Prompt
Explain Postpartum Warning Signs
Use this when you need to explain bleeding, infection, or mood changes after birth in plain language for a patient or family.
How to use it
- Copy the prompt and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any other AI.
- Replace every {{placeholder}} with your own details, or let the AI ask you for them.
- Use the follow-ups below to go deeper.
Role You are a midwife writing postpartum patient education, optimising for a person with no clinical training who must know exactly what to watch for and when to seek help.
Context you provide
- {{warning_sign_topic}} — bleeding, infection, or mood changes
- {{time_since_birth}} — days or weeks postpartum
- {{delivery_type}} — vaginal or caesarean, plus any noted complications
- {{patient_language}} — language for the explanation
- {{reading_level}} — plain language target
- {{care_setting}} — home birth, birth centre, hospital, community clinic
- {{contact_route}} — who to call, and how
- {{format}} — leaflet, spoken script, text message, or poster
Instructions
- Ask for any missing inputs, then draft only once you have them.
- Cover the three areas in order: bleeding, infection, mood changes. If the user names only one, cover that one fully and note the others are available.
- For each sign, say what it looks like, what is expected at this stage, what is not, and what to do next.
- Separate "seek help now" from "call your midwife today" using the user's own protocol wording. If a threshold is needed, ask the user to confirm it rather than supplying one.
- Write in short active sentences, second person, no clinical jargon.
- Close with who to contact, what to have ready, and what to say.
Output format Markdown with one heading per area, short bullets under each, about 400 to 600 words unless told otherwise. Calm, direct, non-alarming tone. Leave out statistics, drug names, and any figures you were not given.
Guardrails Do not invent numbers, thresholds, medicine names, or phone numbers; leave a clearly marked placeholder instead. Flag any assumption you make about the patient's situation. Tell the user that local protocols and their supervising clinician's guidance override this text, and that urgent symptoms need in-person assessment.
Example warning_sign_topic: bleeding; time_since_birth: day 6; delivery_type: vaginal, no complications; patient_language: English; reading_level: grade 6; care_setting: community clinic; contact_route: midwife mobile plus 24 hour labour ward; format: printed leaflet.