Midwifery Today review by Dr. Sarah Buckley Spring 2004 no. 69
‘Have you even wondered why some women have an easy time in labor…even in difficult circumstances…but others do it hard despite a supportive environment? Have you even wished that your fist-time mothers could ‘know’ what your experienced clients know about birth? Have you even wondered if women can actually learn to give birth more easily? If you answered yes to any of these, then the Pink Kit will be invaluable in your practice.
What is the Pink Kit? Practically speaking, it is a kit comprising a video, tape and book. The instructional video, which links to information in the book, features eight main lessons: working with your breath,; exploring the bony anatomy; experimenting with different positions to keep the pelvis open; working with different movements in the bony pelvis; exploring the soft tissues of the pelvis; managing pain and tension; relaxation, rest and body care ; and putting the information together in labor.
The audio tape describes what is called ‘the internal work’. After doing the internal work, women are encouraged to use this in late pregnancy and in labor to help them asses where they are and to know whether they are progressing.
The information … the ‘common knowledge’… that women can gain from this kit is revolutionary. Through simple and accessible instructions, we can learn about our won specific anatomy and how to work with it to enhance the natural processes of labour and birth. Our partners can also be involved, doing exercise with us and learning how to assist and encourage us. The Pink Kit also teaches us to tune into our bodies, using massage, touch and directed breath for example. Using these simple techniques we regain our right and proper places as the experts of our own bodies.
Midwives have much to learn personally from the Pink Kit, just as I have by reviewing it. We can learn more about the workings of our won bodies and how ‘universal’ (and superb) is our female design. We also gain a language with which to communicate about our bodies and the ways we use them, both inside and outside the birth room. For example, a midwife ( or a partner) can remind a woman that a hip lift may help her when her baby feels stuck in labor, and a woman can tell her care provider, in specific language, what is happening for her during labor.
The information in the Pink Kit is both simple and precise and is based on many years of observation and experience with pregnant and birthing women. The Pink Kit recognizes that each woman’s body is unique and that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to birth preparation can be unhelpful. For example, although squatting is said to be the most open position for birth, the Pink Kit explains, that for some women, squatting actually narrows the pelvic outlet. Women are encouraged to experiment during pregnancy to discover which is the most effective position for them, which includes consideration of the soft tissues. Through doing the ‘sit bone spread’ with a partner, for example, a woman can learn how to create more room in her ‘soft’ pelvis’ for her baby’s descent.
I could describe the Pink Kit as a sort of ‘optimal maternal positioning’ but it is much more. I recommend it to midwives, birthing women and anyone who wants to know more about their female body and the common Knowledge that we all share’.