People Are Debating Whether or Not "Free Birth" Is Safe After a Baby Died During Labor

Updated on Nov 17, 2018 at 12:00 PM

A online group dedicated to helping women have "free" or unassisted births is under fire after an anonymous woman who goes by the name of Lisa confirmed that her baby died while she was in labor for six days in a California desert last month. Lisa posted about her experience in the Free Birth Society's Facebook group, sharing that her daughter Journey Moon was delivered stillborn after she finally agreed to seek medical attention for a painful urinary tract infection.

The since-deleted Facebook group still has an active website but has scaled back its social media presence after its founder Emilee Saldaya, a former doula, was getting harassed and fielding death threats. The Free Birth Society's homepage says that, "Contrary to the belief that free birth is a self-indulgent, irresponsible decision, it is in fact a legitimate choice, and one that is based not only on ancient wisdom, but the most current scientific evidence on the physiology of birth."

While the notion of giving birth completely unassisted — or even alone — is terrifying for some women, others gravitate toward the idea. The Free Birth Society's Instagram account has more than 22,000 followers and counting. In fact, the trend has been gaining momentum in the US over the past few years. But is it really safe? We did some digging to find out.

What Is a Free Birth?

A "free birth" is when a woman has a completely unassisted childbirth experience. That means no trained professional is present, and there's no medical intervention whatsoever, including the use of drugs, monitoring, or scans. Furthermore, many women who belong to the free birth movement choose to have their child in a remote location outdoors.

Yvonne Butler Tobah, MD, an OB-GYN at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MI, told Buzzfeed that, in general, women who subscribe to this belief want as little intervention as possible. "This is a community of women who want the 'most natural experience possible' without medical intervention," she said.

How Is a Free Birth Different Than a Planned Home Birth?

Although a free birth and a home birth might seem similar at first pass, there's a big difference between the two.

"A planned home birth means you'll give birth at home instead of a hospital or birthing center," say experts at Healthline. "You'll still need the assistance of someone experienced and qualified during labor and delivery. Planned home births are associated with double to triple the risk of infant death or severe injury than births planned at hospitals. That statistic may sound startling, but even with that increase, the risk of infant death with a planned home birth is low."

Because there's no trained medical professional present at a free birth, women and their partners are essentially left with all of the responsibility, making the process far riskier.

Are Free Births Safe?

Although having an unassisted birth doesn't necessarily break any laws, it's still important for women to consult their doctors before considering a free birth.

Most physicians don't recommend that women have even a home birth — which means that free births are generally off the table, especially for soon-to-be moms with hypertension or those who have a child who's in a breech position.

"That's the tricky thing about obstetrics — we have two patients, the expectant mother and her unborn fetus," said Dr. Tobah. "There are times when the medical community as a whole, specifically obstetricians and midwives, can do a better job in educating patients on what to expect and how things might change."