BRAIN Informed-Decision Guide

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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.

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