BRAIN- How to make informed decisions in pregnancy and birth

Ever felt overwhelmed by a decision you had to make? Luckily, there is a great tool to make informed decision-making a bit easier.

In pregnancy and during birth there are so many decisions to make. It’s easy to get overwhelmed especially when it involves not only you but also your (unborn) child and when it is something that you don’t necessarily have a lot of information about and experience in.

Unless it’s an emergency, you will always have the time to ask questions and to decide what option best fits YOUR pregnancy and birth.

When you are at an antenatal appointment discussing different procedures and tests, when you write your birth plan, or when an intervention is suggested to you during birth that you didn’t plan for - these are opportunities to use (your) BRAIN to make an informed decision.

What is the BRAIN decision-making tool?

BRAIN is an acronym that helps you remember the questions that you can ask to get all the information you need to make an informed decision.

B- Benefits

What are the benefits of the procedure or medication for me and my baby?

R- Risks

What are the risks of the procedure or medication for me and my baby? Are there any side effects?

A- Alternatives

What are the alternatives to the procedure or medication? What are my options?

I- Intuition

What is my instinct saying? Does this feel right or wrong? It is your body, your baby, and your birth. Acknowledge your feelings and thoughts.

N- Nothing

What if we did nothing? What would happen if we do nothing for a few days or weeks or, if it's during birth, for 20 minutes or an hour?

Ask your care provider these questions about any procedure and intervention in your pregnancy and during birth and to be honest, it’s a great tool to make all kinds of informed decisions in life.

Be proactive with your choices in pregnancy and birth. Don’t let others decide for you. Ask questions and make your own informed decisions about what best fits your pregnancy and birth.