Abíwẹ́rẹ́: How to Use the Labour Monitoring Bot
Oct 17, 2026 · @Samuel Abiona
What Abíwẹ́rẹ́ is
Abíwẹ́rẹ́ is a Telegram and WhatsApp assistant that helps you watch a woman in labour and tells you when a reading needs attention. It follows the WHO Labour Care Guide.
You send each reading in the chat. Abíwẹ́rẹ́ keeps them together, looks at all of them, and then gives you advice and a web page that shows the full picture.
Abíwẹ́rẹ́ supports your judgement. It does not replace it. Always follow your facility protocol, and agree with a senior colleague (a doctor or senior midwife) before you start treatments such as oxytocin.
What is new in this version
- LGA question at registration (Step 1). After the state, Abíwẹ́rẹ́ asks for your Local Government Area. Facilities outside Nigeria are asked for the country instead.
- New case numbers (Step 2). A case number now looks like CHC-ARA-ODI-OND-2026/10/001: facility code, year, month and a count that restarts at 001 every month.
- Write the case number in the woman’s case notes (Step 2). The new-case message reminds you to do this. It is how you tell your cases apart, and how colleagues join.
- A list to choose from (More than one woman at the same time). If you have two or more open cases, Abíwẹ́rẹ́ lists them and asks which one a new reading or command is for. Reply with the list number or the end of the case number, for example 10/002.
- Joining and switching (Working together on a case). A colleague sends join with the case number, the case starter or someone at the same facility approves, and the colleague then sends switch to record readings. Joined cases are not in the list; use switch for them.
- Closing a case (How a case ends). Send birth, referred, or close followed by a reason. A closed case takes no more readings, sends no reminders and drops out of the list. The case page shows how it ended.
- Privacy notice in the agreement (Step 1). The agreement now says what is saved: your Telegram ID on Telegram, or your phone number on WhatsApp. It is used only to recognise you, send you the alerts for your cases and protect the system against misuse, and it is not shared with anybody.
- New name: Abíwẹ́rẹ́. The bot was called PartoPulse. Abíwẹ́rẹ́ is a Yoruba word that means an easy and safe delivery. Every message from the bot now uses the new name. Nothing about how you send readings has changed.
- WhatsApp now works (Step 1 and all steps). You can register and use every command on WhatsApp in the same way as on Telegram. WhatsApp knows you by your phone number, and Telegram by your Telegram ID.
- WhatsApp 24-hour rule. WhatsApp lets the bot reply freely only within 24 hours of your last message. If you have been silent for longer, send any message (for example the word help) to open the chat again before you expect reminders or alerts.
- Caput and moulding accept NA (Step 3). If you cannot assess caput or moulding, send NA and the bot carries on to the next question instead of saying it could not read your answer.
Your privacy
- Abíwẹ́rẹ́ never asks for your name. On Telegram it saves your Telegram ID, and on WhatsApp it saves your phone number. This is used only to recognise you, to send you the alerts for your cases and to protect the system against misuse. It is never shared with anybody. Colleagues see your role and your facility code, for example “Doctor CHC-ARA-ODI-OND”.
- Never type the patient’s name, phone number or any detail that can identify her. The case number is enough.
- Do not paste case links into public groups. Anyone who has a link can open that case.
Step 1: Register once
You register one time. First you read and accept a short agreement, then you answer five short questions in the chat. Send /start to begin.
The agreement. The first message is an agreement. It says that Abíwẹ́rẹ́ was developed using the WHO Labour Care Guide but is not endorsed or validated by WHO, and that it does not replace the knowledge of a trained midwife, doctor or any other health worker. The agreement also has a privacy notice. On Telegram it says that your Telegram ID is saved; on WhatsApp it says that your phone number is saved. It explains that this is used only to recognise you, send you the alerts for your cases and protect the system against misuse, and that it is not shared with anybody. Reply 1 to agree or 2 to decline. If you decline, Abíwẹ́rẹ́ does nothing further. Send /start if you change your mind. You cannot register or use Abíwẹ́rẹ́ until you agree.
- Your role. Reply with a number: 1 for Doctor, 2 for Midwife, 3 for CHEW, 4 for Other.
- Your facility name. Send the name only, for example: Comprehensive Health Centre.
- The community or town. Send the community or town only, for example: Araromi-Obu.
- The state. Send the Nigerian state, for example Ondo, Lagos or FCT. If the facility is outside Nigeria, send ABROAD.
- The Local Government Area (LGA). Send the LGA name only, for example: Odigbo. This is asked for facilities in Nigeria.
- The country. Only asked if you sent ABROAD, instead of the LGA.
Abíwẹ́rẹ́ then gives you a facility code, for example CHC-ARA-ODI-OND. It is made from the type of facility (CHC for Comprehensive Health Centre, SH for Samuel Hospital, FTH for FUTA Teaching Hospital, GH for General Hospital, BHC for Basic Health Centre) and the first three letters of the community, the LGA and the state. Every case number you start begins with this code.
If your code is already taken. If a different facility already uses the same code, Abíwẹ́rẹ́ adds a 2 to the end of yours (for example CHC-ARA-ODI-OND2) so that case numbers never clash. If you work outside Nigeria, your code starts with the facility type and the first letters of the community and country, and your case numbers use the same year, month and count.
If you work at more than one facility, send register to add another one. You can add up to 5. Send facilities to see your list, and facility 2 to go on duty at your second facility. Your role at a facility cannot be changed after you register there. Send cancel to stop adding a facility.
Step 2: Start a case
Send /newcase when a woman in labour is ready to be monitored. Use one case for one woman.
Abíwẹ́rẹ́ replies with three things:
- The case number, for example CHC-ARA-ODI-OND-2026/10/001. It is your facility code, then the year and month, then a count (001, 002, 003 and so on) that starts again at 001 every month. Write it in the woman’s case notes. You need it to tell your cases apart and to switch between them, and colleagues need it to join.
- The case view link, a web page that always shows the latest readings and advice. Open it on your phone.
- The first question: “How open is the cervix?” Reply with the number in cm (0 to 10), for example 5.
If you cannot take a reading, send NA. Abíwẹ́rẹ́ then moves to the next question.
The Labour Care Guide starts at 5 cm. If the first cervix reading is below 5 cm, Abíwẹ́rẹ́ says it is the latent phase and does not ask for the other readings. It tells you when the next vaginal examination is due (about 4 hours later). After that examination, send VE done, then the new cervix opening.
Step 3: Answer what Abíwẹ́rẹ́ asks
Abíwẹ́rẹ́ asks only for what is due, using the times in the WHO Labour Care Guide. Answer each question with just the number or code, then wait for the next one. At any time, send readings and Abíwẹ́rẹ́ asks for whatever is due now. It also sends you a reminder when a check becomes due.
| Reading | What to send | How often (Labour Care Guide) |
|---|---|---|
| Cervix opening | cm, 0 to 10, from the vaginal examination (VE) | About every 4 hours, and when you send VE done |
| Parity, labour onset, membranes ruptured, risk factors | Number of earlier births; S or I; date and time, U or I; a few words or none | Once, at the start |
| Amniotic fluid, head position, caput, moulding, descent of the head | The codes below | With each VE, about every 4 hours |
| Contractions | Number in 10 minutes (watch the clock, count each tightening) | Every 30 minutes; every 15 minutes when she is pushing |
| Contraction length | Seconds, for example 40 | Every 30 minutes; every 15 minutes when she is pushing |
| Baby’s heart rate | Beats per minute, listened to for one full minute, during a contraction and for at least 30 seconds after it | Every 30 minutes; every 5 minutes when she is pushing |
| Decelerations | N (none), E (early), L (late) or V (variable) | Same as the heart rate |
| Her pulse | Beats per minute, counted at the wrist for one full minute | Every 4 hours |
| Blood pressure | Top number, a slash, then the lower number, for example 120/80 | Every 4 hours |
| Her temperature | °C, for example 36.8 | Every 4 hours |
| Urine protein and acetone | -, trace, 1+, 2+, 3+ or 4+ (acetone: -, 1+ to 4+) | Every 4 hours, and each time she passes urine |
| Companion, pain relief, oral fluid | Y (yes), N (no) or D (she declines) | Every hour |
| Posture | SP (lying on her back) or MO (mobile) | Every hour |
| Oxytocin, other medicine, IV fluids | N if none, otherwise the dose or the name, dose and route | Every hour |
Amniotic fluid codes
- I: intact membranes
- C: clear liquor
- M+: light meconium
- M++: moderate meconium
- M+++: thick meconium
- B: blood-stained liquor
If there is meconium, always send the grade (M+, M++ or M+++). A plain “M” is not accepted.
Other codes
- Head position: A (occiput anterior), P (occiput posterior), T (occiput transverse).
- Caput: 0, +, ++ or +++ (marked swelling of the baby’s scalp).
- Moulding: 0, +, ++ or +++ (+++ means the skull bones overlap and cannot be pushed apart).
- Descent of the head: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or 0, the fifths of the head you can still feel above the pubic bone (3 means 3/5).
- Labour onset: S (spontaneous) or I (induced). Membranes: the date and time they ruptured, U if unknown, or I if still intact.
A round is complete when nothing else is due. Abíwẹ́rẹ́ then looks at all the readings together and gives its advice. Later, it asks again only for the readings that have become due. The cervix and the other findings from the vaginal examination are asked again only after you send VE done.
The times above are the ones in the WHO Labour Care Guide. Abíwẹ́rẹ́ asks the next question whenever you send an answer, and sends a reminder when a check is due.
If you send a number that cannot be right, for example a blood pressure of 245, Abíwẹ́rẹ́ says it looks wrong, saves nothing, and asks you to check and send it again.
When a reading is not available, extra readings, and VE done
If you cannot take a reading, send NA. For example, there may be no thermometer or no BP machine. Abíwẹ́rẹ́ notes that the reading is not available and carries on with the readings you have. NA also works if you do not know the answer. You can also send “skip” or “not available”. A plain “no” is not accepted, because “no” can be a real answer.
You can send an extra reading at any time. You do not have to wait to be asked. Send the short name and the number:
- FHR 150 for the baby’s heart rate
- PULSE 88 for her pulse
- BP 140/95 for blood pressure
- TEMP 37.8 for temperature
- CONTR 3 for 3 contractions in 10 minutes
Use this to recheck a reading, or to correct one you sent by mistake. The latest reading is the one Abíwẹ́rẹ́ uses. The earlier one stays in the history.
More short names: DECEL L (N, E, L or V), DUR 40 (contraction length in seconds), PROT 2+, ACET 1+, LIQUOR C, POS P, CAPUT +, MOULD ++, DESCENT 3, COMP Y, PAIN N, ORAL Y, POSTURE MO, OXY N, MED N, IV N.
If you do another vaginal examination (VE), send: VE done. Abíwẹ́rẹ́ then asks for the new cervix opening, amniotic fluid, head position, caput, moulding and descent. When she starts pushing, send: pushing. From then on, the second-stage checks apply. When the baby is born, send: birth. Monitoring then stops.
How a case ends. Every case should be closed so that monitoring stops. Send birth when the baby is born. Send referred when she has been referred to another facility. For any other reason, send close followed by a short reason, for example: close stillbirth. A closed case takes no more readings and sends no more reminders. The case view page stays available with the full record and says how the case ended.
More than one woman at the same time. If you have started two or more open cases, Abíwẹ́rẹ́ asks which case a new set of readings is for before it records anything. This happens when you send readings, a single reading such as FHR 140, or pushing, birth, referred or close. Abíwẹ́rẹ́ lists your open cases from the last 24 hours. Reply with the number in the list (for example 1), or with the end of the case number (for example 10/002). Send cancel to stop; nothing is recorded until you choose. Cases you only joined are not in the list: use switch for those. Closed cases do not appear. While you are in the middle of a round, your answers go to the case you are on, and every reply shows the case number when you have more than one open case.
If you do not reply to the list. The list waits for 15 minutes. After that, your message is dropped and nothing is recorded, so send it again. If the case you were on has just been closed and you have one other open case, Abíwẹ́rẹ́ still shows that one case and asks you to confirm it, so a reading never goes to the wrong woman by accident.
Advice and alerts
Abíwẹ́rẹ́ gives its advice after the readings are in, not after one or two numbers. This is so that nobody acts on a partial picture.
- During a round: if a reading meets a Labour Care Guide (LCG) alert criterion, Abíwẹ́rẹ́ records it and tells you so, and says that the full steps will come after the other readings. For findings that can be serious, it adds the LCG line: alert a senior care provider.
- At the end of the round (when nothing else is due): Abíwẹ́rẹ́ looks at everything together. If any reading meets an LCG alert criterion, it sends an alert with numbered steps from the LCG, the LCG action (alert the senior midwife or doctor, and record the assessment and the action taken), and a referral line. If nothing meets a criterion, it says so.
- Every alert starts with the time of the readings it is based on. A new alert replaces the earlier ones. Do not act on an old message when there is a newer one.
What the alert levels mean
- ALERT: one or more readings meet an LCG alert criterion. Follow the steps, alert the senior midwife or doctor, and record what you did.
- SUPPORTIVE CARE: no clinical alert, but something the LCG asks you to offer is missing: a companion, pain relief, oral fluid, or a position other than lying on her back.
Before you start treatment, especially oxytocin: look at all the readings together and decide with a senior colleague. Follow your facility protocol.
When Abíwẹ́rẹ́ raises an alert
| Reading | Alert when (LCG) |
|---|---|
| Baby’s heart rate | Below 110 or 160 and above |
| Decelerations | L (late) |
| Amniotic fluid | M+++ (thick meconium) or B (blood-stained) |
| Head position | P (posterior) or T (transverse) |
| Caput, moulding | +++ |
| Her pulse | Below 60 or 120 and above |
| Blood pressure | Top number below 80 or 140 and above; lower number 90 or above |
| Her temperature | Below 35.0 °C or 37.5 °C and above |
| Urine protein, urine acetone | 2+ or more |
| Contractions | 2 or fewer, or more than 5, in 10 minutes |
| Contraction length | Shorter than 20 seconds or longer than 60 seconds |
| Cervix opening | Stays at the same opening too long: 5 cm for 6 hours, 6 cm for 5 hours, 7 cm for 3 hours, 8 cm for 2.5 hours, 9 cm for 2 hours |
| Second stage | Baby not born 3 hours after pushing began for a first baby, or 2 hours for a woman who has given birth before (2 hours if parity was not recorded) |
| Companion, pain relief, oral fluid | N (no): offered as supportive care |
| Posture | SP (lying on her back): offered as supportive care |
Abíwẹ́rẹ́ lists every LCG alert that is present. It does not add scores or invent combinations. The LCG says that decisions rest on an overall assessment, so look at the alerts together with a senior colleague.
Progress, not one reading. The LCG judges progress by time, not by a single number. Abíwẹ́rẹ́ uses the LCG time limits for how long the cervix stays at one opening, and for the second stage, and it sends a reminder when one of those limits is reached. It does not use a rate of 1 cm per hour, because the WHO guideline recommends against it. The case view shows the cervix chart and the table of readings over time, so you can see the trend. After 12 hours of active labour, the LCG says to continue on a new form, and Abíwẹ́rẹ́ adds a note to the advice.
The case view page. Open the link on your phone to see the advice, the baby’s heart rate chart, the cervix chart, a table of all the readings, the alert history, and the snapshots. The top of the page shows the time of the last reading and when the page was loaded. Refresh the page to see the newest information.
Snapshots. A snapshot is a saved copy of the page at one moment. Abíwẹ́rẹ́ saves one at the end of each round and each time an alert is sent. A snapshot never changes, and it says so at the top. Use it to compare, or to show a receiving facility what was known at that time. Use the live page for what is happening now.
Referral. The LCG says that a woman who gives birth in a lower-level facility may need referral to a higher level of care if complications ensue, so know your referral and transport options early. Every alert reminds you of this and tells you to alert a senior care provider. The LCG does not list when to refer, so follow your facility and national referral guidelines. When you refer, call the receiving facility, arrange transport with a skilled escort, and send the case view link and a referral note with her.
Working together on a case
Two or more people can follow the same woman’s case. The person who sent /newcase is called the case starter. Anyone else who wants to be on that case is the colleague. A colleague is another Abíwẹ́rẹ́ user, for example the midwife who takes over at shift change, or the doctor who must be told about the alerts.
Why join a case? Joining gives the colleague the alerts and the case view link for that woman. Without joining, only the case starter gets them.
Why switch? Abíwẹ́rẹ́ records your readings for one case at a time: the case you are currently recording for. When you join a colleague’s case, you only receive its alerts and updates. You cannot send readings for the joined case until you send switch with its case number. Your readings keep going to your own case until you switch.
To join a case (done by the colleague)
- Register with Abíwẹ́rẹ́ first (Step 1).
- Ask the case starter for the case number, for example CHC-ARA-ODI-OND-2026/10/001.
- Send: join CHC-ARA-ODI-OND-2026/10/001
- Abíwẹ́rẹ́ sends a join request to the case starter and to everyone registered at the same facility as the case. The message starts “Join request #4”. The number is different each time.
- The case starter, or anyone registered at that facility, answers with APPROVE 4 or DENY 4, using the number in the request. The first answer decides. If nobody answers within 60 minutes the request lapses, and the colleague can send join again.
- After approval, Abíwẹ́rẹ́ tells the colleague that the request was approved. From then on the colleague receives the alerts and the case view link for that case. The colleague cannot send readings for that case yet.
- To send readings for that case, the colleague sends this message first: switch CHC-ARA-ODI-OND-2026/10/001. After that, every reading the colleague sends is recorded on that case.
To go back to your own case (or to any other case you belong to), send switch followed by that case number, for example switch CHC-ARA-ODI-OND-2026/10/002. You can do this at any time. Abíwẹ́rẹ́ replies “Now recording for case …”. From that moment every reading you send is recorded on that case, and Abíwẹ́rẹ́ asks the next question for it. You keep receiving the alerts of every case you have joined, whichever case you are recording for.
Check before you send a reading. The reply to switch always names the case you are recording for. If you are not sure, send switch with the case number you mean.
You do not have to type the whole number. The end is enough, for example switch 10/002, as long as it matches only one of your cases. Capital letters, spaces and a backslash instead of a slash do not matter.
Only the case starter and people registered at the same facility can approve. People from other facilities cannot.
Quick card of commands
| Send this | What it does |
|---|---|
| /start | Begin registration |
| /newcase | Start a new labour case |
| join case-number | Ask to join a colleague’s case |
| APPROVE number | Allow a join request (the number is in the request) |
| DENY number | Decline a join request |
| switch case-number | Choose the case your readings go to. Use it for a case you joined, and to go back to your own case. The end of the number is enough, for example switch 10/002 |
| register | Add another facility you work at (up to 5) |
| facilities | List your facilities |
| facility 2 | Go on duty at facility number 2 on your list |
| cancel | Stop adding a facility, or stop choosing a case |
| VE done | Tell Abíwẹ́rẹ́ you did another vaginal examination |
| NA | Say that a reading is not available |
| FHR 150 | Send an extra baby’s heart rate |
| PULSE 88 | Send an extra pulse |
| BP 140/95 | Send an extra blood pressure |
| TEMP 37.8 | Send an extra temperature |
| CONTR 3 | Send an extra contraction count (per 10 minutes) |
| help | Show the help message |
| readings | Ask Abíwẹ́rẹ́ for whatever reading is due now |
| pushing | She has started pushing (second stage): the second-stage checks and time limit apply |
| birth | The baby is born: monitoring stops |
| DECEL L, DUR 40, PROT 2+, POS P, PAIN N | Send any other reading at any time with its short name (see Step 3) |
| referred | She has been referred to another facility: the case is closed and monitoring stops |
| close stillbirth | Close the case for any other reason, with a short reason after the word close |
Problems and what to do
- Abíwẹ́rẹ́ does not reply. Wait one minute and send again. You may be sending too fast: the limit is 30 messages in one minute. If it stays silent, tell the person who manages the system.
- “That number looks too high or too low.” Check the reading and send it again. Nothing was saved.
- “I couldn’t read that.” Send only the number or code, with no extra words. For blood pressure, use the slash: 120/80.
- You sent a wrong reading by mistake. Send the correct one as an extra reading, for example FHR 140. The latest reading is used.
- You cannot take a reading. Send NA.
- The link says the case is not found. The link is wrong or no longer valid. Ask the colleague who started the case to send it again.
- Abíwẹ́rẹ́ says the case is closed. The case was ended with birth, referred or close, so it takes no more readings. If it was closed by mistake, start a new case with /newcase and write the old case number in the notes.
- You replied to the list of cases but nothing was recorded. The list expires after 15 minutes. Send your reading again and choose the case.
- You cannot see the newest readings on the page. Refresh the page and check the time at the top.
What Abíwẹ́rẹ́ does not do
- It does not diagnose, and it does not replace a doctor, a senior midwife or your facility protocol.
- It does not record the LCG’s free-text assessment and plan boxes, or staff initials. It does not tell you when to refer: the LCG gives no referral criteria, so it only reminds you to alert a senior care provider and follow your referral guidelines.
- It does not replace the partograph record your facility requires. Keep your own notes of what you did.
Remember: look at all the readings together, trust what you see at the bedside, and call for help early.