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Birth, Labor & Hospital

Knowing Your Rights at the Hospital

Informed consent, refusal, and advocacy basics.

7 min read

Your core rights

Informed consent: every procedure must be explained — benefits, risks, alternatives, and what happens if you decline (BRAIN).

You can refuse any intervention, including cervical exams, IVs, continuous monitoring, and episiotomy.

You have the right to a support person, to move freely, to eat and drink (per your provider), and to access your records.

Use the BRAIN framework

B — Benefits of this intervention?

R — Risks?

A — Alternatives?

I — Intuition: what does your gut say?

N — Nothing: what if we wait or do nothing right now?

Educational content for prototype use. Always confirm health-related decisions with a qualified medical professional.

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