During your pregnancy, it is not uncommon to be faced with an overload of information. There’s class after class, handout after handout, and opinion after opinion. It will be very important for you to take the time to sort through it all, to ask questions, and have the necessary discussions with those on your Birthing Team. You just gotta use your B.R.A.I.N. I’m not talking about “pregnancy brain”, which causes you to spend 10 minutes looking for the iPhone that’s right in your hand… OR that causes you to put said iPhone in the fridge and the OJ in the cabinet next to the plates. (I know that I’m not the only one who’s done this!) Instead, I’m talking about the TOOL you can use to help you determine what is best for your pregnancy, labor, and baby.
Pregnancy and birth (and parenthood also) are very unpredictable. There may be times when you are faced with choices to make quickly when presented with options or when things aren’t going the way you had preferred. Here are some examples of questions or scenarios you may be faced with during pregnancy:
“Would you like me to sweep your membranes?”
“Let’s schedule an induction.”
“You cannot drink or eat during labor.”
“You have to remain in bed on continuous monitoring.”
“I’m going to do a vaginal exam now.”
Does any of this sound familiar? Maybe a mama friend or relative was presented with these same questions or scenarios. It can be quite overwhelming, but after you take a deep breath, use your B.R.A.I.N., and ask yourself and/or your medical provider:
B – What are the benefits?
R – What are the risks?
A – What are the alternatives?
I – What does my intuition tell me?
N – What if I do nothing at this moment? Can this wait?
Sometimes you will see a “S” added to this acronym, standing for a variety of things:
S – Are there any STUDIES on this and what do they say?” A great resource to help you consider the evidence on many topics is Evidenced Based Birth.
S – Please give us SPACE to reflect and come to a decision. Ask them to leave the room!
S – Smile. We are all on the same team.
Let’s dissect the B.R.A.I.N. even further, shall we? As an example, I will show you how to apply the acronym “B.R.A.I.N.” to the topic of “induction”.
Benefits
First, let’s begin by asking, “What are the benefits of me being induced at this particular time?” You want to identify if having an induction will provide more benefit than harm to you or your baby.
Risks
Secondly ask, “What are the RISKS of being induced?” Here you want to obtain as much information as you can in order to Identify both the pros and cons.
Alternatives
The next question is, “If I opt-out of an induction, what are the alternatives?” This is where you identify if there are any other things that you can do to encourage natural induction instead.
Intuition
After that consider tuning in to your intuition. What does your gut tell you to do here? Even in pregnancy, you have great mama instincts! Do not be afraid to tap into them.
(Do) Nothing
Lastly, ask yourself “What if I opt-out of being induced at this moment. Can we wait for my labor to happen naturally? What is the latest that I can wait before induction becomes absolutely necessary to the health of me and my baby?” Remember, you have the right to simply say “No.”
Studies
Now, hold on a second. Let’s not for the “S”, and I honestly recommend using all 3 meanings because they are all equally important. So continuing with the induction example first ask, “What do studies say about induction at this week of pregnancy?” Again, websites like Evidenced Based Birth are very informative and helpful in answering those complicated questions.
Space
This next one is key when you are using “B.R.A.I.N.” during a conversation with your medical provider. You certainly can politely ask them to leave your room to give yourself space, some much needed, uninterrupted time to review all of the presented and gathered information.
Smile
Lastly, and again perfect to use while in conversation with your medical provider, simply “smile”. Your OB-GYN/Midwife, Nurse, (and Anesthesiologist, if applicable) are all on YOUR team. If you feel that your Medical Provider is not working with, hearing, or respecting you, please switch Medical Providers or ask for a different Nurse. Advocate for yourself. You have the right to do so. Better yet, HIRE A DOULA to help you navigate things. (Click here to learn more about the role of Doulas.)
Do not be afraid to take a moment to pause, take a deep breath, do a little research, and ask questions.
Sometimes you will be asking the above questions to your Medical Provider and other times you are simply asking yourself these questions as a guide for clarity. When B.R.A.I.N. is applied to questions and scenarios during your pregnancy and labor (and even throughout mommyhood), it helps you to make well-informed decisions. That means that you were able to obtain all of the necessary facts (both pros and cons or benefits and risks) in order to make the best decisions for you and your baby. Again, remember that you are in charge of your birth. It’s your team. You’re the owner. You call the shots.
