A client is 6 weeks pregnant. She had a previous spontaneous abortion at 13 weeks of gestation and a pregnancy that ended at 38 weeks with the birth of a girl. What does the nurse determine is her gravida and para?

Choice A rationale This choice is incorrect because it fails to account for the client's current pregnancy and the distinct definitions of gravida and para. Gravida refers to the total number of times a woman has been pregnant, regardless of the outcome. Para refers to the number of pregnancies that have reached the age of viability, which is typically 20 weeks. This client has three total pregnancies and only one that reached term, making a 2/2 designation scientifically and clinically inaccurate. Choice B rationale This choice incorrectly identifies the parity. While the client is indeed a Gravida 3 because she has had three pregnancies, she is not a Para 3. Para only counts pregnancies that progressed past 20 weeks gestation. Since her first pregnancy ended in a spontaneous abortion at 13 weeks, it does not contribute to the parity count. Only the pregnancy that went to 38 weeks counts as a parous event. Therefore, Para 3 overestimates her clinical obstetric history. Choice C rationale The client is Gravida 3 because she is currently pregnant (1), had a previous abortion (2), and had one full-term birth (3). She is Para 1 because only one of those pregnancies, the 38-week birth, reached the scientific threshold of viability, which is defined as ≥ 20 weeks of gestation. The spontaneous abortion occurred at 13 weeks, which is prior to the limit of viability and therefore does not increase the parity count in the GP system. Choice D rationale This choice is scientifically incorrect as it underestimates both the number of pregnancies and the number of births. A Gravida 1 Para 1 status would imply that the client is currently undergoing her only pregnancy and has already delivered one child, which is a logical contradiction. It ignores the current 6-week pregnancy and the previous spontaneous abortion. Accurate obstetric history is essential for assessing risks in the current pregnancy, such as the potential for recurrent pregnancy loss.