Countless women and parents will feel like they’re being pushed into decisions at various points during their pregnancy, birth and postnatal period, often without all of the relevant information or through guilt. This is not informed consent and it should not be happening.
In order to give your legal informed consent you must have the relevant information on all options available to you (and the risks and benefits of all these).
If you're feeling a little lost or overwhelmed with it all, try using something called the B.R.A.I.N framework to help you get the information needed to make an informed decision.
Ask these questions:
Benefits – what are the benefits of the proposed action and who will gain from them?
Risks – what are the risks of the proposed action and who will be at risk? (remember, relative and absolute risk are two very different things).
Alternatives – are there any other ways of dealing with the situation? What different suggestions can healthcare professionals or alternative practitioners give you?
Intuition – What is your gut telling you? What does your heart tell you?
Nothing – What if you do nothing or delay the proposed action?
Asking these questions will help you get a fuller picture and hopefully make you feel more confident in whatever choices you decide on. If you ever feel flustered or under pressure, you can let them know that you need a little time to think things over before giving them your decision - this will nearly always be possible.
Remember, it is not okay for medical professionals to push you into anything. You have agency over your body during pregnancy and birth just like you would have at any other time in your life. It is your body and your choice.
Putting together a birth plan and sharing this with your caregivers is another good way of communicating what you do and don’t want, and remember, you’re allowed to change your mind! You might think you want something before labour and then when it comes to it, it doesn’t feel right. Listen to that. You know your body best. That voice is your intuition and it deserves to be heard by you and by those around you.
So remember when faced with decisions, use B.R.A.I.N.
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