Bold headline: When unregulated birth advocates push risky beliefs, lives hang in the balance.
Sovereign living, holistic birthkeeping, and birth as a sacred ritual are some of the phrases used by freebirth influencers and podcasters to persuade women to ditch the modern medical system and pursue a so‑called “wild pregnancy” or freebirth.
Warning: This story may distress some readers.
A freebirth is when a pregnant person gives birth at home without any registered medical professional present. This differs from a homebirth, where a midwife typically attends after a doctor determines the pregnancy to be low‑risk.
Birthkeepers are non‑medical supporters who provide emotional, physical, and educational help during labor. Unlike doulas, who often collaborate with healthcare professionals, many birthkeepers hold strong anti‑medicine beliefs. Both birthkeepers and doulas operate without formal regulation, though some doulas voluntarily adhere to a code of conduct.
Recent freebirth‑related deaths, including Melbourne influencer Stacey Warnecke in September, have driven health professionals to condemn the spread of dangerous misinformation from so‑called birth influencers. Dr Nisha Khot, president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG), warned that when things go wrong, the consequences can be grave and life‑threatening for both mothers and babies.
Victoria has seen six baby deaths linked to freebirth over the past four years, according to Coroners Court findings. An ABC investigation last year suggested the national figure is higher than official records show. While ABC could access five of the six coronial findings, three cases could not confirm whether the deaths were preventable. In two cases, the court indicated the infants would likely have survived with antenatal care and hospital birth.
One of these cases involved a baby referred to here as Hannah. Her mother described her experience on a now‑deleted December 2022 episode of the Renegade Mama podcast. She identified as an “advanced spiral practitioner” using something called “the spiral method,” an energy‑based approach that aims to clear self‑limiting patterns and promote empowerment, per its website. The mother told the podcast she avoided antenatal care beyond a single GP appointment because she trusted her body and believed it would birth successfully. After a two‑day labor, the mother said her partner began to worry about the baby’s wellbeing, and when she checked the baby, she found no heartbeat. She recalled thinking she felt a heartbeat, but it turned out to be her own pulse behind her fingers. The coroner later determined Hannah’s death was preventable due to prolonged labor in a birthing pool. Yet the mother later said she would not change anything if given the chance.
Emily Lal, a Melbourne birth influencer known online as “The Authentic Birthkeeper,” was connected to Hannah’s story. Lal’s counseling and services included providing a birth pool, and coronial documents show she was texted during the event with a photo of the baby’s blue face and the message, “we can’t wake her, we aren’t sure if she’s breathing.” Lal has publicly expressed anti‑medicine views, once claiming that registered midwives contribute to harm. In 2021, she told The Matrescence podcast that she possessed the skills to assist during labor and could respond to excessive bleeding or other emergencies. The Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner is investigating Lal and has issued an interim prohibition order restricting her from providing health services to pregnant people, due to allegations she facilitated and/or participated in homebirths that could endanger mothers and babies. This prohibition followed Warnecke’s death, which occurred after a freebirth at her Seaford home on September 29.
A coronial hearing noted Warnecke died from a postpartum hemorrhage after hospital staff exhausted blood reserves in an attempt to save her. The same hearing revealed Lal’s presence at the freebirth and her involvement in cleaning Warnecke’s home afterward, with Lal declining to provide a police statement. The ABC has attempted to contact Lal for comment.
The rise of freebirth influencers has become a focal point in public discourse. The Freebirth Society podcast is among the largest in this space, with over 5 million downloads and more than 132,000 followers online. The show describes freebirth as one thread of childbirth that remains authentic to ancestral roots and unmedicated experiences.
Health professionals warn that misinformation from some influencers poses real risks. Dr Khot emphasized that misbeliefs surrounding birth complications and personal invincibility can be dangerous. The ABC found some influencers who promote freebirth also describe themselves as doulas—though many doulas are not medically qualified and operate without formal regulation.
Doulas who belong to professional networks, such as Australian Doulas or the Doula Network, typically sign onto a code of conduct that forbids medical or clinical tasks and the giving of medical advice. Doula Network Australia president Samantha Gunn stated she does not support doulas attending freebirths but respects a person’s right to choose. She also highlighted systemic issues: under‑resourced hospitals and a need for better care models and support for midwives.
Research from two years ago found about a third of Australian women experienced a traumatic birth, and around one in ten faced obstetric violence—harmful actions by health professionals during pregnancy care. Dr Hazel Keedle, associate professor of midwifery at Western Sydney University, noted that many who opt for freebirth have endured birth trauma and seek autonomy rather than coercion.
Calls for accountability and safety measures are growing. In response to Warnecke’s death, RANZCOG and the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) have urged the introduction of new laws restricting who can manage birth situations, with similar measures already in place in South Australia, where only a registered midwife or medical practitioner may lead labor or birth. Dr Khot argued that individuals who misrepresent themselves and charge for health services without qualifications should be held responsible. By contrast, the Doula Network Australia argues that legislation may push current outliers further from scrutiny, rather than addressing the core hospital and system failures.
As this debate continues to unfold online, healthcare professionals stress the need for improved, more welcoming, and respectful care. The underlying message is clear: better systems, better communication, and a safer, more supportive environment for anyone choosing to give birth.
