losses before 20 weeks, L = living children. So P2002 means 2 term, 0 preterm, 0 losses, 2 living.
What is the difference between gravida and para?
Gravida is the number of times someone has been pregnant, regardless of outcome. Para is the number of pregnancies carried to a viable age, often broken down as TPAL. Twins count as one pregnancy (gravida) but the birth is one para event.
Does the current pregnancy count in gravida?
Yes. Gravida counts every pregnancy including the current one. So someone pregnant for the first time is G1P0; pregnant again after one birth is G2P1.
Do twins change the numbers?
Twins count as one pregnancy for gravida and one birth event for para, even though two babies are born. That’s a common reason gravida and para figures don’t add up the way you might expect.
Last meaningfully updated: 2026-08-25.