Free · PDF · 2 pages
BRAIN Informed-Decision Guide
The BRAIN framework turns any medical recommendation into a two-minute conversation: Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Intuition, and what happens if we do Nothing (or wait). Use it for inductions, augmentations, epidurals, cesareans, or any decision that suddenly appears in your birth room.
Decision-making
What's inside
- The five BRAIN questions written out verbatim
- Sample scripts for common decisions (induction, augmentation, epidural, cesarean)
- Language that keeps the conversation collaborative, not confrontational
Use it when
- A provider recommends an intervention you weren't expecting
- You want a pocket card your partner can read from
- You're building a birth plan and want a decision framework baked in
Educational only. This handout supports informed conversations with your care team — it doesn't diagnose or replace clinical care. LlaMamma is not affiliated with ACOG, WHO, or Cochrane; those organizations are cited as evidence sources.
Related handouts
🌀 Recognizing Labor
How to tell prodromal from active labor, plus when to call.
🌿 10 Evidence-Informed Ways to Support Physiologic Birth
Evidence-backed comfort and environment supports for low-intervention birth.
🛌 Epidural Positioning Guide
Positions that keep the pelvis open and baby descending after an epidural.
📋 Birth Preferences Guide
A calm walkthrough for writing preferences that stay flexible.
