Using your BRAIN throughout the perinatal journey
You’ve laid out your birth plan. You know what you want and you’ve studied allll the birth moves and pain relief measures. You start to feel the first signs of labor and you’re ready to birth your baby.
BRAIN is a nifty acronym of the 5 steps to make informed decisions throughout your pregnancy and birth journeys. This process is one of the many ways you can feel heard and involved in making decisions for yourself and your baby.
Side note - whenever I write something like that, it actually stuns me. To know that women everyday are not feeling heard or able to make the decisions during this transformational and vulnerable period of life makes my heart ache. My wish is that this wisdom is always circulated and always passed down to every family that wants the birth they envision.
However, in pregnancy and birth, things come up that you might not have ever anticipated or were even aware could happen. A hard truth is, you aren’t able to plan or predict everything in your life. It probably wouldn’t be very interesting or fulfilling if we could, anyway. Having this tool gives you more power in decision making in whatever circumstance you find yourself in.
For example, you’re in labor and everything seems to be moving along fine and there are no obvious indicators that you or your baby need medical care. The OB enters the room and offers to start you on Pitocin to get things moving along since you’ve been in labor for a few hours at the hospital already. Using your BRAIN, you ask yourself (and your birth team) -
B - How will this help me? How will the outcome benefit me or my baby?
R - Will this intervention result in needing another? How is it going to affect me and my baby?
A - What can I try instead? (here’s where your doula can step in!)
I - How does this make me feel? Scared, confused, powerless, calm, excited, sad?
N - Is this necessary? What if I do nothing or say no? Take ALL the time you need to decide.
Your birth team should provide every answer you are seeking without making you feel pressured or scared. Just because something is “hospital policy” does not mean it is something you have to do. Consent is consent and you have the right to refuse or accept every step of the way. Having your partner, doula, friend or family member there to advocate with you or for you is also a great way to ensure you’re being heard and your choices are respected.
For the sake of practice, here are some responses you might have after gathering all the information you need to make a decision:
No thank you. I am going to let my labor progress naturally since there is nothing wrong with me or the baby.
I’d like to think about this more. Can you leave me alone for an hour please?
I would like to try some position changes first.
I would like the Pitocin. I would like to keep my mobility and choose what positions I am in.
I would like the Pitocin and to talk about pain management options because I know that this will likely make my contractions more intense.
Remember, you are in charge. You are birthing your baby, from your body. Whatever informed decisions you make will be the best ones. Trust yourself and your baby, Mama. You got this.
