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You're pregnant and sometime within the next 9 months, you will give birth to your child. Take a moment to think about your own life: your beliefs, religion, choices available about childbirth or lack of, health issues, what you've been taught about childbirth from your mother or father, your previous birth experiences and what you want for this birth. Then take a moment to look around you at your neighbors, work colleagues, or other women you pass on the street. What do you share in common with ALL these other women? You might find some similarities, yet you will probably focus more on the differences that exist.

Can you blink or cough? Can ALL those other women do the same? That's what we have in common'our human and universally shared human body. Using that 'of course' as a basis of thinking, know that there is a way for any woman to prepare for childbirth that teaches us about our birthing body. It's such common knowledge that you'll wonder way it you didn't know it before. That's why Common Knowledge Trust has produced The Pink Kit Method for birthing better' resources. The main resource is The Pink Kit: Essential Preparations for your birthing body (multi-media: video, audio cassette and book) and The Companion Guide.

Now, let's take another leap of thought. Think about your choices about childbirth, what assessments, monitoring and procedures your birth professional is speaking with you about, your concerns about 'pain', possible pain relief options and even possibly having a non-labouring birth, or your health issues that might affect your birth choices and think about your Birth Plan. When you learn the skills in The Pink Kit, you can take those skills with you into whatever birth you find yourself having. Regardless of where or with whom you will birth or whatever is happening to you or around you, you will have another contraction. If you are having a non-labouring c/s then you can use these resources to prepare for the birth of your child anyway , thus giving you a deep sense of connection to the process of childbirth. If you are going to labour and give birth, you can learn the truly universal skills, which work. You'll still be breathing, so why not learn the Directed Breathing (the most natural way to breathe through contractions, particularly when they are intense). You'll still either be sitting, lying, standing or walking, so why not learn how to relax inside The Pelvic Clock as a focus to keep relaxed inside and how to Map Your Pelvis so you can find the positions that really keep you open, even if you have to stay in bed' or choose to.

Taking another leap of thought, consider your partner. As different women and men are, they still share the same human body. Using The Pink Kit Method for birthing better', your partner can experience the same body knowledge. This helps fathers become the exceptional coaches at birth, you want them to be. At it's simplest, birth is moving an object (baby) through a tube (pelvis), opening a diaphragm (cervix) and opening an aperture (vagina). You are the container and you can use your mind to prepare those areas, keep them relaxed and mentally accept the sensations by using these skills; then your baby will come our of your body into your arms more easily. Fathers love the information. It's practical and works.

Taking yet another leap and think about labour. It's like driving on an unknown journey. The journey is unknown, even if you've taken it before' this one will be different, however, if you've already learned to drive the car, the journey will be easier. The Pink Kit is your driving manual. You can learn how to drive your vehicle (your body) through this unknown journey. Your partner can help you throughout as he learns the skills to keep you focused, relaxed and able to meet the challenge of the experience. He can help you reduce back labour with The Sacral Manoeuvre or relax tension in your hips and create space for your baby with The Hip Lift. He can help you prepare your 'aperture' so that it opens easily and heals rapidly. Many women who do a lot of the Internal Work, will tell you that they 'didn't feel like I had a baby' several hours after birth.

The hardest leap of thought is to consider all the issues around 'interventions' and 'natural' birth. Consider how the thousands upon thousands of couples who consider themselves Pink Kitters have experienced these complex issues and often part of an individual Birth Plan. Most couples who used this information have laboured in hospital where there would be heaps of assessments, monitoring and procedures. Personally, they will negotiate about their 'choices' with their birth professional or not. Health issues and the unexpected may change the Birth Plan. Regardless, couples prepared and then just 'did the work' in whatever situation they found themselves.

Because the woman used her skills to 'manage' her labour, staff would compliment her on how well she was 'coping' or 'doing'. Because the father also had the coaching skills to really help (speaking the common language and using the common touch) staff would tell him that they wished more fathers would be such great coaches. After the birth, the couple was complimented on 'what a good birth' they had and 'how lucky' they were. Couples tried to explain that their good birth was due to the preparations and skills they brought to the experience. Yet, staff often would tell them that really nothing they had done could have made a difference, because 'you never know what labour is going to be like'. These couples ALWAYS felt that they had had a natural birth. They realised that assessments, monitoring and procedures were being done; however, it was the way they had self managed and worked together that left them elated. To them, they had had a natural birth even around all the 'interventions.'

Become a Pink Kitter and reap the benefits for yourself and family. You will pass these skills on to your children. More importantly, all couples speak about the continued benefits: closer partner and parenting relationships. You and your partner can go into labour and birth feeling confident and capable. 'Do the work' and use the skills and always remember The Little Engine That Could'.'I think I can, I think I can'I KNEW I could!'

It's an ideal gift to give at a baby shower. Ask your mother to get it for you. She'll tell you that she wished she had had this information when she had you and there are work-at-home opportunities by wholesaling the Kit in your local area.