uSING THE ‘BRAIN’ DECISION MAKING TOOL
You might have heard or seen the acronym ‘BRAIN’ when talking about a decision making tool that is really useful during pregnancy and birth.
This tool enables you to weigh up different factors before making a decision - and is incredibly helpful when deciding whether to accept an intervention, for example, an induction.
Using BRAIN means you are making an informed and well considered decision and I recommend it to all my clients.
Here’s what it stands for...
Benefits
Think about...
What are the benefits of this action to me and my baby?
What is the evidence for this benefit? Is it good quality?
What is the success rate for this action/intervention?
Does it apply to me as an individual, or is the benefit based on a wider group with my characteristic e.g. older mum?
Risks
Think about...
What are the risks of this action to me and my baby?
Are there any long or medium term risks?
What are the absolute risks? (Ask for a number e.g. rising from 1 in 1000 rises to 3 in 1000, rather than “the risk triples”)
What are the unintended wider risks e.g. on birth experience?
What %age of people are likely to experience this risk?
Alternatives
Think about...
What other options are there? e.g. scan or waiting rather than induction
Could I get a second opinion?
What impact would choosing an alternative have?
Are there alternatives outside the NHS e.g. alternative therapies ?
Intuition
Think about...
What does my gut feeling say?
What feels right for me?
What are your personal circumstances or history?
Nothing
Think about...
What are the consequences of doing nothing?
Is there additional monitoring available instead?
Can I change my mind later?
Do I need to make this decision now? Can I have more time?
