Common Knowledge Trust (CKT)
P.O. Box 892
Nelson, New Zealand
Committed to growing skilled birthing
families for all pregnancies and every birth.
History of Birthing Better:
Birthing Better with The Pink Kit Method® evolved in the US in the early 1970s from ordinary families from very diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds.
The trend of ‘Follow-your-doctor’s-orders’ was beginning to alter. Unique to the US, there was the beginning of a Skills-based trend toward all pregnancies and every birth … Lamaze. From the 1960s-late 1970s birth providers/staff witnessed millions upon millions of women using birth skills and fathers using birth-coaching skills. These skills were used alongside all the standards of care … medical assessments, monitoring and procedures.
The use of skills shifted how birthing women behaved, acted, dealt with, worked through and managed labor and gave fathers/others the ability to really help their birthing partners. Those advocating change in maternity care wanted more choices. By the early 1980s our present Choice-based trend actually replaced the developing skills approach instead of working alongside it.
Curiously the message associated with the Choice-based trend actually decried the concept that birthing women and expectant fathers needed to become skilled. The result … skills stopped evolving. All efforts focused on political change: midwives and home births. Birthing Better with The Pink Kit Method® stood firm and has been the voice for a Skills-based approach to childbirth since the early 1970s. This has been met with great resistance. But now is the Time for a Skills-based Movement.
The New Zealand connection
In 1995 the originator of The Pink Kit immigrated to New Zealand, set up CKT, became the Director and placed Birthing Better with The Pink Kit Method® into this charitable organization.
Unbeknownst to CKT’s Director midwives and natural birth advocates had achieved the ultimate political success. In 1990 New Zealand had established a Midwifery Model of Care coupled with a Choice-based approach to pregnancy and childbirth. Midwives achieved professional autonomy. Natural birth/home birth choices became available. All expectant families in New Zealand have their own continuity of care, primary care midwife. Midwives are Direct Entry trained. Maternity care is free to consumer. A woman can choose to birth at home and retain her midwife if she transfers. There is no shared care. When a woman needs obstetrical care the primary care midwife continues her care. Midwives who work in hospital provide primary and continuity of care to their own clients. Midwives have a Partnership with women based on respect for women’s choices. New Zealand midwives see their profession as the protectors of natural birth and actively promote concepts familiar to natural birth advocates. Ideal.
In 1990 the c/s rate was 12.9%. By 2011 the c/s rate had risen to 30% under The Midwifery Model of Care. What is happening? From CKT’s perspective there is no societal expectation that expectant families become skilled.
Since 1995 CKT has unsuccessfully tried to encourage New Zealand midwives to grow a skilled birthing population. Resistance in NZ is based on the same natural birth beliefs encountered in the US in the 1970s-90s. A broader discussion can occur later.
Presently the New Zealand government is considering changes to the maternity system pointing out that midwives have not achieved what they set out to do in 1990 … reduce the c/s rate.
Common Knowledge Trust continues to encourage both the Ministry of Health and New Zealand College of Midwives to put in place a Skills-based approach to all pregnancies and every birth alongside their Midwifery Model and Choice-based approach.
Join The Movement
Growing a skilled birthing population is not about having more classes taught by independent midwives, doulas or cbes or doing the skills on the women. A Skills-based Movement is based on the capability of us, as expectant parents to self-learn, practice and use skills as part and parcel of what we do during our pregnancy and the birth of our baby. A societal shift must occur.
There are two facets to this Movement and the potential societal shift from the view of us as expectant parents: We still create our conventional Birth Plan (what we want and don’t want … which is all about delivery of service by our birth provider and place of birth) and we create our Skills-based Birth Plan (what skills we will use … which is all about what we do for ourselves). There are a number of skills based resources besides The Pink Kit: Lamaze, Bradley, Hypno-birthing/babies, Active Birth.
Any independent birth professional can join this Movement, carry a number of these resources in their practice, ask clients to choose one or more to learn from during their pregnancy then encourage them to use their skills during their baby’s birth.
You will be less tired. Families will be more involved in their baby’s birth no matter what is happening to or around them.
The Pink Kit
The Pink Kit is different from other skills-based resources in fundamental ways. Other resources focus on achieving a natural birth. For forty-five years The Pink Kit skills have been used in every type of birth from home alone to non-laboring Caesarean. The skills came from ordinary families who wanted to stay engaged, involved and participating in their baby’s birth no matter how it unfolded. The skills are based on our human body and provide birth and birth coaching skills for all pregnant women and expectant fathers/others. The Pink Kit suggests families start self-learning as close to 24 weeks.