BRAIN Method
During labor and birth you may encounter several times when you have to make a decision you weren't expecting to have to make. It can feel very overwhelming and you may question your ability to make a sound decision given your current state. Here is a tool to help you effectively make those decisions.
B-Benefits
R-Risks
A-Alternatives
I-Intuition
N-Next steps/Not Now/Nothing
Ask yourself and your care team what the benefits and risks are.
Look at what actions are being offered. If you are not happy with the actions that are being offered you can always ask if any alternative actions can be taken.
Take a moment to examine what your intuition is telling you.
After going over everything it is time to determine what the next steps are. This could mean you wait and see. It could mean that you chose to do nothing. Or you could decide to take action.
Whatever decision you make you can feel confident that you have made an informed consensual decision that is best for you and your baby.