Now s the time to reclaim our childbirth skills
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Home Family -> subcategory Pregnancy.
Now's the Time to Reclaim Childbirth Skills
Summary
Consider this: each year, about 3.68 million women give birth in the US, 700,000 in the UK, and 58,000 in Melbourne, Australia, with similar numbers in New Zealand. In New Zealand, where the Common Knowledge Trust is based, 1,000 women give birth annually. What sets New Zealand apart is the autonomy granted to midwives since 1995. These midwives are government-funded and provide comprehensive care, from antenatal to postnatal, under a continuity of care model. Women can choose to give birth at home or in hospitals with the same midwife, which over 85% of pregnant women prefer. Despite this seemingly ideal system, the caesarean rate has doubled to over 27% nationally since 1995. What's going wrong?
The Need for Childbirth Skills
In our modern world, childbirth is often accompanied by emotions like blame, shame, and guilt. Changing systems hasn’t solved this. But focusing on who’s to blame misses the point. It's time to look at the roles skills play in childbirth.
Consider everyday skills: driving, cooking, and even breastfeeding. We recognize the need to develop skills in these areas, which are intertwined with natural human experiences. Birth is no different.
The Pink Kit Method
The Common Knowledge Trust, located in New Zealand, promotes The Pink Kit Method for childbirth skills. Developed in the US in the 1970s, these resources emerged when choices for expectant parents began to expand. While methods like Lamaze, Bradley, and Birthworks have offered tools, the focus on skills has diminished.
We've become so focused on individual choices that we've lost sight of our shared humanity. Every woman, across time and place, has given birth through the same process. By focusing on our shared anatomy, The Pink Kit Method offers a universal language and set of skills that can be practiced at home, personalizing them to suit individual situations.
Adapting with Skills
Birth plans often get derailed by the unexpected. While plans are about choices, birth is about the reality at the moment. By coupling our skills with our choices, we are better prepared for any situation that arises. The unexpected is common, but skills can help us adjust.
Couples who have used The Pink Kit Method report having significantly lower c-section rates, around 7%. Even those who didn't fully apply the skills found positive outcomes compared to the 27% national rate, despite access to midwifery, education, and natural therapies.
Empowering Expectant Parents
The Pink Kit Method can become a global resource by empowering expectant parents to learn from home. Skills like mapping the pelvis, understanding positions, and performing exercises such as Kate's Cat and Hip Lifts can be mastered by both parents. These skills offer a common language and approach to childbirth.
Childbirth can change, one contraction at a time, even amidst medical interventions. Women no longer rely solely on nature, just as they don't for managing headaches or illnesses. Thus, if you plan a laboring or non-laboring birth, becoming skilled is invaluable. Every expectant parent can engage in preparation, leading to more positive and fulfilling birth experiences.
Don’t strive for perfection. Instead, focus on becoming skilled and reclaiming your role in childbirth.
You can find the original non-AI version of this article here: Now s the time to reclaim our childbirth skills.
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