Wintergreen, the Founder/Director of Common Knowledge Trust, immigrated to New Zealand in 1995. She brought into New Zealand the Birthing Better Childbirth Preparation skills (previously known as The Pink Kit). She developed these skills with hundreds of fathers and mothers in the early 1970s. From this work, The Concept that is the basis for this NZ midwife 2-year training was formed.

While both Birthing Better skills and the initial spark for The Concept started in the early 1970s in the US, from the 1980s Wintergreen worked internationally to promote The Concept …  to grow a skilled birthing population for ALL births no matter the skills-method used.

She introduced both the skills and The Concept to New Zealand in 1989 via a workshop in New Plymouth. She continued to teach extensively in Australia, Europe, and developing countries until she immigrated to New Zealand in 1995 and set up Common Knowledge Trust in 1996 as a tax-exempt, Charitable Trust.

Birthing Better skills and The Concept were both placed into our Charitable Trust. Birthing Better Childbirth Preparation (as The Pink Kit) launched it’s Edition #1 in 2002.

Wintergreen has both spoken about The Concept and shared ‘best practice’ for the Birthing Better skills-method throughout New Zealand since immigration.

New Zealand’s opportunity to test-drive The Concept

How to achieve this Concept was always challenging. Every woman’s pregnancy and birth is unique. Therefore, it’s hard to get a message out to this elusive group. All pregnant women are keen to help keep their birth safe and positive. How to reach pregnant woman can be challenging.

New Zealand has a unique pathway to pregnant families because of our Midwifery Partnership giving continuity of care to close to 90% of all expectant parents.

There are no other countries in the world where continuity of care exists for all pregnant/birthing women except in New Zealand. Wintergreen understood immediately how very special New Zealand was.

Wintergreen could immediately see a huge possibility for enlivening The Concept … to grow a skilled birthing population in New Zealand within the Partnership Model. When she gave birth in the 1970s in the US there was a very high societal expectation that all families become skilled using Lamaze or The Bradley Method and exposed the Huge Gap as the Big Mistake fell into it.

Was there a period in New Zealand childbirth history that also had a high societal expectation that all families become skilled to birth their babies?

In 2015 I stumbled into the Brant Study via a reference in The Trouble with Women.  In the formal research, Brant did, he was able to articulate many aspects of  The Concept all the way in 1961. Why that study did not lead to a skilled birthing population for all births, I have no idea.

This amazing study inspired Common Knowledge to go forward with this training.

Prior to immigrating to New Zealand, she worked alongside lay midwives, direct-entry midwives, and independent midwives. She knew the commitment these women had toward their clients. The majority of these dedicated women put aside their own families and even their own health in order to provide continuity of care to their clients. They were dedicated, almost always exhausted even when inspired.

Wintergreen continues to see how a skilled birthing population would invigorate, balance and enliven our Partnership. Therefore, Common Knowledge Trust is putting forward this NZ midwife 2-year project to see how the benefits of all families becoming skilled impact our midwives, families, and society.

Don’t listen to Common Knowledge Trust and Wintergreen

Go to 1961 NZ Brant childbirth study

Be inspired by a New Zealand study at National Women’s. This NZ midwife 2-year experiment includes all skills-based methods that families seek-out and self-learn then use in every type of birth without exception instead of merely Grantly Dick-Reed Brant used or Birthing Better skills that Andrea required her clients to use.

Brant’s study knows that Wintergreen knew … birth professionals love working with the skilled birthing families. Andrea has loved working with skilled families.

 

‘All who had the opportunity of observing the women in labour, were impressed by the calm cooperative attitude shown by the treatment group throughout labour, and by their reactions at, and following, delivery. It was impressive to note the number of nurses who spontaneously commented: ‘This is the way I want to have my baby’.

Brant Study 

From the emphasis highlighted on Dear David’s March on 3 May, 2018, it’s obvious that New Zealand midwives are exhausted, feel unsupported and want continuity of care to continue.

Common Knowledge Trust believes there are many autonomous midwives who would like to experience a more balanced partnership. We welcome you.

Global actions

Common Knowledge was first formed in Australia in 1990, in New Zealand in 1996, closed in Australia in 2003.

In 1998 Common Knowledge Trust NZ/Australia hosted a Zimbabwe News Letter 1998

Wintergreen spent several months sharing Birthing Better skills throughout Pakistan in traditional communities. Since the 1970s, she has shared these skills in India, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Holland, The UK, Canada, Mexico, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Mexico, Thailand, Malaysia, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Spain, in 25 States in the US, Australia, and New Zealand.

Common Knowledge’s relationship to you

You are a unique woman pouring your love of Life into your profession and committed to working with individual families with varied needs.

Common Knowledge Trust commits fully to giving each midwife participant 24/7 continuity of care support you as you go through this simple and direct training. Repeat that! You give in-depth support to your clients. We are committed to giving you that same level of support.

Thankfully, we don’t have only 7-9 months but 2 years to change the future of New Zealand childbirth as shown possible in the Brant study and Andrea’s practice-based research.

Please feel free to contact [email protected] or TEXT 0223551131

Some of you know Andrea Vincent. If you would like her to join this trial as a mentor alongside Wintergreen, you need to reach out to her.

 

Further reading: 

 

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