Your pregnancy

Pregnancy is an exciting time for you and your family but we know it can also feel a little overwhelming. There are many choices to make and we know you and your family will have lots of questions. You’ll find lots of information on the right-hand menu to help guide you through your journey

Personalised Care

Personalised care means women and pregnant people  have choice and control over the way their care is planned and received based on ‘what matters’ to them and their individual needs and preferences.

Personalised care and support planning is a process to identify what matters to each person using maternity services and makes sure that their care reflects this. With their midwife or obstetrician they will consider and discuss their life, family situation, health and wellbeing, and preferences, so that their care reflects their needs and wishes.  This video and information, explains more about what personalised care and support planning is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdI_OoGNGpo

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/universal-personalised-care-easy-read.pdf

You should be asked about your personal choices for:

• Pregnancy at or before 16 weeks
• Birth before at or before 34 weeks
• Postnatal Care at or before 36 weeks

Informed decision making

Informed decision making is a central part of personalised care and support planning. It means that anyone receiving care is fully supported and informed to understand the options, decisions and care that they will have.

Informed decision-making means that everyone receiving maternity care has help to:

• understand the options available and the risks and benefits of these options
• make decisions about their care
• receive reliable, clear information in good time and in a format they understand

The NHS has worked with Maternity Voices Partnership to develop materials and resources to support informed decision making.

The guidance covers key points to consider when deciding on your care.

Making decisions about your care

• You must be given clear and factual information
  Risks should be given in a format that makes sense to you. For example: 1 in 100 or 1%. If you are only told that a risk doubles or increases, you can ask what the actual risk is. You can ask your midwife or doctor to discuss how good the evidence is.
  
• You should be told the risks and benefits of every option
  This must include the risks of the care your doctor or midwife is recommending.
  If you haven’t been told the risks and benefits of each option, you can ask your doctor or midwife for more information.
• BRAIN can help you ask questions
  B = what are the benefits?
  R = what are the risks?
  A = what are the alternatives?
  I = what does my instinct or gut feeling tell me?
  N = what happens if we do nothing for now? Can we wait and take some time to think?
  The BRAIN acronym helps you to have conversations with your midwife, doctor, and your family, that will support you to make a decision.
  
• It is not ok to feel pressured or guilted into making a decision
  Doctors and midwives should provide you with the factual information and support you need to make informed choices about your care.
  If you feel pressured into making a decision, you can ask your named midwife or a member of the maternity team for support.
• You can say no
  One of your options is to decline recommended care. Your midwife or doctor should respect your decision and will support you to create your personalised care and support plan.
  Remember that you have the right to change your mind and withdraw consent at any time.
  
• Once you have all the facts you are the best person to make the decision that is right for you
  Everyone is different. Your previous history and your personal circumstances will influence your decision.
  Your doctors and midwives will look after you, whatever you decide.

Access an informative poster on Informed Decision here.

There are also other information leaflets and tools available at  https://www.rcog.org.uk/for-the-public/browse-all-patient-information-leaflets/ and the https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/

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