9 AI Prompts for Your Postpartum Recovery

I gave birth [TIME] ago by [BIRTH TYPE]. My history: [RELEVANT HISTORY, FOR EXAMPLE PREECLAMPSIA OR HEAVY BLEEDING AT BIRTH]. List the warning signs that need urgent care, including heavy bleeding, fever, a headache that is new to me, chest pain or trouble breathing, leg swelling or pain, and changes in mood. For each one: 1. the specific threshold (for example how much bleeding is too much, which temperature, which blood pressure); 2. whether it needs a call, a same-day visit, or emergency care; 3. how long after birth the risk lasts. Make it a one-page table.How to answer: - Use the best available evidence (major clinical guidelines, systematic reviews, large studies) and name your main sources so I can check them. - Give absolute numbers (per 100 or per 1,000) next to any relative risk. - Separate what is well established from what is uncertain or debated, and say how certain you are. - If the evidence is limited or you do not know, say so plainly. Do not guess or invent numbers or references. - Tell me what extra information about me would change your answer. - Use plain language, and end with a short list of questions I can take to my doctor, midwife, or care team.

I am [TIME] postpartum after a [BIRTH TYPE]. 1. What does normal bleeding look like week by week, in amount and color, and how long does it last? 2. What are the specific signs of hemorrhage or infection? 3. When should each symptom resolve: pain, swelling, bleeding, and fatigue? 4. When should my period return, depending on how I feed my baby? Give numbers, not "it varies."How to answer: - Use the best available evidence (major clinical guidelines, systematic reviews, large studies) and name your main sources so I can check them. - Give absolute numbers (per 100 or per 1,000) next to any relative risk. - Separate what is well established from what is uncertain or debated, and say how certain you are. - If the evidence is limited or you do not know, say so plainly. Do not guess or invent numbers or references. - Tell me what extra information about me would change your answer. - Use plain language, and end with a short list of questions I can take to my doctor, midwife, or care team.

I gave birth [TIME] ago and I am feeling [FEELINGS OR SYMPTOMS]. 1. Help me tell apart the baby blues, postpartum depression, and postpartum anxiety, including how long each usually lasts. 2. How common is each, in absolute numbers? 3. Which screening tools are used, such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale? 4. Which signs need help soon, and which need emergency help? 5. What does the evidence show works: therapy, medication (including while breastfeeding), sleep support, and social support? 6. Give me words I can use to ask my care team for help.How to answer: - Use the best available evidence (major clinical guidelines, systematic reviews, large studies) and name your main sources so I can check them. - Give absolute numbers (per 100 or per 1,000) next to any relative risk. - Separate what is well established from what is uncertain or debated, and say how certain you are. - If the evidence is limited or you do not know, say so plainly. Do not guess or invent numbers or references. - Tell me what extra information about me would change your answer. - Use plain language, and end with a short list of questions I can take to my doctor, midwife, or care team.

I am [TIME] postpartum and breastfeeding with [THE ISSUE, FOR EXAMPLE PAIN, LOW SUPPLY, LATCH, ENGORGEMENT]. Baby's age and weight trend: [BABY DETAILS]. 1. Give evidence-based steps for my problem. 2. What is normal, and what is a real concern? 3. How do I know my baby is getting enough (diapers, weight)? 4. What are the warning signs of mastitis or an abscess, and when should I call? 5. When should I see a lactation consultant (IBCLC)? 6. Separate solid advice from myths, and treat combination feeding and formula as valid choices.How to answer: - Use the best available evidence (major clinical guidelines, systematic reviews, large studies) and name your main sources so I can check them. - Give absolute numbers (per 100 or per 1,000) next to any relative risk. - Separate what is well established from what is uncertain or debated, and say how certain you are. - If the evidence is limited or you do not know, say so plainly. Do not guess or invent numbers or references. - Tell me what extra information about me would change your answer. - Use plain language, and end with a short list of questions I can take to my doctor, midwife, or care team.

I am [TIME] postpartum. My readings: [BLOOD PRESSURE, TEMPERATURE]. Baby: [AGE, FEEDING, WEIGHT]. 1. The blood pressure that signals postpartum preeclampsia, and the one that needs emergency care. 2. Normal versus worrying bleeding, in terms I can measure. 3. The fever cutoff for me and for my newborn. 4. Healthy newborn feeding frequency, diapers, and weight (the expected early loss and when birth weight should return). Give the value that should prompt a call, as a printable table.How to answer: - Use the best available evidence (major clinical guidelines, systematic reviews, large studies) and name your main sources so I can check them. - Give absolute numbers (per 100 or per 1,000) next to any relative risk. - Separate what is well established from what is uncertain or debated, and say how certain you are. - If the evidence is limited or you do not know, say so plainly. Do not guess or invent numbers or references. - Tell me what extra information about me would change your answer. - Use plain language, and end with a short list of questions I can take to my doctor, midwife, or care team.

I had a [BIRTH TYPE, FOR EXAMPLE CESAREAN, OR VAGINAL BIRTH WITH A SECOND-DEGREE TEAR] [TIME] ago. 1. What does normal healing look like week by week? 2. Which signs point to infection or a wound problem? 3. Which activities are safe, and when: lifting, driving, exercise, and sex? 4. Which symptoms need to be checked, such as leaking urine or stool, or pain with sex? 5. When is pelvic floor physical therapy useful? Give a timeline with real markers.How to answer: - Use the best available evidence (major clinical guidelines, systematic reviews, large studies) and name your main sources so I can check them. - Give absolute numbers (per 100 or per 1,000) next to any relative risk. - Separate what is well established from what is uncertain or debated, and say how certain you are. - If the evidence is limited or you do not know, say so plainly. Do not guess or invent numbers or references. - Tell me what extra information about me would change your answer. - Use plain language, and end with a short list of questions I can take to my doctor, midwife, or care team.

My newborn is [AGE IN DAYS OR WEEKS] with [THE SYMPTOM]. Born at [WEEKS AT BIRTH]. Feeding: [FEEDING METHOD]. 1. Which newborn signs are normal (for example sneezing, hiccups, mild jaundice, irregular breathing during sleep)? 2. Which need a same-day call to the pediatrician? 3. Which are emergencies? 4. Give specific thresholds, such as the temperature that always needs care in a baby under three months, the expected number of wet diapers, and the warning signs of jaundice. 5. Make it a sheet I can keep on the fridge.How to answer: - Use the best available evidence (major clinical guidelines, systematic reviews, large studies) and name your main sources so I can check them. - Give absolute numbers (per 100 or per 1,000) next to any relative risk. - Separate what is well established from what is uncertain or debated, and say how certain you are. - If the evidence is limited or you do not know, say so plainly. Do not guess or invent numbers or references. - Tell me what extra information about me would change your answer. - Use plain language, and end with a short list of questions I can take to my doctor, midwife, or care team.

I am [TIME] postpartum and [FEEDING METHOD]. My history: [RELEVANT HISTORY, FOR EXAMPLE BLOOD CLOTS, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, CESAREAN]. 1. Which contraception options are safe for me now, and when can each one start? 2. How effective is each, as pregnancies per 100 women per year with typical use? 3. How does breastfeeding affect fertility, and what are the exact conditions for relying on it (the lactational amenorrhea method)? 4. What does the evidence show about how long to wait before the next pregnancy? 5. List questions for my postpartum visit.How to answer: - Use the best available evidence (major clinical guidelines, systematic reviews, large studies) and name your main sources so I can check them. - Give absolute numbers (per 100 or per 1,000) next to any relative risk. - Separate what is well established from what is uncertain or debated, and say how certain you are. - If the evidence is limited or you do not know, say so plainly. Do not guess or invent numbers or references. - Tell me what extra information about me would change your answer. - Use plain language, and end with a short list of questions I can take to my doctor, midwife, or care team.

I have my postpartum visit at [TIME]. My pregnancy and birth: [DETAILS, FOR EXAMPLE PREECLAMPSIA, GESTATIONAL DIABETES, CESAREAN]. 1. List the questions to ask and what should be checked: mood, bleeding, healing, blood pressure, contraception, pelvic floor, and sleep. 2. Which follow-up do I need because of my pregnancy complications, including long-term heart and diabetes risk? 3. What does the evidence say about why postpartum care should not stop at six weeks? 4. Which visits and checks in the first year matter most?How to answer: - Use the best available evidence (major clinical guidelines, systematic reviews, large studies) and name your main sources so I can check them. - Give absolute numbers (per 100 or per 1,000) next to any relative risk. - Separate what is well established from what is uncertain or debated, and say how certain you are. - If the evidence is limited or you do not know, say so plainly. Do not guess or invent numbers or references. - Tell me what extra information about me would change your answer. - Use plain language, and end with a short list of questions I can take to my doctor, midwife, or care team.