How to Use Your BRAIN in Labor

Labor can sometimes be hard to navigate, especially if your goal is an unmedicated birth, and communication with your care provider is key. Most of the time, obstetricians and midwives are all on our side and have our best interests at heart. Unfortunately though, some women may live in an area where there isn’t much choice for care providers and may find it hard to connect with them or even understand information being given to them. Feeling ignored or uninformed about procedures, medications, and risks can have a negative effect on the birth experience for the mother and birthing family, and can even continue into the postpartum period and cause a lack of confidence in future pregnancies and births.

A laboring person in a birth tub

That’s where this wonderful acronym comes in! Super simple to remember, using your BRAIN during labor has benefits all around, including helping your voice to be heard, and being able to ask the questions that help you make informed decisions about your labor and delivery. (You can also use this acronym to ask questions at your prenatal appointments with your midwife or OB, to head off misunderstandings later on in the delivery room!) 

So without further ado…

Benefits – Ask about the BENEFITS of the drug or position proposed to be used.

Risks – What are the RISKS to both you and baby (in-utero and post-birth)?

Alternatives – What are the ALTERNATIVES to using this drug? Is there anything else you can try before resorting to this intervention?

Intuition – What does your INTUITION tell you? Sometimes your best guide is what your gut is telling you.

Nothing – What happens if you wait, or do NOTHING? Is it imperative to use this intervention now?

I love this acronym, because it helps you evaluate the situation and whether an intervention is absolutely necessary. Why do we need labor to progress? Can we wait? Do a stress test on baby to see if pitocin is necessary at this point? If there is no reason to believe that baby is in distress, could we do nothing?

Making sure that you or your partner remembers to utilize these questions when you are unsure, or something that is suggested doesn’t follow your birth vision, can really help you to feel heard and respected during your labor and delivery.